Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-12-18
ZONE OF MY CLIENTS
The X cal Zero OF the Story i'm the AtIanti,
MONTHLY.

The X cal Hero efthe Story i'm the Atlantic
Monthly.
IFroTp the Cleveland (Ohio) Herald, Nov. 24.l
In the December number OF the Atlantic
Monthly is an extraordinary story or sketch,
under the above title, which has been received
with general Incredibly by the public, al
though 1t is saidto be partially Nouched for by
ope Of the publishers Of the Monthly. The
sketch pprpoTts TO have been written by
lawyer who had his client 'sMr. Sidney
The Mr. Sidney" OF the story is no myth, 80
far, at least, a. the leading portion Of his his
tory i concerned.
He was a man who buta few years ago filled
large space ia the history Of the time, from his
relations 10 one Of the remarkable cases known
IN the criminal annals of the West. He WIS
also well known resident of This city, where
hie family now reside In short, the ssMr.
Sidney Of the story is no other than the late
Sidney &. Burton, of this city, famous for his
connection with the "Martha Washington
There IL installing the identity of
me two characters and their histories.
In The year 1851, Sidney Z. Barton shipped a
quantity OF skins, valued at 81 500, to a house
In Cincinnati. These skins were said 10 be
shipped on the steamer Martha Washington,
for New Orleans. Whilst on her way down
ths river, the steamer took fire near Island No.
%, January 18th, 1852, and was entirely con-
sumed, with all her cargo and number OF the
passengers. All the officers and crew, except
The carpenter, escaped. The books and papers
were lost. The boat and cargo were very heay-
ly insured in various offices, but circumstan-
s<s led the insurance companies to withhold
payment until further investigation made.
Mr.. Burton applied TO his Cincinnati con-
slgDees for the value of the skins. They de-
slined payment until the insurance could he
recovered. Mr.. Burton doubted the fact Of the
shipment of his skins, and soon obtained what
he deemed sufficient evidence that neither his
skins n9S the other property alleged 70 have
shipped He again demanded payment which
was again refused, and he then set TO work to
discover and expose the conspiracy suspected
% be connected with the affair.
summer j.. L.. Cf in
sinnati, one of the suspected parties, died On
His deathbed it is said he confessed that Their.
had been no merchandise shipped on the Mar
tba Washington, but that the boxes and barrels
contained nothing but sticks, stone and Rubbish
Mr.. Burton gave up his whole energies TO the
task OF ferrcting out the crime Of the conspira-
tors, and in doing claimed that he had dis
covered conspiracy of gigantic proportions,
including among Its numbers men of high COM
msrcial and official rank, and embracing within
ais scope the crimes Of forgery, arson and muir
ser.
William Kissane, one of the leading con. ,Ira
sers, was brought TO trial At Lebanon, Ohio
and afterwards ri Cincinnati, on the charge of
eOnspirlng To burn the steamer, which in volyed
also the charge of murder. He was convicted.
but obtained new trial and was acquitted
The other alleged conspirators were also tried
IT Columbus and acquitted. Mr. Burton
claimed that owing to the numbers, power and
influence OF the conspirators he could not Obtain
justice, bnt he determined never TO relinou ish
the pursuit until he had brought the guilty to
punishment, or fell himself in the attempt
rom The Governor Of Arkansas The authori
lies OF Ohio, and several of the alleged couspir
ators We're arrested At the Walnut Street House
IN Cincinnati, ironed, hurried off in an omnibus
Ia steamer, and taken TO JeffersonviIle, Ind
and thence 10 Helena, iArkansas. Here they
were kept IN lall tor three months, tried and
acquitted.
Blu; the chase was not yet over Nh. Burton
had spen; nearly all his own means in the pur-
.uit, and now the insurance companies came Z,
hls aid The United States government also
RTr N N-Adh in to -o.ly0
sounterfeiting operations, alleged 10 have been
committed by the conspirators whom he was
pursuing.
In 1854 VIM. Kissane committed heavy for.
series on the Chemical Bank of New York He
w&s caught but whilst in custody Of an OH
~s-and, his claimed, through his connivance
the water closet of a railroad car. He was sub
stquently retaken, tried and sentenced TO Sing
Sing prison for two and a half years, but was
pordoned out by Gov. Clark, of New York in
ecember, te.5.
Still Burton kept on the track of The eonspirs.
tors like bloodhound. Numerous attempts
we're made on his life. All hotel in (,olumhrs
and In other places, poison was found i'm his
food. In the winter of 1855 he came home bro
Zen down IN health, and asserting that he was
dying from the effects of slow poison. On the
llth OF December, 1855, he died at his home on
the west side, the undOubted victim OF In. poi
soner.
As an instance of the many attenn.s rnadc -,
his life, we may mention the fact that whilst
sick at New York, before coming home TO die.
glass OF wine was sent 10 him. with the re-
CARDS OF the landlady, but as Burton never
drank wine or spirits, il was left untouc hed /,
tnrned out hat the landlady did not send IT.
and on analyzailon II was found to contain poi
son enough 10 kill THREE men.
IL should also b. mentioned that kissane was
psrdoned out on the request OF Burton, and
that- had The latter lived, important results
would have followed kissane' liberation
The reader cannot fail 10 see the unmistaka-
Die identity Of MIR. Sidney with the Ia,e sd
Eey c. Burton, and there are other smaller cir
CuruefanagS rr1 h. fact
pste. "Mr. Sidney" alludes TO a woman in the
gang whose strength OF nerveand will battied
all his endeavors 20 master her schemes In
private onyersaiion here Mr.. Burton has often
suuosd 10 this woman as the wife of one of the
coDspirators, but whose name, for obvious
reasons, we cannot now publish
The mysterious part OF the magazine sketch
namely, the power OF MIR. Sidney" 10 read the
character and history OF AN individual by his
handwriting, we cannot throw much light on.
As ne mace but htile mention of his skill IN this
re-pee. among his fri, nd here That Il. was a
sklllful expert IN detecting hand writing IL
however, u well known fac, and Oh one, 60
elon forgery or one Of our banks, OF which =,
clerk IA prominent River street b,Isine-s
kon-e bad been suspected, and who was under
Police Surveillance in Consequences was nv
Mr.. Burton, in an instantaneous gIsunce az tn.
writing. fastened Oh OIH OF the gang of con-
sriratOrz.
He ever mentioned the day OH which tia ,,-
ssry was committed. amt lated that on that dav
the p'rsOn he mentioned would be found stop
ping at one OF the hotels, under one OF three or
20. Ll-Ito udIh'a- lH> Ln' search proved
mai Tie person IN qse=-iOn had stopped that
cay al Z hotel under such name. How far
NJ nSiaent may 90 10 support the strange
soIy OF MY Sldhey's" extraordinary power.
ee1 IeaHeE. can Judge for themselves
- The Nashville Drspatch understand,
thhl eoCG- t~c thou--nd lales OF tn. ,arton
ne~d IA barrcetiInR he s,T,@ts Of Na.hy,lIa
nave oseL dehy"rsd 10 lie owners Tnts a,
IrseBt prIces, i worth over half = uoilI,rn
arr. portion OF thIs costo. has ras,,
shipI ed Ror,h by The Louisville and Nas, mo
aurcsG, and me .fEiHiEoeF Win .o5n fo!IoS
&C. e NJ Spinner, a former re.ia. r. N WI
RfTnr tow n, Mar, was Gur,. FED or.d trro-s,r
into EOEL heST BeckhelG, VI, s..au. > -ye4.
sFo. Sic wtat - e tore ia {. I4r:,L- -.rc To, yn