San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-16
DEAD MAN BACK
IN US, HELD
| As SLAYER
Mine Foreman, Once
Buried After Blast,
Comes Home.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16.-William Fl.
Turner, former coal mine foreman of
feudist Pike County, Kentucky, tired
of being dead" in Germany, is back
in this country to face charge Of
numbering the unidentified mine work
or, whose tombstone bears Turner's
name.
He Is also accused of the murder
of Henry Wilson, another mine work
or killed in n mysterious explosion in
a coal mine at McCarr. Ky. The
fatal explosion was considered an ac-
cident until Turner. who blames
others of the affair. got home-sick
in Hamburg, and wrote to Ken
lucky friend a letter that reached
the authorities.
When Turner. underweight from
short rations and with his belongings
in papier mache suitcase, stepped
oft the. gangplank of the liner Reso-
Lutte, arriving from Hamburg yester-
day. he was greeted by Taylor Hat
I'D, one of the famous feudist clan
and deputy sheriff of Pike county.
Hatfield showed Turner a warrant
for his arrest.
WIFE PROTESTS INNOCENCE.
Mrs. Turner, who has been living
IN Trenton, n. j., with her five
children, since she and Turner's sis
ter. Mrs. +. F. Farley of Coral
Gables, Fla, collected $4,000 insur.
ance after Turner'S supposed death,
said she had thought her husband
dead and had been bringing her chill
dren w in that belief. She said she
had no part in the Identification of
the body.
In Williamson, W. Va. Joe Jacks.
turner's father-in-law, who was an
electrician for the Auburn mine at
the time of the explosion last Janu.
airy, has been arrested on a murder
r charge also.
I'VE were blasting through gravel
10 new cut" Turner began his
story to Hatfield and New York DO
lice yesterday. "Henry Wilson and
some other men were setting dynamite
charges. | was in another part of
the mine"
Ordinarily, according to Turner. it
10 safe and simple thing to attach
wires to dynamite charge, then go
back to the electric battery and
piunger and set it off. But on the
fatal night in January the circuit
must have been closed, and the ex-
piosIve went off as soon as the wire
,oucned 1t. At any rate. Wilson and
Ms companion were blown to pieces.
DENIES DEATH GUILT.
Il didn't know anything about it,
continued Turner. THAT night a
orother-in-law Of mine. took me out to
drink some white mule. He wouldn't
Iet me go where anyone could see me.
he kept making me drink and when
was good and drunk. he pulled
gun on me and said would have TO
get ont of town and stay out. He
toid me where to go and what to do.
1 went. " D''
In the meantime. an investigation
was held in the little mining town of
McCarr in Pike County. Wilson was
Identified without difficulty and, when
turner's absence continued for several
days, the other body, badly mangled.
hut about the right weight and meas
urements, was identified as his. An
insurance company paid his widow
$4,000 and his sister 100000 without
protest.
Turner went from McCarr to Co
lumbus, Ohio, and thence to New
York, where he was met by his father
in-law. Joe Jacks, who had tickets for
both OF them to Norway. Turner left
alone, however. From Norway he
went to Hamburg.
"SICK OF GERMANY,
Il got sick OF hearing German and
no American all the time" explained
Turner, "and what with not getting
enough work or enough food. / Just
decided to write home and find out
what it was all about and get in touch
with my wife,
The friend to whom he wrote, hur-
Red with the letter to Sheriff j. NJ.
johnson of Pike County and shortly
thereafter the grand jury brought in
dictments against Turner and Jacks.
Turner volunteered to come home and
tell his side Of the story. Jacks, cleo
trician in charge of the blasting when
that electric circuit was accidentally"
closed. was found in Williamson, oper-
ating hotel and was arrested.
But, say. Bill" remarked Deputy
Sheriff Hatfield when Turner finished
his story. "who do you reckon thai
fellow was that was buried for you?"
Turner thought a moment and then
answered: