The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-09-10
THOS. WRIGHT HELD
FOR TURNER MURDERS
Coroner's Jury Calls it Muir
der-Preliminary Hear
ing yet to Come.
Shooting Occurred in St. Johns Coun.
ty, but Gov. Trammell Orders Pris-
oncr Held in Putnam Jail.

Jesse and Roy Turner, respectively
father and son, were shot and instant
ly killed at a point west of San Mateo
and more than hundred yards over
the Putnam county line in st. Johns
county, last Sunday evening by Thos.
Wright, a neighbor. All the parties
concerned live at San Mateo and are
well-known citizens. There had been
fued existing between Wright and
the Turner's for some time, the same
growing out of Sunday ball game in
which the Turner'S approved and par
tcipated, but which Wright condemn
ed. The ball playing occurred near
Wright's home and it is stated that
when ball was batted over on his
premises he kept the ball. This was
the beginning of fued which has
caused the death of two good men and
resulted in the other being held for
their murder, to say nothing of the
sorrow that has been brought to in
nocent women of both families.
The story of the murder comes from
Thos. Wright, who is the only witness
and who confesses to the shooting,
though he maintains it was in self
defense.
According to his story he and the
Turner's met in the road; Wright was
driving in his buggy and met the Tur-
ners in double team. He says that
when the Turner'S saw him they stop
ped, jumped out of their vehicle,
caught his horse by the bride and or
dered him to get out. He says he
refused and then they pulled him out.
As they were attempting to grab him
he pulled his pistol and fired, empty
ing his revolver into one after the
other and killing them both He al
so states that he did not fire until he
had warned them.
Both men were shot through the
heart. The only thing that appears
to throw a doubt on the Wright story
is the fact that when found the bod
les OF the Turner's were something
more than 200 feet apart. and both ly-
ing face down in the sand.
Wright returned to his home and
Itelephoned the Sheriff's office and say,
ing that he wanted to give himself up.
Sheriff kennerly was absent, and Dep
.uty Sheriff Minton who took the mes
sage got Judge f. f. Haskell to go
with him as coroner On arrival
they found that the shooting had
really occurred in st. Johns county
and that they were without authority.
They thereupon notified the St Johns
county authorities. Wright was
brought here and lodged in i&Il.
Jesse Turner was well known in
this city and in the county, as was
also his son. They are members of
an old and respected family. Wright
has lived in San Mateo some years
and is also well-known here.
At the inquest held in St. Johns
county on Monday a verdict of muir
der was returned by the jury after
viewing the bodies.
The preliminary hearing will also
take place in that county, possibly
at Hastings, as the shooting occurred
within the Justices district of which
that place is headquarters. At the
time of this writing the dote for the
examination had not been fixed.
Owing to the fact that Jesse Turner,
the elder victim of the shooting was
brother-i in-law of the sheriff of st,
Johns county and that his own broth
er is a deputy sheriff in that county,
and because of the bitter feeling and
to guard the safety of the prisoner
Gov. Trammell has given orders that
he be held in the Putnam county jail.
Wright himself is very anxious to
be held here.
AS stated at the outset there is no
witness to the shooting other than the
man who acknowledges that he did it.
But there are numerous stories, as
would naturally be the case in an af-
fair of this kind.
Hon. S. J. Hilburn has been engag-
ed to represent Wright as his attor-