The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-07-21

SHARED ny 0oyrsor sOberiH--A Si"-
gu,nr tbapts% Ia tue 1isio'y ~ '"p'
Itai OGenses- B1rtOs's Nerve, CONN
deDce ANA Cunning
Tho HERALD 10 furnished the following
synopsis oflhe crime for which W. NJ. Bur-
ton was to have been executed AT Wealher'
ford next Friday, for the killing OF Jack
R,sb and "A some of its realizes have q
tinee of the romantic about them, we pres
sent the sccoupt to our readers. Burton was
to have been hung on July lat, but was res
pited TO the 22I, but was on Monday COM
mu,ed to life Imprisonment. The following
account was written before tho respite was
granted, and when il was generally believed
the doomed man would be executed on
July Let:
The history oftbis case, dating back to the
day of the killing Of Jack R0sh, is one OF the
most singular and interesting IN the
records Of c5pital punishment. 10 be
properly appreciated, the reader should nave
seen
WILLIAM NJ BURTON IN HIS CELL
as he was seen by your correspondence few
DAYS ago and conversed with him upon the
crime alleged against him. There was moth
ing of the brsgsdocio shout him; neither
was there any thing of the cring'ng, fear
stricken, craven wretch, alarmed at his I'M
pendir q fa.e. tie talked freely and csnd;oly,
using language that would have done credit
to leacher-every word pronounced with n
perfect accent and pleasing voice, and every
sentence the very elegance of grammar. l
Nd Rri in
cells and wtne sed u number of capital
executions, and often bad my sympAthies
aroused for the man soon to be launched
from the scsff,l I'D to the unseen and unknown,
but none Of them ever had the winning
aualitie, in manner and speech that Burton
had; he really captlvated good will and
slmest respec, by his language and demeanor;
and this was not conf ed to correspondents
and Strangers generally, but was more ap
pareut among the peopla of Westberford
than any Others. II wa really a pity TO see
Young man possessed of such brilliant
mind, d face and manner recommending him
80 favoratly, doom ed to die on the gallOws,
and particularly when the
PUBLIC SENTIMENT HAD vEERED AROUND
to his favor 10 the belief that there
was grave doubts of his guilt. Blu
one thing was strong against bin
in the public mind, and that WAS, the reck
less adventurous life he had led previous t.
the tine of his arrest for the murder. Be-
fore giving the substance of the interview
with Burton in his cell, will state the facts
of the
KILLING OF JACK RUSH
ard subsequent proceedings connected there
with. Jack Rush was worthless, dssipated,
gambling character, alb ut thlrty.fve or
forty years of age, who drifsed into Weather
ford about two years ago. bad reputation
followed him there, and his manner al d ente-
ceden,s made him dl,liked by all classes
Siuce his killing, it has been positivel,
learned bv the authorities here that he fed
from CRANKY, ia southwest Missouri, about
six years ago for numbering farmer in the
streets. He remained in ebscuriiy, as far as
the officers Of the law were concerned, con-
cesled 10 the Indian Territ ny, it is presumed,
until sbou three years ego, when be made
his advent into Little Rock, Ark, out OF
which place he was run by the police gu
thorties, after depredaiing on the properly
of cilizsns and being suspected OF implication
in some very grave crimes. He was pow
eriul man in build assoc ated with The mos,
6epraved characters, was CREST bully, and
people generally we're afraid and suspicious
of HIM. There was
BAGNIo IN wEATHERFoRD
known Ms Kate loves house. Three of the
INN 4tes OF the house we're the "Eirls' Of
Jack Rush and two Of his boon companions
/ mention this last fact, rs all the direct
testimony against Burton was given by these
three women On the m rDing of May l4.h,
1880, about o'cloc<, J,ck Rush fel desd 10
the lap of his mistress 10 * 80 loves house,
riddled. by buchshot from tul & ed from
outside the house. The Off 5ers In few
minutes trrest,d John G,eenwoo1 aJd
Walter Burton & yuuoRer brother of Wll-
liam Burton) aid about two hours
later arrested William Burton. The
latter had kept a saloon IN Weatberiord end
been thrown in contact with many rough
customers and occasionally had slight Diff
cuIties. He also had managed variety
theatre (,nuch TO his discredit Tor man al
his capacity for something more r fl ed and
elevating) AT the time of his arrest he was
not possessed of any considerable amount OF
money; and consequently could not make
a. strong defense in the courts as he could
had be been possessed of means.
Aste testimony on winch the convictions
were made does not differ materially 10 the
court records from the statement of IT given
by Burton in his interview, will defer de
thllDK " DtItt NV Jheh Coy fb"s vi wv
trials Walter Burton was acquitted, John
Greenwood convicted and sentenced ~ the
penitentiary for life which Sentence he is
now serving aud William M. Burton con-
yicted and sentenced 10 death. Greenwood
and Burton appealed their cases, but the
court Of appeals SUSTAINED the folding of the
lower court GreeDgoDd was taken 10 the
Huntsville peniteniiary aud Burton remained
10 Westherford Jail awaiting the passing of
sentence aud ,1ecuiion. He At once began
deyisiDg a way TO save his life and struck
upon the plan Of
FKIGNIHG INSANITY,
and 80 completely did be play tbe part that
for ninety one days he deceived almost every
person In We.iherford. including doctors,
lawyers, ministers. and judges Of the court
BE completely b fled mscical experts, and
when brought before Judge Hood, 10 the
crowded courthouse, that humane jurist, |
with sentence all written out, was 90 |
thoroughly convinced that the condemned |
man before him was insane, that he refused |
20 pass sentence and rtmsnded him |
back 10 iail I'LL II should be thoroughly |
demonstrated whether the case was real or
feigped insanity. The details Of the assn ned |
insanity VIII alec be better relsted 10 the in. |
tsrvieW with Burton than elsewhere.