Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-06-27
advertisement.
The Burkc Payne Difficulty.

ALEXANDRIA. Va, June lG.-Io my dis.
patch last night could only give yoa tho brief
tsct tbnt MIR. Llus II. Payuo. tormereiv clerk
OF tho County Court, had bcon shot by Elmund
Burke, the Commonwealth Attorney for The
comfy Ct ALEXANDRIA ,n the Toolioe restaurant
The sf:r oau5cd intense excitement, and has
becu the rrlrc pal topic OF conversation 10 day.
Both parl: arc well known, have been actively
engaged in l,C:l a2d Stale politics, and esch
he's q luree olrc!o of friends There is history
connected with the shooting that hiss lot set bee q
pub ished tho ftc CT which have krown for
soaIa !ine. 1t Is stated that oGa Eight last
February, az Payne was ncaling his homo after
c trip in!o tho cololry to atiecd polite, al
meetIag, h, saw Bulkn come from tho door aud
wsik lapit,y away. Upon enttr.pg the house
Payac found his w;!o IN such o)Ldi;ion as 10
leave no doab. 90 lis mud that she had been
unfalthlu! 10 her marriage vows, aud Of course
Bur he wls tho saspto ot party of tho secord
part Payne hes not sinco lived with his wife,
who his siicI their fcparntioD. resided with
her mother in this CITY. Believing that Burke
had scducad his wifi, i! is Eaural that Payne
should havo tc!t extremely bitter toward him.
and ahencrcr no waa under Tho itnlcnoa CT
iqICr no would threaten to TEX, Bnrko's life.
These threats be has tfGq1enlly msdo IaseIy.
and Buike, bearing Il that tact, armed himself.
! and WHEN Payuo catered tho restaurant he d.
ternlocd 10 get the drop on him, and ~ fired.
Payne vas tot severely Injured, tho ball eater
lrg his light O)at sleeve Of tho wrist and
passing u: ct tho elbow, grt Zlog tho arm and
inillcIing o1l7 slight flesh w9uad, amount.
leg 10 nothing moro serious than 40 abrasion,
There is nuohr silo to tic story, which
il 10 the effect that payuo wss 10 the
habit OF ftqacnly gc!tirg grossly intoxicated,
aud, ~hlIa 10 that ctnhtion, abusing and il!
treating his wife, aod ha: sho was compelled 10
| leave him % that account. Her fleuds steutly
| maintain her Innocence. aud asscr! that Psyne's
charges Of her iriideiy are wholly uuiounded
l. elVc sou both VERSIONS es items OF reWs
gathered iom gossira resulting from tho un.
tortuoa!e occurrence OF last Eight.
From tho Washington Republican, juno o5.
GoD. f. w. Whitaker rtqaosts publioltiou OF
tho following: IL regret exceedingly that tho
letter OF Your Alexandria correspondent, pub.
Il'hcd 10 your issue of tho lTth inst, imposes
upon INC tho reoassiiy Of correcting statements
10 that letter which do great il, Justice to SO 10
nocent lady, | was 10 company wsh MIR.
Burke on the night referred to, which was in
October last, not 10 February, IS stated ty
your correspondent, sud from my Owe per
sonsl kooHlecgI soN state the iacts rs they
occurred.
l. tceo!ber with Mes;rs. Payne, Burke, and
hlaior BaJly. was actively engaged iu tho
poIitiosl canvass Of last fall, 5ni was very aux
Ious 10 meet MtjNr BsJly, who was expected to
rctnra TO thu city that .voLop 90 the Midland
trsin with Mr.. Payne, and, ia company with
Mr.. Burke, stared 10 serch Of him. % cur
way Nr. Burke observed: This is Psyne's
| resIdetc,. Let us stop and irq1irc of him
whether Msi n Bay ~ has returned to the civ"
MIR. B1rke raped at The door, aud, after some
delsy. window OF the second story was raised,
aud willie MIR. Burke was explaining the OH :ct
CT cur call Chen stranger to Mrs. Paync)
walked 90 down tho street, and vas soon re.
jined By Mr.. BWk,, who iplo,med me That
Mr. Payne had arrived while he was ieouirir
for him, God went back to Mr. PAyne's house
and sssed him whether or not Msjlr Bsyly had
como in IN the train with him
MIR. Ps?ue Answered ny question, WHEN, With
the remsrs that he must be wesried | bsde him
goud night, and, with Mr. Butke, went to tho
hctcl to meet Mlior BayIy. am positive that
It Wss not moro tnan two minutes from tho limo |
LETT Mr.. Burke in front OF the house to his re-.
joining mo again on the street Iwss surp,,ed
some time atterward when Mr.. Payne called |
upon me fer On exclamation Of the call 1t his |
hou;o and Tho length of Mr. Rutk's stay there. |
related ihs circumstances as detailed above |
epu uc NtStstSu luss W WAS eOtlreiy S6llsue0,
Mr.. Payne continued to 1.-Two with his wire
from that tim, until tbs month of February lsat.
when, rs sm informed. under tho influence of |
an unfounded suspicion of Improperly on her
part on the occasion referred to- he drove her
from his house. | ask tina. you will publish tbis
plain statement of facts in Vindics!ion cf a lsdv
gfievously wronged by the publication of a let.
ter OF your Ale1sndria correspondent. should
feel called upon under shy carcumstarc.s to do
her this act Of justic;i but the fact that Mr.,
Burke's presence at tho house CT Mr.. Psyne on
tina! occasion was on my behalf renders it i'm
perstive upon mo to make this statement in
REPUTATION of the slsuderous misrepresentation
which have been made of what then and there
occurred
Mrs. Payne st,tes to The Republican that when
hr. Burke and General Whitaker called she
had retired. but was not asleep. aud had not
locked her hal; door, as she expected Mr.. Psvne
every moment tea. she answered Mr.. B.,sin-
qaries from the window, and. after 10 we,ing the
sash. sho heard some one say: Your door ia
open;" tut before she could reply she recogniz .d
Mr.. Pay e's voice and did not leave her room. !
She says the stories lEa! have been circulated do
her gross Injustice
Prejudice Kills.