The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-29
Confessions and Death OF Barnum's No Haire'
Man.

CONCESSIONS anu DehCh VI Dhrhunis y NJ h"Aicu
A few weeks since an old man was ar
rested in Troy, N. Y, having in his pos
session horse and buggy which he had
stolen from livery stable in Norwich,
lChenango county. The man gave MS
name as Burr Deming, and was notice
able for the absence of hair on his head
and face. Shortly after his arrest he
was taken ill and continued to grow
worse until Saturday, when he died. The
day before he died he requested cler-
gyman to be summoned to his BEDSIDE,
as he desired to make certain revela-
tions and confessions before he died.
The story he told, or portions of it have
Just been made public, and is one OF the
most extraordinary narratives known to
the records Of crime.
| He was born, he said, in Sharon,
Litchfield county, Conn.,, aud the fact Of
his having no hair attracted the atten-
tion of p. L. Barnum, when that show
man first started out, and who engaged
him to travel with him. Barnum adyer-
tised him as 'Vancouver, the nohalred
man of Vancouver's Island," feature
of the early exhibitions of Barnum which
will be remembered by many yet living.
He was with Barnum seven years, and
then left him to follow life of crime,
WHICH uc aunoIeu W SFcI aitcl' AO was
married eight times, and seven OF his
wives, he declares, are yet living-une
in new York, two in Philadelphia, one in
Connecticut, one in New Orleans, one
in 1ockport and one in Boston. He said
lie had been concerned in no less than
three hundred burglaries since he left
Barnum, three of (which were attended
with murder. lie had been arrested
one hundred and fifteen times. and
served many terms in prison, ranging
from six months to two years. The last
time he was sentenced was IN Bu1alo.
He was an accomplice OF Dan, Noble, in
the celebrated bond robbery of 1868, and
in 1870 he was tried al Buffalo, and sem
tancad hy Judge Boardman to five years
in Auburn Prison. He served two oft
and was then pardoned out by Governor
Hoffman, at the petition OF friends.
After ieaving Auburn. Deming went to
Canada. He had been there but fe W
months when he joined gang OF bur-
glars and planned and helped to execute
the robbery of the St. Gatherings Bank.
He was arrested before he .could leave
the province, all the rest escaping.
When put upon trial he succeeded IN es.
tablishing an alibi through the testimony
lof one Mary Washburn, u supposed re-
spectacle seamstress Of st. GATHERINGS,
but in reality the wife of one of the gang,
and an accomplice in the robbery. There
lis a reward, Deming said, of $4,000, still
standing for the arrest of the parties en-
gagged in the St. GATHERINGS robbery
| They got away with about $40, 900, ana a
large amount of bonds. 'These latter ac-
lcording to the dying criminal, were
buried in Delaware county, near the
l Ulster county line, and are there yet,
for all he knew to the contrary. Deming
said that the robbery Of the United
States mail of five bags of valuable mat
ter at Utica, a year ago, was planned by
him; but he did not participate. in the
robbery, although he knew all the par
ties engaged in it, and how they have
managed TO elude justice. He was one
of the gang who committed the Com
stock robbery, also in Utica, which he
said did not yield the amount reported
as taken, it being, in fact, an Improbable
lob. Besides these leading crimes III
which he was concerned, Deming con.
fessed to being leader TO numerous
others which acquired but local repu-
| tation, but which were important as to
the profit they yielded. He claimed to
know who broke open the Port Jervis
4 Bank in 1853, when about $500 in
money and bonds were stolen, and said
he was one of the watchers outside
when it was done. Deming said he also
knew who robbed and murdered Mr.. Ed
wards a few months ago at Coopers-
town. 1t will be remembered that Ed
wards, who was wealthy resident of
Cooperstown, was attacked at night at
his residence, robbed and murdered.
BY hat which was left behind by the
murderer or murderers supposed clew
was obtained to party concerned in
the crime, and he was arrested. Deming
said that they had not got the right
man; that he knew to whom the hat
belonged. He gave detailed account
of that crime, mentioning the names Of
those concerned in it, and made many
extraordinary developments, which the
authorities, who now have sworn con-
fession, will not as yet diyulge. Deming
lived but few hours alter making his
statement, and was fully aware OF his
approaching dissolution. Opinion as to
| the truth OF his confession is consider
ably divided; many believing that a.dy-
ing man would not trump up the stories
be told, and others claiming that DEM
ing was crazy. An investigation OF the
statements will be made, and their truth
or falsity settled at once.