Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-05-28
From the Jefferson Enquirer.
BURR'S TRIAL.

From the Jefferson Enquirer.
BURRS TRIAL.
On the 9th May, the Circuit Court held
a session for the trial of d. B. Burr,
charged with the murder of his wife. The
trial terminated on Monday night 10th,
after weeks patient investigation, with
verdict of guilty of murder in the first
degree. Every opportunity was afforded
for fair and full examination into all the
facts and evidence in the case. There was
no hurry, no unusual excitement, and no
improper restraint placed over the conduct
Of the case. His counsel used every effort
in their power, to make even the least cir
cumstances bend in his favor. He was
convicted entirely on circumstancial evil
dence but the chain was SO clear, cohe-
rent and pointed, and corroborated by
such a variety of collateral incident, that it
was impossible to resist the conviction that
Burr was guilty man. The death was
produced by glass; so, at least, it was
agreed by the physicians, who made the
pest mortem examination, and so testified
in Court. 1t was proved that Burr had
pounded glass on several occasions, under
suspicious circumstances, and with pre-
tence on his part, which he offered no evil
dence to sustain. He carefully attended
during the sickness of his wife-a sickness,
in all probability, produced by his own
foul act--and administered to her most of
the prescribed medicines. Pounded glass,
in considerable quantity, was fonnd in
her stomach. No doubt exists in the mind
of the community as to the business of the
conviction. The execution will take place
on the 9Th July next. The sentence of
the Court was pronounced on Tuesday
morning, 18th May. He bore the pronun-
citation of the sentence without any visi-
BILE signs of perturbation. At first, when
the trial commenced, his ordinary appear
ance was supplied with considerable pal
lidness. His usual color soon returned, and
he maintained an appearance Of indiffer-
| ence throughout the whole investigation.
The prosecution was conducted by 8. NJ.
Bay and E. L. Edwards, Esqrs and the
defence by Messrs. Leonard, Minor, and
Lisle. The attornies discharged their du-
ties with great skill and ability. Every
thing which duty or propriety required
was carefully resorted to, and the jury,
after short absence returned with a.
verdict of guilty.
SENTENCE OF DEATH.
The counsel for the prisoner, Mr.. Leon
ard, Mr.. Lisle and Mr.. w. G. Minor hav-
ing stated to the court that they knew no
reason why the sentence Of the law should
not be pronounced upon the verdict, his
Honor asked the prisoner the usual ques-
ton. "Have you any thing to say, further
than you have already said, why the sem
tence of the law should not be pronounced
against you;" and was answered by shake
of the head that he had nothing to say.
SENTENCE OF THE COURT.
Whether, what | am about to say will
be Of any benefit to you, am unable to
determine nevertheless feel it my duty
to say word or two before |, as the organ
of the law, pronounce its awful sentence.
"After a patient investigation of eight
days, with all the aid that able, vigilant and
anxious counsel could give, you have been
pronounced guilty OF crime, the moral
enormity Of which can scarcely be parallel.
ed in the annals OF fiendishness and cruel
ty.
''One Of the most extraordinary features
in this case is, the apparent absence OF all
motive for the commission Of the deed
that you had motive, and that metive the
strongest that could move the foul pass ions
of your nature, there can be no doubt
What that motive was is known, perhaps,
only to yourself and your God. We can
account for our failure to discover it, only
by the supposition that to your fendish-
ness was added hypocracy, to hyPocracy
cunning and such cunning as enab ed you
to hide from the view of man that fatal Sc
cret.
"That a man should murder a woman,
and that woman his wife whom he had
sworn at the altar to love, cherish and pro-
,ect, and commit that murder by the cruel
est means, by torture, by the admlnistra-
ton of pounded glass, without motive the
most foul and revolving, no man can for
moment doubt.
"By that fell deed you struck the deadly
blow not only at one OF our social structure,
but at our religion also. You and the de-
ceased were bound together by one Of the
hottest ties that can bind man to his species;
you were members of the same church;
you prefessed to worship at the same alter
that she did; you partook of the broken
body, and the shed blood of the Saviour
from the same table; YOU professed and act
ed the greatest love and affection for her,
while there ranked in your heart the dead.
| y purpose Of her destruction
"The circumstances and consequences OF
that murder aIe revolving in the highest de,
| 1ree The deceased was nrostrated IN n