Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-06-28

We are indebted to afriend residing at Lane
Illinois, for an extra from the oice Of the paper
published at that place containing detaiedac-
count Of the hanging, on Wednesday 18th
inst, Of r. d. Burke under the code of Judge
Lynch, a tel egruphic announcement Of which
appeared in our columns of last week Burke
was "a years Of age, q native Of Kentucky,
and had resided at Lane during the last four
or Eve years, being the inventor aud proprie-
tor of patent wire fence in general use in
that region. He was a violent sece5siOuist,
but the immediate cause of his execution was
the discovery (made through the agency of a
Chicago Detective 10 whom he detailed bis
past operations aud divulged his future inten.
town by which a large amouut OF property
was destroyed. 1t also appeared he eontem
plated further operations of the kind in Lane
and other towns, and meditated the murder o
boy who had expressed the desire TO see all
assigned for his acts of arson was that the
/ people among whom he resided were abolition
! lists and hostile to the South. He was arresI [.
ed on the charge OF arson, and the examination
| took place in Hall situated in the third sto
ry Of building on the principal street. The
examinat ion Of witnesses having been com
pleted, the subsequent proceedings arc thus de
tailed:
| "After the case was closed a call for the
reading of the testimony was made, as man,
had come in who had not heard it. 1t was ac
cordingly read to those present, amid exclama
tions Of surprise and horror and it took but
| glance at the pale and determined faces among
the crowd to be satisfied that the prisoner
would not be permitted to leave the Hall alive
And he was not. Even while the Court wer,
comforting in relation 20 making out the com
mitment, and in spite Of the orders and exer
tion of the Deputy who had the temporar,
charge Of the prisoner, at fifteen minutes be
fore one o'clock his hands were tied bebinC
him, rope placed about his neck, and he sum
Harily elected, feet foremost, from side win
dow in the Hall. His fall was easy. and b,
struggled but once or twice and ceased TO ex
list. After hanging between one to two hours
/ he was cut down. Thus ended the life o
Thomas D. Burke, who, five are to believe bi
own confession, ought to have been in th,
same position years ago. His crimes stant
recorded as among the worst in the calendar
He had murdered, he had robbed, he had pre-
meditaied the murder Of young and inofEen
sire lad-worse than all, be had twice beer
guilty Of arson, (the first time young maj
narrowly escaping with his life,) destroying
property to the amount of thousands of dol
lars, and melting suspicion and distrust among
the entire community
His punishment though deserved and Just
was awful in the cxtreme. As general thing
the principle Of taking the law from its lcgit
mate course, and administering il by the hand
of the people is entirely wrong. But we d,
say we never heard of a case, never S1tr cas-,
recorded in criminal caanderS, where the pal
iation existed Of obstructing the course of th'
law as in the one in question. The Cour
| would not be in session until October, and tn
-chaneeS were not more than one in hundred
that Burke would have btcl convicted. Tht
principal witness might cease TO exist before
! that fine, and although there might not be thr
shadow of a doubt in respect TO the guilt o
the prisoner in thu minds of all, legal con
viction might not fellow. In the absence o
the least doubt in relation TO his guilt, those
concerned in the matter felt that they were
not willing TO run the chances of an iucar
nate fend and devil being again turned loose
i in this or any other community"