American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-11-10
Rosa Tritt's Terrible Fate.

The Terre Haute Gazette gives the.
following additional particulars regard
ing the recent terrible tragedy near that
city:
Early this morning farmer came
galloping into town in search of officers
and assistance to discover the villain of
a horrible crime committed last night
near Sandford Station, about eight miles
due west of here on the State Road, near
the State line. The farmer was greatly
excited, but from him the following par
ticulars were learned: Near to Sand
ford Station lives farmer named Bur-
dine Tritt, the owner of a large farm,
occupying large, well built m-house,
and living in good, comfortable circum-
stances, with an abundance of this
worlds goods. His family consisted of
his wife and daughter, Rosa Tritt, n
charming, agreeable young lady of
about twenty years of age, and hired
man named Sylvester Burnham of about
twenty-eight years of age. This man
has worked on the farm there for about
four years past, and was considered
very upright, industrious, steady young
man, of fair family connections, having
relatives living near here who are well
known in this city.
Burnham has for year or more past
been desperately in love with the girl
Rosa, and has endeavored to show his
love for her, and to wait upon her and
pay lovers attentions to her, but she
did not take kindly to him, and repel-
| led his attentions and showed that she
disliked him. This made Burnham ex-
ceedingly angry and sullen, and he has
many times been heard to make threats
and hint that she should be his or no
body else should have her. But no one
1 thought much of his threats.
For several months past Rosa has
been receiving the attentions of young
man living near, and in many peculiar
feminine ways has shown a liking for
| this gentleman and a preference to him
that was very likely to result in mar
riage. On Sunday evening this gentle
man visited her. This last visit worked
up Burnham's feelings to an intense de-
gree, and he was very sullen all of Mon
day, and on yesterday he entered into a
very angry dispute with the girl, and
swore she should never be any mans
wife but his, and so the matter stood up
to the fatal climax.
At about O'Clock this morning the
old people, Mr.. and Mrs. Tritt, were
awakened by the smell of smoke and
cracking sound of fire. They sprang
from their bed, and, not stopping to
seize any garment of clothing, rushed
to the hall and to the room long occu-
pied by Burnham. To their great sur
prise they found his trunk was gone
and he himself was nowhere to be found.
Mr.. Tritt then sprang to the. stairs lead
: ing up to Rosa's chamber. He then
met the flames, and found the whole
of the upper part of the house was on
fire and already nearly destroyed. He
could not even get up to the chamber
| floor, but saw that Rosa's chamber door
| stood open and she was lying in there
, with all the evidence of a terrible strug-
2 gle. The horrihed father
r was driven back by the heat, and
he and his wife had barely time to
2 escape from the falling house, saving
2 nothing whatever, not even any clothes.
= BY this time neighbots had arrived and
a they gave assistance in getting the old
r couple to near house. Excepting g
S few articles of bedding nothing was
9 saved.
S Search was made and positive evi
' dence discovered that Burnham haC
b long fled. 1t is reasonably supposed
1t that he went to the girls room and as
e saulted and killed her and then fed. A
e this writing no trace of where he wen
e has been discovered, but all our bes
e officers are out after him. Marsha
- Buckingham, Deputy Vandever, Chic
Stack, all promptly started out.