The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-24
THEIR CRIMES.

THEIR CRIMES.
CAsEY's MURDER OF HIS wIFE-BURGEss's
KILLING OF ROBBINS.
by the Associated Press.I
TERRE HAUTE, IND, June 1S.-Two exc
cutions took place in this vicinity to-day.
At 7:30, on the evening or August &c, 1874,
the body of a woman was found on the bank
OF Big Sugar creek near Elbridge, Edgar coun-
ty. Illinois, the throat cut clear across.
Search was instituted for the perpetator.
and after many efforts had been made, John
Casey was arrested at Charleston, Ills. The
woman had been his wife. He was
taken to Paris, the county seat of
Edgar. in which the crime bad
been committed. At the March term of the
Criminal Circuit Court, the jury, alter being
out just twenty minutes, returned YER
dict OF murder in the first degree, assessing
the penalty as death. He has been kept in
Jail ever since the crime. Strenuous efforts
have been made to secure Communication of
the sentence, but Governor Beverage was
firm and refused to interfere. To-day being
the day set for his hanging, be was
executed at 1857. An immense
crowd filled the streets of Paris
and surged about the Jail ward. but was kent
at bay by the militia. At q minutes past
l, he was taken out and assembled the scat
fold with firm step. He addressed the
crowd, saying that ne was dying happily,
that he was an innocent man, and that the
people were to blame for numbering him.
Az i :37 Sheriff Holcomb cut the rope and
the body fell. The neck was dislocated bv
the fall. He struggled but little, and at 1:56
he was cut down and his body turned over
TO his attorneys. He made a confession
shortly after his arrest, but aiterward main
tanned bis innocence and chung to it TO the
last. he said that he was going to God who
IA i1C Ont hnO Nf
Robbins, Waterman employed by the
Vandalis Railroad Company at the Kaskas-
kia bridge in Illinois, was murdered and
NATHAN BURGESS
was convicted of the murder, and TODAY
suffered the extreme penalty of the law, at
Efingham, III. 1t was proved that Burgess
had committed the crime for a two-fold OBJ
ject: first, to revenge an imagined wrong
and second, to secure the money he believed
Robbins to DO possessed of. Having OBJ
tanned a change of venue from Fayette
county, Burgess was tried at bingham. the
county seat of an adjoining county, on the
18Th day of March last, and on the 9th day
OF the same month was sentenced to be
hung to day. Numerous efforts have been
made to secure his pardon, or
a Communication of his sentence, bat thew
proved futile. Burgess, the doomed man.
slept soundly from to 6 A. NJ. this morning,
when be arose and at partook Of break
fast. He persisted all day in denying his
guilt. Although he had heretofore pub
lished confession, he denied that he had
written or caused the same to be written.
and denounced it as a forgery. He was
visited during the day by ministers of the
Gospel and other friends. He refused TO
join any sect. The execution took
place in an enclosure adioing the bingham
county Jail, shortly after 2 P. NJ, and
was witnessed by probably fifty persons. He
was led from his cell at 1:43 O'Clock P. NJ. &c
walked up firmly, although not in spirit
of bravado, and took seat on the platform.
A short prayer was offered, the reading of
the death warrant took place, an interval
OF ten minutes tor leave taking was given,
the arms were pinioned, the white cap placed
on his head, the moose adjusted and Nathan
Burgess was launched into eternity. His
neck was broken and pulsation ceased in
12% minutes. He died game, protesting his
innocence to the last and without pretense
of religion.