The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-28
"GuILTY OF MURDER"

TO Imprisonment for life. This Governor
Roberts refused to do.
Lyncefield Burks Hung Mt Waco.
Special TO the Herald.
Waco, Aug, 27.-Lyncefeld Burks, for the
rape of Sarah McBce, nine years of age,
August 2sth, 1879, was hung here to-day
A large crowd witnessed the execution, house.
tops, sheds, floats, etc., being used to get a
glimpse in the Jail yard, where the execution
took place. Reverands B. A. Rogers, Episco-
pal and j. D. Shaw, Methodist, held services
and attended him to the scahold. He was
cool and resolute to the last. He
publishes statement in the Telephone
in the morning. On the scatfold he asserted
his innocence and asked everybody to be
good Christians and meet him in heaven,
where he was surely going. He took death
cody. The drop fell at 4 ;lS. his neck was
not broken, and he died from strangulation.
His pulse ceased in eleven minutes and his
heart ceased beating in fourteen minutes.
He was pronounced dead and cut down in
nineteen minutes from the time the drop fell,
Following is an account of the respite Of
Burks, granted by the governor on the Goth
of July, last together with history of his
crime, the trial, Burks' biography, ETC., all
of which was published in the HERALD Mt the
time, but is republished for the benefit of
such of our readers as may not have read it,
FIRST APPLICATION FOR A REsPIr L.
A telegram has just been sent to Governor
Roberts signed by Mayor Sturges and other
prominent citizens, asking respite Of ten
days, that petition for Communication, with
u statement of facts, may be laid before the
executive Sheriff Ross has agreed to defer
tho execution until four o'clock to await the
governors answer, and everybody is on the
qui vive to see what the old Alcalde will do,
Bets on the streets are two to one that
he will show no mercy on account OF the
state convention being so neer at hand.
SENATOR COKE SIGNS THE PETITION.
2.3O .. m.-The governor replies, declining
TO grant respite. A second telegram has
Just been sent, to which Senator Coke's
signature, greatly to the establishment of
many citizens, was secured. This latter tele-
gram asks for respite also, and the answer
is now being awaited.
REsPITED FOR TWENTY DAYS.
The last telegram to Governor Roberts,
signed by Governor Coke, had the effect of
moving the old Alesde. He had refused
three times in the last twenty-four hours, to
commute the sentence. To the fourth and
last request, with Coke's name signed, he has
just returned reply, respiting Burks, for
twenty days
NEARLY TOO LATE.
As the afternoon wore on, q thunder storm
threatened to interrupt telegraphic commu-
nication With Austin. This made Burks
uneasy and excited the crowd. The message
from the governor came just as the sheriff
had concluded that it was not worth while to
wait longer. A few minutes later and Burks
would have swung There is considerable
diversity OF opinion among citizens as to the
propriety Of the governors action. BIrks
received the respite without any exhibition
OF feeling, but said he was glad of it. He is
greatly buoyed up now.
BIOGRAPHY OF BURKs.
Lyncefeld Burks was born in Jackson
county, Alabama, in 1889, and is in his forty
first year. His early boyhood was spent in
franklin and Coffee counties, Tennessee,
where his parents removed from Alabama.
Later they emigr, ted to Missouri, where Burks
grow to manhood. Entering the Confederate
army he served through the war, and at its
close came to Texas settling in Burleson
county in May, 1865. Little is known of his
life in this section of the state, save that he
removed to Bryan, from there to Calvert and
thence to Waco, reaching here in 1877. Last
year he was farming on rented place near
the little village of Robinson, six miles south
Of Waco.
THE VICTIM.
On the same place, ostensibly as his house.
keeper, lived Mrs. McBce and her daughter
Sarah, the little victim. The child was just
nine years Of age. She is rather bright and
forward, and not overly large for her age.
THE TRIAL.
Burks was arrested on the Goth of July,
1879, and both he and the woman were
Jailed. The grand jury found an indictment
against him, and he was put on trial at the
December term of the district court. The
woman was never tried, the state utilizing her
testimony to convict Burks. The jury found
him guilty and affixed the death penalty.
The case was carried to the court of appeals,
and by that court affirmed, at the Galveston
term, this year.
PRAYING FOR CLEsfENcY.
Failing in the courts Burks made IN ap.
neal to the governor. Colonel Jenkins, one
of his counsel, went to Austin last week, car.
rying all the facts in the case, IS well as a
hetition to the executive, with great many
SIGNATURES. This asked for Communication or
a respite. The old Alcslde declined to in
terfere.
BURKs BAPTIZED.
He has been receiving religious attention
for some tinie.and was baptized recently in
he Brazos river, becoming a communicate
of the Protestant Episcopal church. In dis
nosition he was taciturn, stolid and unsocial,
Of more than mediocre intelligence and edu-
cation.
THE CHILD,
Sarah McBee, las entirely recovered, and is
now living in this city with her mother.
They are domiciltd in a rather disreputable
locality.
A RAPIsT REsPITED.
Wilmington, N. G, Aug. 27.-William