, 1862-11-29
Gbe Gtihntte.
:. ONE OF MY CxIBNTg. WHO HE
WAS.


From the Cleveland Herald, 9Th.
In the Decemoer number of the 4tzant1
No1tly, Is an extraordinary stoEy, or sketch,
under the above title, which has been received
with general incFcdulfty by the public, al.
though it is said to be partially voucaed Ior by
one Of the publishers OF the Monthly. The
sketch purp0rts to have been written bv q
lawyer who had as bis client tsMr, Sidn:y. u
The mir. Sidney" Of the story is no n,fth.
history Is concerned.
He "as man who but a few years ago filled
large space In the history Of the tine, from
nus relations to one of the most remarkab1c
cases known In the crimioal annals of the
west: lie WAS also well-known resiueut Of
THIS city, where bis family now reside In
short, the ss Mr. SldneY'' Of the story is ~,
other than the 1ste Sidney G. Burton, Of this
city, famoas for his connection with the
Martha Washington case. There is M
mistakiBg the identity Of the tTo characters
and their histories
In The year 1851, Sidney G. Burton shipped
qusn:ity Of skins, valued at 81, 500, to a
TO be shipped On the steamer Martha Wash
tngton tor New Orleans. Whilst on her way
down the river, the steamer took fire near Isl
and Nc. Is, January 14th, 1859, art1 was en-.
nrsly consumed, with all her cargo and mum
bcr Ct the Passengers. AL the officers aud
kA[Ns CAIGFt AuE C%AlpEAttE& escaped 1tin
books ard papers were lost. The boat and
cargo were very heavily Insured In various Of
tees, but circumstances led the insurance
companies to Withhold payment until further
investigation Has nade.
Dir. Burton applied to his Cincinnati con.
signess for the value Of the skins. Tnsy de-
cLned payment until the insurance could be
recovered. Biz. Button doubted the fact Of
tie Shipment Of his Ekins, and soon obtained
What he deemed sufficient evidence 1hat nei-
sher bis skins nor the other property alleged
to have been shipped on the steamer had ever
been shipped. He again demanded payment,
Which vas again refused, AID he then set to
work tc di; cover and expose the conspiracy
suspected 1e be connected witt, ii. affair.
III the summer Of 1852, L. L. Filley, of Ctr-
eln1a1l, one Of the suspected parties. died,
On his death bed 1t ia said he confessed thas
sasIa s1ta had oesn no merchandise shipped on the
bexes and barrels ccn:a:ned Ia: nothinE i
Barton gave up mis- whole energies 70 the t.zk
Of fesrctitg cut the crimes Of the con spira-
tols, and in go doing cl.:n.ed that ho had dis
covered conspiracy Of gigantic p7o2ortiops,
Including among its numbers men cf high
commercial ard official rauk, and embracing
within It's scope the crlMe ct forgery, arsoa.
and murder
William KiEsane, one Of the leading con-
spiratoTs, Was brought to trial at Lebanca.
ohio, ard afterwards ut Cincinnati, on the
chsfge Ct eoIEpiri3g to burn the eteamer.
3bleE inyolved sl:o the charge Of murder.
he Was convicted, but obtained rew trial
and was acquitted. Tee other alleged
cc1lspirator5 were also tiled at Cclnn-
bus md acquitted. Mr.. Burton claimed ,ha.
uWl1g to tie nuElbeTs, po Her. and iu1luence
sf ihc onsp!Tators, he could rot obtain ius-
tIce, but he determined never to rclinguish
the pursuit until ne had brought the guilty. to
= i'm in RI,
In 1851 Mr. Burton obtained requi5itiou
from the Governor Of Arkansas on the az
thoTldts Of Ohio, and seve.al of the alleged
corspi1a:ors were arrested at the Walnut
street House, in Cincinnati, i-oncd, hurried
OF in an omnibus to steamer, and taken to
j J.It1s Onyi]le, Ind, and thence to Heleua,
Ark. Here they we're kept in jail for three
uicD:La, tried, and acquitted.
But The chase YVES noI yet over. Mr. Burton
hsd spent neerly- all his OWL means In the
pcrsuft, and now the insurance comparjes
came to his aid: The United States govern
extensive counterfeis:Dg operations, alleged
to nave been committed by the conspirators
Whom he was pursuing.
In 1854 William ki:sauc committed heavy
toTEerles on the Chamicel Bank Of New Y orlS
He was caught, b1t whilst in custody Of IN
officer, and, it was claimed, through his cou-
nlr2ncc, he made his escape thT1nst 3n apar-
fure in the water closet Of railroad car. h
was subs: qusn:ly rrtaaen, tried, aud SEP
1enccd to Slug Slug Prison for two aud a half
JearE, but MS pardoned out By Gov. Clark,
ci Neg York, IN Decsnlber, 1855.
Still Burton kert on The track of the con-
epi1stors like bloodhound. Numerous A.
tenpts were made OF his life. At q hotel in
columbus, end in otler pieces, poison was
:3und III his food. In the winter of 1855 he
came home broken down ia health, and a.
sertiEg that he wos dying from the effect af
sloW poison: On the llth Q! December, 1855,
he died at bis home on the West Side. The m
doubted vic1i1n Of tic poisoner.
As an Instance Of the many attempts mada
GA lis life, We may mention the fa:t that
whilst sick ct NtE York, before coming hume
to He, glass OF wine vas sent 70 him, win
the regards of the lardlady, but as Burton
Iever !, drank wire or spirits, 1t vas left in.
not send 1t, and Oh analyzstion, it MAS found
to coEtsin poison enough to Xiii three tnco.
1t Should elso be mentioned that Kissaae
was Pardcned cut on the request of Bartou,
and that had the latter lived, important re-
fnii5 "ou1d have followed hjssane'G l1bera-
zion.
The reader cannot fail to SEQ the urmis5ak-
able identity Of s'Mr. SidGey," With the lata
Sidney q. Burton, and there are other smaller
circumstances that ctanrm the fact beyond
d!sluae,-"Mr. Sidney" alludes to woman
N the ganE whose strength Of nerve and
ecSeEcs- In private conversation here
Ar. Burton has Often alluded to this 10 nan
is the wiie ct one Of the cou5p.rators. but
whose pane, for ob7ious reasons, We caano:
now publish.
The mysterious part Of tie mayaz5ne sketch,
name}y tbs po1er Of Mr Sidney" to read
the character and history Of an individual BY
TIE handwriting, Ec cannot throw much light
on. as he made but little mention of his skill
in this respect among his friends here. That
he was q ekillful expert In detecting hand
writing is, however, j we'll known fact, and
On one occasion forgery on one Of our banks.
Of which clerk in prominent River street
buslneEs house had been suspected, and who
was rnder police surveillance in consequence,
was by Dir. Burton, in an instantaneous plauce
1t ths writing, fastened on one Of the gang OF
coBe4 4siratcrs.
lie even mentioned the day on which the
forgery was committed, and stated that on
thar day tho person he mentioned would be
found stopping atone Of the hotels under one
Of three or tour assumed names. Inst INT
search proved that the person in question had
stopped on that day at hotel under such 9
name. How far this incident may 70 to SUD
port the strange story OF Mr. Sidney'u'' - e.
traordin7ry powers, our readers can Judge fol
themselves.