The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-20
ABOUT BURTON.


spared by Governor \ Oberls-A SIN
GUAR chapter I'm the History OF TAP
ital Ohenses-B OrtOn's Nerve, Conf
dence and Canning.
The HERALD is furnished the following
synopsis ofthe crime for which w. N. Bur.
ton was to have been executed al Weather.
ford next Friday, for the killing Of Jack
Rash, and as some of its realizes have q
tipge of the romantic about them, we pres
sent the account to our readers Burton was
to have been hung on July lst. but was res
pited to the % 4, but was on Monday COM
mu.ed to life imprisonment. Tie following
account was written before the respite was
granted, and when it was generally believed
tho doomed man would be executed on
July lst:
The history oftbis case, dating back to the
dsy of tho killing of Jack Rush, Is one of the
m0st singular and interesting in the
records Of capital punishment. To be
properly appreciated, the reader should have
seen
WILLIAM NJ BURTON IN HIS CELL,
as he was seen by Your correspondent few
dVs ago and convers.d with him upon the
crime alleged against him. There was moth
inc of The brsgsdocio about him; neither
was there any thing of the cringlng. fear
stricken, craven wretch, alarmed ut his I'M
pepdlr fale. lie talked freely aud canddly,
isue language that would have done credit
70 teacher-every word pronounced with
infect accent and pleasing voice, aud every
sentence the very eegsucs of grammar. l
have conyersed With mary criminals in their
cells and witne sed d number Of capital
executions, and often had my sympnthies
aroused for the man soon TO be launched
from the sc, ff,ld to the unseen and unknown
blu. none of them ever had the winning
ousli,ie, 10 manner and speech that Burton
had; he re,ly csptivated good will and
slmast respect by his language and demesnor;
and this WAS not conf ned t. correspondents
and strangers generally, but was more ap,
psreut among the psopls of Westherford
than any Others. II wa really a pity 10 zee
a Young man possessed Of such brilliant
mind, n face and manner recommending him
80 favorstly, doom cd to die on the gallows,
and particularly when the
PUBLIC SENTIMENT HAD vEERED AROUND
10 his favor in the belief that there
was grave doubts Of his guilt. Blu,
one thing was strong against him
in the pu ,lic mind, and that was, the reck
less ndventureous life he had led previous t,
the tine Of bis arrest for the murder. Be-
70 giving the substance Of the interview
with Burton in his cell, will state the fact.
The
KILLING OF JACK RUSH
ard subsequent proce edings connected there
with. Jack Rush was worthless dissipated
gambling character, sb,ut thirty.fve OF
forty years of age, who drifted into Weather
ford about two years ago. A bad reputation
followed him there, and bis manner and snte
ceden,s made him di,liked by all classes
Since bis killing, 1t has been positivel,
learned BY the authorities here that he fec
from CRANKY, in southwest Missouri, abou
six years ago for numbering farmer ia tn,
streets. He remained in obscurity, as far q
the officers Of the law were concerned, con.
cesed in the Indian Territ ry, it is presumed
until about three years ago, when he mad
his advent into Little RICK. Ark, out o
which place he was run by tho police su
thorl,ies, after depredating on the propert,
OF ci'izens and being suspected Of in pl ca,iol
In some very grave crimes. He WAS pow
eriul man in build, assoc ated with the mos
depraYed characters, WAS u great bully, AM
people generally we're afraid and suspicion
Of HIM. Ghere WAS
A BAGNIo IN wEATHERFoRD
Known az Kate loves hou o. Three of tn
inmstps of the house were the girls @
jack Rush and two of his boon companions
mention this last fact, as all the direc
testimony against Burton was given by tines
thr'e women, On the m rDiGg of May l4th
1880, about 4 o'clocH, j sex Rush fell de4d il
the lap of his mistress in X 40 loves house
rddled by buchshot from u tui fl cd from
outside the house. Ths Officers ia fes
minutes arrests John Greenwood al,
Walter Burton "a younger brother of vii
lam Bluon) and about two hour
later arrested William Burton. 1h
latter had kept saloon in Wea,herford AM
been turown in contsc. with many rougl
customers and occasionally had slight diff
culles. He also had managed u varlet
Theatre (nuch to his dscredit tor man
his capacity for something more r. fl ed ant
eleNatihe) At the time Of his arrest he wa
not possessed of any considerable amount U
money; and consequently could not maxi
ass'rong defense in the courts as he coul,
had he been possessed of means.
As tpe testimony on which the conviction
were made dots not differ materially In tn
court records from the statement of II giyel
by Burton in his interview, | will defer do
falling il here, hut will just say that on tn
trials Walter Burton was acquitted, Johl
Greenwood convicted and sentenced TO tn
peniten.iAry for life (Which sentsnce he /
now serving and Willism NJ. Burton con
Vie.ed and sentenced to death. Green WOO,
and Burton appealed their cases, but tn
court Of appeals SUSTAINED the finding of III
lower court. Greenwood was taken to tn
Huntsville penitentary and Burton remsine,
IN Wea'hertord Jail awaiting the passing o
sentence and execution. He at once beps,
aeslsins way. to save his life and strucl
upon the plan of
FEIaNING INSANITY,
and so completely did no play tho part ths
LOT ninety one day 9 no deceived almost ever,
person In Weatherford. including doctors
mm~yers, ministers. and judges Of tho court
as completely b.flled medical experts, ant
Snsn brought before Judge Hood, 10 tn
uowded courthouse, that humane iurist
MNn sentence all written out, wss Q,
thoroughly convinced that the condemned
nan before him was insane, that he refused
w.. pass sentence and remsnded hin
Sack 10 jsil till II should DO thorough,
sssmonslrs,ed whether the case was real o.
;.elsned insanity. The details Of the assn met
insanity will also be better related In tho In