The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-11

new. 1GSR, req. =, 1870.
The Washingtcn Tragedy-A Gov.
eminent Employee Killed..
Sad Tale of Betrayed Conf
dence.
yesterday afternoon our community vac
startled with the report tina. one Of the
clerks IN the Finance Department. of the
Government, had beer killed by young
TofElen, GnG one version Of the affair was
that the mQ.ceress Was ono CT tho cui-
pioyees.,
Upon summons from the Department.
Coroner Noos ward was speedily in Rt:eN-
dance and at once constituted q jury ofiL-
Qaes., az follows.
James I1anrenson, foreman " 6 Fin
ney, Edward 9 Handy, James Croggen,
Roswell Woodward. Han. c. Addison
Se,aCe4 Cornelius, Joseph Il Davis, Nelson
Theake-, G K w shsrre:.s, Edward "
Hale and Charles II B.ssen.
The jury being SWORD, proceeded to ex-
for sbou. eighteen months past has held
the position Of 3 clerk in the Office OF
Comptroller Of the Currency, and, at The
time o. his death, was receiving a salary
of ", 6OO. Ee was Is man OF remarkable
tine form. and bore every appearance OF
correct habits and exemplary department.
They soon discovered that pistol ball had
left Of the spine, II the region Of the fifth
rib, and that: still remained too deep for
the discovery of it's whereabouts. DR.. Rily
gave his opinion that tie wound was suff-
Gent TO cause death.
The evidence addaced showed that Mr..
burroughs occupied desk in room on
tie west range OF the Treasury Depart
ment, anG near the hall or principal pas
sage cn the second floor. About midway
il this passage, and by the side Of one of
the rOoln doors, there is a clock fixed
During several hours Of the fatal day, a
young female, somewhat psepossessing in
ig.-e and general appearance, was noticed
SCATTERING about the hall, but for what
pa:pose, OF course, none conid surmise.-
The hour Of four arrived, at which time
the clerks close their duties for the day,
and in few minutes thereafter the passage
referred to became tErongeG with the re-
;lring employees. The female stranger
Their took position il he doorway next 70
the clock.
Mr.. Burroughs, apparently full Of life
and hope, not more than thirty -aye years
OF age, lef. his room, and when he had
passed the clock u1t two or three feet, the
sharp crack Of g pistol was heard. lie
locked around, discovered {. female form,
exclaimed "Oh!'' and qu!ckened his pace
towards the stairway; but, IN less than ten
seconds, second report announced an
other tire, sna another wound. lie reach
&c he salus.er and reclined against il,
wrec one Of his comrades returning from
be4ow, and ignoran. Of all tha: transpired,
supposed lie vas falnting, inquired " hat
- he matter" 70 which the sinking man
replied, q! don't Know" He was convey
ed 70 q soom near by, and expired in about
;.t:een minutes.
The young woman, who gave her name
as Mary Harris, and whose age is supposed
&c be soutcwenty-swo years, having fired
twice, and appearing confident that the
Wo-h OF death vas accomplished, remained
anG eyincsEs NO excited feelings. slowly
pat her i.stei "a her poke, and awaited
further Developments.
20 Hugh McCailoch, Esq, chief Of the
Currency Bureau. she stated that the de-
ceased haa Violated his marriage engage
men: with her. Eeha6 done her no harm,
bu. was engaged 20 her for many years,
even from her chiidhopd, and had con,in-
few months Of his marriage. He lad not
sedaced her, ana she added, with emphs-
sis, Is sod is .:1y witness, am yirta-
ousf"
Miss Harris was about leaving .be de-
par.mens, when NJ. ssengstack. the door
Keeper, desired her 20 remain q while,
which che readily consented to do and
then Justice Handy came up, arrested her,
and committed her % jail for investigation.
She told the Justice she had killed Bur-
roughs; and then, taking her pistol out of
her pocket, handed i to him. II was c
s;nan Sharps' patent, four barrels, two OF
which We're ye. loaded, the other two dis
charged.
ohcer George Il. Wake. conveyed her
20 he jail in q carriage. On the way she
told HIM that she asked no sympathy for
herself. All the sorrow 10 pe Eel: was for
her aged parents. She charged that de-
ceased had betrayed her, taken her from
home and lends, placed her in house Of
III fame in Chicago, and that therefore she
had determined upon this deed. For this
purpose she had purchased the pistol in
Chicago, and had arrived here on the morn
Ing train Of yesterday. She gave officer
Walker an address. ASKING him 10 telegraph
tho facts TO Louis a. Deyiin, GAINESVILLE.
Wisconsin, which he did. She also added
One osthe clerks testified that sometime
during last summer. young woman re-
seinbling Miss Harris, called at the room
of NJ. Burroughs, and inquired for him,
when she was informed that he was spend
inS tha. day in Baltimore with his wife.
at not seeing him, and intimated that che
wac poor. and did not know where she
could remain during the night.
Another clerk baG q recollection Of q
similar inquiry g. q more subsequent peri
Cd, when the person calling again failed in
SeelHS MY d.
The coroner's jury lsye rendered the
allowing verdict:
''Tha: the said deceased left his room in
the Treasury building aboat 4 O'Clock p.
NJ, on the a0th day OF Jahuary, 1866; and
that while on his way through the hall. he
came TO his death by @ ball rired from al
pistol in the hands OF awoman said to be
named Mary Harris, said ball taking eff
fec: about two inches to the left OF the
spine, IN the region OF the FIFTH ribs
It appears tina. M. burroughs was mar
ried, less than year ago, to an interesting
young lady.
It il said tina: the deceased YVES at one
time member Of the Presbyterian church
II Chicago. He had not united with church
sinee his removal to Washington.
With but one or two exceptions, no
event has 30 excited tho residents of this
CITY ~ th.s tragedy, and seldom has 80
much sympathy been aroused as was last
night manifested for all concerned in this
terrible affair." Washington Chronicle.
Mr.. Richard Montgomery, an engineer q.
New York. proposes to build q railroad