Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-04-27

the heart of his only child. Finally, /
too got angry, and can hardly remern
Der now what / said, only I knew did
not threaten him. At the close Of our
| conversation he left the room and |
was shown out of the house I went
directly to my room and to bed. This
morning | went as usual to the bank,
| and as soon as Mr.. Richards came down
he took ma into his private Office, and
said that most men would discharge q
clerk from their employ under similar
circumstances, but as ] was honest,
capable and faithful, he would keep me
on condition that / would forgat N =
presumptpous fancy
sWhy," said be, Clara has more for
pin money than your salary, and then
after informing ME that would no
longer be received at his house, he told
lne to return to my desk. Nothing
unusual occurred during the day, until
lust before we closed, when we received
an unusually large cash deposit. And
I was on the point of leaving the bank
when Mr. Richards called me and sald
"Howard, here is package con-
tanning $4,000 wish you to take to
/ Mr. Martin, Cashier of the City Bank
of C. You can explain to him
about our vaults not being any too
secure, and apologize for coming at
such unreasonable hour. and ask him as
personal favor TO me to receive the
funds on deposit. Take receipt and
return in the morning, yon can take the
six o'clock train this evening"
| 81 had little money on deposit at
bank, and having payment due on my
life insurance in G., | drew 500
and thought 1 would pay that before I
returned. I took the package con-
tanning $4,000 and after receiving some
money for expenses started. arrived
at my destination about $50 o'clock,
aud went directly to Mr. Martins house
but found that he bad gone up town
and later was going to the theater.-
Wbereupon sought the principal hotel
thinking I might see him there, |
walked around where I thought I would
be most likely to meet him, until about
half past eight and then returned to
the hotel where l took supper, and
engaged a room to which [ went. I sat
down and read the evening paper until
about 1890, when I started for Mr.,
| Martins house. AS | came down stairs
and opened the outside door, a burly
fellow touched me on the shoulder and
whispered:
~ arrest yom for the robbery Of tbs
Fern.ar's Bank Of K, and murder
of Mr.. Richards"
'He then placed the handouts on
me and escorted me here. And now
have told you all ! know Of my case,
and so help me God, it is the truth
My name is Howard Burton | have
no parents.
"This is the substance of what How
ard Burton related to me on that
Christmas eve, in his cell at c..
had not interrupted him during his
recital, but had listened very atten-
lively to every word. [ was very much
interested in the young man, who was
about my own age, and who | felt was
innocent of the horrible crime with
which he was charged. | remained
with him till long after midnight, and
then charging him to converse with no
one on the subject of the murder, left
him. [ knew nothing of the clrcums
stances Of the murder as yet. but the
next day beng Christmas, | thought
would go to k and learn what |
could, as I knew my client would not be
examined that day, but was sure he
would the next. Justice was then much
ssitter than now. On my arrival at
Kf went directly to the bank, and
found two OF three detectives there,
and some of the officers of the bank.
Nothing had been moved since the
murder except the body of the murdered
man. He was found lying on the floor
with his skull crushed and his throat
cut from ear to ear. Some OF the draw
ers had been rifed, but aside from this
circumstance there was nothing to in
dictate robbery. There was missing
from the safe $4,000, but the locks
afforded no evidence Of having been
tempered with.
found that belief in Burtons guilt
was quite general. proceeded to look
around to see some indications of
violence being used. but the locks of
the safe and vaults were in perfect
order. There was window in the
Presidents Office that looked out into
narrow passage that divided the
bank building from lawyers office:
1t was securely guarded by an IRON
grating, and | felt that the assassin
entered the bank in the ordinary man,
ner, viz through the door. There