The Whitewright Sun
Friday, July
21, 1916
pg. 1
W.L. WHITE
KILLED AT DENISON BY W.C. TURNER
Returning
home unexpectedly from his work at the local
M.K. & T. shops
Saturday night about an hour earlier than
usual, W.C. Turner, a copper-smith, residing
at 701 West Woodard street, shot and
mortally
wounded Wayne F. White, a clerk in the car
department at Ray yards,
whom the former discovered sitting with Mrs.
Turner on the back porch
steps. The shooting occurred at 11:30
o'clock.
Three
shots were fired from a 38-calibre Colt's
revolver, only one of which
took effect in White, it entering his back
beneath the right shoulder
blade and ranged downward, perforating the
liver. Another shot
passed through the dress of Mrs. Turner,
making 2 holes, marking a line
across the front of the skirt, and powder
burning her arms slightly,
but did not injure her.
After
being shot White ran 5 and 1/2 blocks to his
home, 718 West Walker
street, where he lay down on a pallet and
asked his wife to send for a
physician. From the first it was
realized there was no hope for
the injured man, but he lived until 8:30
o'clock Sunday morning before
he passed away. He made a statement to
Assistant County Attorney
R.M. Finley and Justice H.M. Wisdom before
the end came. He was
31 years of age and is survived by his wife
and 2 children.
Turner
is 36 years of age and has been employed as
a copper-smith in the M.K.
& T. shops in Denison for the past 7
years coming here from Ennis,
where his father now resides. He is a
man of good reputation, and
it is said he has only lost a half day's
work at the shops in the past
4 years. His working hours are from 4
o'clock in the afternoon
until 12 at night.
Mr. and Mrs.
Turner have 2 children, a daughter about 12
years of age and a son 9 years old. - - - Denison
Gazette
Fort Worth (TX)
Star-Telegram
Monday, October 30, 1916
pg. 1
DENISON MAN FREED ON MURDER CHARGE
Sherman,
Texas, October 30 - W.C. Turner of Denison,
charged with the murder of
W.F. White, also of Denison, today was
acquitted on recommendation of
County Attorney Gafford.
Testimony was given that White was fatally
shot while he was sitting on the porch of
Turner's home with Turner's
wife, July 15, last.
Sherman (TX) Daily Democrat
Monday,
October 30, 1916
pg. 1
NOT GUILTY
VERDICT IN W.C. TURNER CASE
On
Instruction of Court Jury Returns a Verdict
Without Leaving Box
In
the 15th District Court, Judge W.M. Peck
presiding the case of the
state vs. W.C. Turner, charged by indictment
with murder, was called
this morning.
Capt.
E.J. Smith, a well known Denison attorney,
representing the defendant,
waived a special venire for his client and
the following were accepts
as jurors in the case:
E.W.
Doolittle
J.C. Belew
C.N. Mitchell
John Ellison
W.J. Dishner
R.I. Wallace
J.D. Harris
E.B. Auentt
N.C.
Dorchester
F.M. Gay
R.L. Isbell
A. Byler
According to the
indictment Turner killed White August 5,
1916 by shooting him.
The
defendant was placed on the witness stand
and testified that he is a copper-smith in
the employ of the Katy at Denison, and works
from 4
o'clock in the afternoon until 12 o'clock at
night. He testified
that a few weeks before the killing he awoke
one morning and found his
wife talking to this man White. He
thought at the time that it
was the grocery boy or a chance meeting and
though nothing more of it.
But his wife arose every morning about
5 o'clock and he soon
discovered that she talked to this same man
nearly every morning.
Some times as early as 5 a.m. and at
other times between the hour
and 6 a.m. He said he had been married
14 years and had 2
children, a boy and a girl and could not
believe there was anything
between his wife and anyone else, but he
began to keep a close watch
and began coming home a little earlier at
night. For 4 nights he
came home about 11 o'clock. On the
fifth night he discovered his
wife and White together, when he approached
the house from an alley.
He went into the house, he testified
and when he looked out of
the window, White had his arms around his
wife. He said he went
all to pieces and picked up a pistol and
shot White.
County
Attorney Ben F. Gafford read a short dying
statement from White, in
which he said he was at Turner's home at the
time he was shot.
Capt.
Smith, attorney for the defendant, read a
sworn statement signed by 51
business men of Ennis, where Turner was
reared, saying his character
was above reproach and that he was a member
of one of the oldest and
best known and and highest standing families
in Ellis county.
County
Attorney Ben F. Gafford, recommended a
verdict of acquittal, and when
Capt. Smith asked the court to instruct the
jury to acquit, the court
did so, and the jury returned a verdict of
"not guilty" without leaving
the jury box.