Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-10-16
Gods sake, don't let him get up or
we are lost" fell to the floor in q
dead faint, The soldiers dashed q

UOu odAc, uOu iCt uiiu SCe up vi
we are lost" fell to the floor in q
dead faint. The soldiers dashed 3
part of the contents of the water
bucket over her, and soon restored
her to consciousness. They then took
Burton's rifle and side-ar,ns aud
started for the camp, leaving the
body OH the hearth. They had pro-
ceeded but ABOUT quarter Of mile
when they heard the woman scream,
and turning, saw her beckoning to
them to return. Not knowing what
she wanted, they ran back and saw
the most horrible sight they had ever
witnessed. Burton, whom they had
supposed dead, still had q spark of
life i'll his ugly body, and after they
left had gained his hands and knees
aud en,icavered to crawl away.
HIS EYES WE'RE POUNDED FROM THE
SOCKETS
and, as his head was beaten to a jelly,
he of course knew nothing. although
he had CROPPED around until he had
found the door, and OH his hands and
knees was crawling away over the
dead grass.
Thomas and his companion gazed
on the blood-curdling spectacle a
moment, ana then ssizing the ax at
the wOod-pile hcwed the head from
the trunk, and anxious to get away
from the spot. dropped the weapon,
and still bearing the gorv head ran
toward their camp. They reached it
in about two hours time, and, cx-
liibiting the head, related the story
to their colonel. Several of the SOL
diers recognized the head as that of
Burton, and the two men had no
difficulty in obtaining the reward.
Their exploit made them heroes in
! the eyes of the people IN that portion
of the country, and it was principal
! ly owing to his reputation and the
start i'll life obtained through the
reward that Thomas afterwards mar.
ried the daughter of the colonel OF
| his regiment. He is now living in
the southern part of this State, and
with modest competence and /
charming family, is rs happy as HI
could desire to be. Even ut this day
he is disinclined to speak OF his ad
venture, and shuddcrs involuntaril!
when the subject is alluded to. Wha
became Of his companion our infor
mant was unable to state.
Thomas, accompanied by some sol
dicrs from his company, and unde
the guidance of the boy who had sum
moued Button for them, visited th
robbers cave II day or two alter tn
adventure. and there found 4 larg
pile of arms of all descriptions,
number OF watches, quite large sun
of money, and over fifty suits o
clothing the monster had
STRIPPED FROM THE BODIES OF HI
In the breast of almost every Goa
was found Il bulict-hole; and in tn
} heaps of garments the southern gra
anu northern blue were indiscrimiI
atcly piled. What became of til
plu der is not clear, but it probabl
fell to Thomas and his friends. Bot
men afterwards regretted that the
had left the rifle Of the assassin i
the c..bin, us it was not to be foun
when they returned and looked TO
it. They so'cinnv declared that til
stock contained Il row OF noiche.
reaching from the b-cech To the luuz
zlc, and that Burton told them tina
every notch represented life he ha
taken, and that two more would
added tor their own, unless he felt Il
unusual generosity i'll allowing thel
20 live.
With the exception of a brief men
ton nade of the affair by all arm
corresponding, this almost incrctlibl
story was never published. That tn
details gwen above are true i'll ever
PARTICULAR, tue surviving member
of the Fifth Iowa or Tenth Illinois
Cavalr! will readily attest.