The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-02
A WARNING TO ROGUES.
A BURGLAR KILLED BY MR. RUSH
BURGESS.

bJH6ESSs
The Homicide Declared not only JUS
tifable, hut Commendable."
Mr.. Rush Burgess Collector of Internal
Revenue for this District, on Sunday morn
ing shot and killed a burglar on his premises,
in Henrico county, abouta mile north Of the
city. His house is so constructed that the
entrance toit from the front porch Is through
wide hall or sitting-room. On one side Of
the sittipgroom Is bis parlor and on the
| other bis chamber. Doors connect all three
| rooms. The following statement made by
Mr.. Burgess, and fully corroborated by, cir.
cunstantial and other evidence, gives good
| account of the occurrence: .s5S a..
For some time past thieves have been visit
ing my premises, and have broken into my
| stabie.yard and hen-bouse on four occasions
and carried away each time quite number
of valuable fowls as we'll as some other art.
'cles, corn, &c. Hound it necessary to take
the few chickens left and place them under
my dwellng.house each night in order to
save them from the thieves. As the result
will show, the thieves came one night too
many; for on Saturday night, or Sunday
morning last, at few minutes past O. clock,
Mrs. Burgess awoke me aud informed me
that some one was in the house. listened,
and heard some one in the sittiDg.r0om ad.
joining our chamber. Quietly getting out of
bed l soon had my pistol id hand, and started
Tor the room from which the noise enanated.
AS | VsBs about to leave the chamber the
froHt door was shut by some one so loudly
that it led me to think that it was my father
hn ;e cto r.y;fh ot Wy ohnfif pnl
[ 80 said to my wife; but, to be sure, ran
| pulled it open, when some one sprang from
the side of the door directly in front ofmc, and
| demanded, "What are you doing here?"
1t being very dark could only see the figure
Of the map. and as challenged him saw
| screamed out "You villain, you," and
shot. The man sprang from the porch to
The ground and attempted to 60 under it,
but only succeeded in getting about half way
under it when. he died, the ball having en-
tered bis body near the centre and just op-
posite the lower point of the shoulder blades.
As this man went down another ran from
the corner of the house near the chamber
window, when shot at him also, but pro-
baby missed him. Then called my father
| and two colored men on the place, who came
| with lights and found the body to be that OF
a colored man named Cornelius Robinson,
| who lived on the Mecbanicsville turnpike
aalf niie or more from my house. 1mme-
dately after daylight l bad the officers OF
ihe law 10 the county notified, when Justice
Larus called jury of inquest.
Acting Coroner Larus and the jury of in
quest summoned by Constable Harper (col-
| ored), after thoroughly examining the pre-
| piseS, could fad no locks or bolts broken,
but in the pocket Of the deceased there was
| found key which when applied to one of
| the back doors readily opened it. II entrance
| was not effected in that way 1t is thought
probable that the man who escaped Mr.. Bur-
| gess, but who has since been captured, car
ried nippers, With which be turned the key
! in the lock of the front door. In the sitting
room there is stove, in which a fire was
burning all night, and il afforded the only
light-Yery insignificant indeed-Mr. Bur-
cess had. The examination of the premises
and of several Witnesses members of Mr..
BURGESS family and some of his servants
eorroborated bis statement in every particu-
lar as far as their knowledge extended, and
induced the jury to render the following
verdict:
"Henrico oouaty-to ,oit: AT an iuquisi-
ton taken ut the mouse of Mr.. Rush Bur-
cess, in this county, on the 3lst day Of Janu-
AIRY, 1875, before me, Z. T.. LaruS, q justice
of the peace for said county, upon the view
Of the body there lying dead, the jurors
sworn to Inquire when, how, and BY what
means Cornelius Robinson came to bis death,
upon their oatbs do say that the deceased,
Cornelius Robinson, came to his death by a
,;c al oh ot ku ca;I pt1Sh R,Ir-
gess and taking effect on the right Of the
the yitals, and producing death instantly,
the deceased then escaping from the house
of the said Burgess he bad unlawfully en-
tered in the nighttime for felonious pur-
poses, and that the act was not only justitia-
BILE. but commendable. III
lSigned] "P. G.. Larus, j. p, and j. w.
Lewellyn uoremau), and-!. Fl. Allen, W.
n. Merryman, John T. Acree, Philip kep.
ler, Harry Donohue, William H. Brauer,
| D. F. Ward, Jacob siegle, Joseph Johnston,
William P. Jones, and John B. Davis, mem
| bers Of the coroner's jury"
Robinson was of dark gingerbread color,
about thirty.6ve years of age, and was en-
| ployed In Gentry's tobacco factory in this
city. He lived about half mile north Of
MIR. Burgess's residence, on the Mechanic
vile turnpike. His character has not been
above suspicion, and on two or three occa-
sionS he fell into the bands of the Richmond
police, but was not convicted Of any offence
more heinous; than being drunk and dis
Iorderly IN the streets. He was, however,
watched by the police, and was regarded in
1.-The light of thief. The clothes upon his
body were not those usually worn by him,
nor those be had on when he went home
from the factory Saturday night. The change
was intended, 10 doubt, to prevent recogni-
ton should he chance to meet on the road
any one likely to know him.
James Thomas Brown, stepSon of Robin
son, and believed to have been bis compan.
| ion in the expedition, was arrested Sunday
| night by Captain James M. Tyler and
Sergeant Daniel Wrep. He had been to the
keeper of h noted resort for thieves here, and
posted him to prove an abb in case OF his
arrest. This the officers regard as almost
proof positive of his completely in the at
tempted burglary. Besides, he is we'll
known rogue, and if not engaged in this
transaction win nsither gain nor lose much
| in reputation by this notice of him. He was
turned over to the Henrico authorities and
lodged in Jail, and viii probably be exam
ined to-day or tomorrow =.
Mr.. Burgess is collector of internal reYe.
nue. for this district, and was the Republican
candidate for Congress at the last election.
He deeply. regrets that any emergency should
have arisen compelling him TO take life, but
that he was entirely justihable under the Cir
cumstapces the verdict OF the jury and the
opinion Of bis neighbors fully establish. MrJ
Burgess's residence IS ID a suburb i called
Bowling Green, which lies adjacent 10 the
t,,rp Y,jGo r n rho RishnnIS