, 1865-02-03
THE WASHINGTON TRAG
EDT.
4 Government Employee Kllled-Sad
Hale ii Betrayed Confidence.
From the WASHINGTON Chronicle, Jan. 8 4

From the Washington Chronicle, Jan. j
| Yesterday afternoon our community wa
| startled with report that one Of the clerk
in the Finance Department Of the Gove.n
ment had been killed by Young woman, an'
one version Of the affair was that the mut
deress was oEc Of the employees.
Umn q summons from the Department
| Coroner Woodward was speedily in attend
ance, and at once constituted jury Of ia
qu*st, as follows:
James Lausenson, foreman ". G. Finney
Edward G. Handy, James Croggen, Rosewel
Illus, Joseph E. Davis. Nelson Theaker, 6. p
| ". shar1etts, Edward ". Hale and Charles E
Bissell
The jury being duly sworn, proceeded to
examine the body OF Andrew Jackson Bur:
roughs, who, for about eighteen months past
has held the position Of i clerk in the office
Eof Comptroller Of the Currency, and, at the
time Of his death, was receiving salary ol
s, coo. He wus man vi renlar kable Tin
firm, md bore every appearance Of correct
habits and exemplary department. They
soon discovered that pistol ball had ent red
his back, about two inches to the left Of The
spine, in the region Of the filth rib, and that
it'still remained toe deep for the discovery Of
its whereabouts. Dr.. Riley gave his opinion
that the wound WIS sufficient to cause death.
The evidence ndluced showed that Mr..
Burroughs occupied desk In room on tue
west range Of the Treasury Depar ,ment, md
near the hatl or principal passage On the Sec
ond floor: About midway In this passage,
and by tie side OF one Of the room doors,
there Is . clock fixed. During seycral hours
of the fatal aay, q young female, somewhat
prcpossess:ng ii figure and general appear r
ance, was noticed sauntering about the hall,
but for what purpose, Of course, none could
time the clerks close their duties f,.r the day,
and in a few minutes thereafter the passage
relened to became thtonged with the retiring
employees. The female stranger then tovS
position in the doorway next to the clock.
Mr. Burroughs, apparently 1ull Of life and
hope, not more tl,nn thirty. tfTe years of age,
left his room, and when he had passed he
clock but two or three feet, the sharp crack
of = pistol was heard. He looked around,
discovered female form, exclaimed II Oh ~
and qu1ckent d his pace toWas DIS the stairway;
but, In less than ten seconds, second report
announced another fire. and another wound.
LIE reached tho balus.er and rcclined against
It, when one ofhis comrades returning fiom
below, and ignorant OF Rll that tran3pired,
supposed lie was fainting, inquired ''sHh hat is
the mattcr"' to which the sinking mum re-
piled, II don't know" He WAS conveyed
to room near by, ana expired in about fl:
teen minutes.
The young woman, who gave her name as
Mary Harris, and whose ago Is supposed 10
twice, and appearing confident that the work
Of death was accomplished, remained, and,
eTinclng no excited feelings, slowly pnt her
pistol in her pocket, and awaited further de.
Vc'opments.
70 Hugh McCulloch, Esq, chief Of the
Currency Bureau, she slated that the de-
ceased had violated his marriage engagement
with her. He had done her no harm, but
was engaged to her for many years, even from
her childhood, md had continued CORES
pondence with her until within few months
Of his marriage. He had not eeduced her !;
ind she added, with emphasis, "As God Is
my witness, I am vituous II
Miss Harris WAS about leaving the depart
ment, when Mr.. Sengstock, the door-keeper,
desired her to remain while, which sha
readily consented to do and then Justice
Handy came up, arrested her, and committed
her to Jail for investigation. She told the
Justice She had killed Burroughs; and then,
taking her pistol ont Of her pocket, handed
1t to him. It was o small Shnrps' patent,
four barrels, two Of which were yet loaded,
the other two discharged.
Officer George II. Walker conveyed her to
the JUL in a carriage. On: the way she told
him that she asked no sympathy for herself.
All the sorrow to be felt was for her aged
parents. She charged that deceased had be-
r1ayed her, taken her from home and friends,
placed hef in house Of ill-Elme in Chicago,
this deed. For this purpose she had pue-
chased the pistol In Chicago, and had arrived
here on the morning of yesterday. She gave
Officer Walker IN address, asking him to tele-
graph the fact to Louisa Il. Devlin, James,
Vile, Wisconsin, which he did. She also added
that her father resided in Burlington, Town.
One Of the clerks testified TINT, sometime
during the last summer, q young woman, re-
sembling Miss Harris, called at the room of
Mr.. Burronghs, and inquired Tor him, when
she was informed that he was spending that
day In Baltimore with his wife. The person
expressed great disappointment ut not seeing
him, and fntimated that she Was poor, and
did lot know where she could remain during
the night.
Another clerk had recollection of sim
when the person calling agnin failed In seeing
Mr. B.
The jury rendered the following verdict:
That the -afd deceased lett his room in the
Treasury building about o'clock P. H., On the
3Cth day Of January, 1855; and that. while on his
way through the hail, he came to his death by
hali tred from pistol in the hands 9f woman
feet about two inches to the LEFT Of the sptne In
The region Of the fifth rib.
It appcars that Mr.. Burroughs was married,
less than year ago, to an Interesting young
lady.
II Is said that the deceased WIS ut one time
4 member Of the Presbyterian church in Chi
cago. He had not united with the church
since bis removal to Washington.
With but one or two exceptions, no event
has so excited the residents Of this city as
this tragedy, and seldom has so much sympa-
thy been aroused as was last night manifested
for oil concerned in this terrible affair.