The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-03
STILL CONFIDENT.
Hanging to the Theory that Carpen'
ter Killed zura Burns.
The Prosecution Holds that It Has
Enodgh Testimony to Hang Him.
How the CorOner's Verdict
was Received.

LINCOLN, H., Nov. st can not be said
that the verdict of the coroner's jury, thas
missouri Burns came to her death by means
Of d wound on the throat caused by a shsip
instrument in the hands of some person 10 Us
unknown,n causes general satsfaction' IL
was not what was expected. Probably the
people of this section Thought That
Mr.. Carpenter would be mentioned as
having some connection with the
crime lgauanting his detention
because they believed pretty generally that
he was in some way implicated, and they
thought the jury would be influenced by
public opinion and the popular demand that
he b. held without bail One of the leading
agiieulturists Of the county declared to
correspondent that the belief In Carpenters
guilt is general and that it will not do to
turn him loose The remark was full of sig
niicance.
As Mr. Burns, the murdered girls father
has gone home, the effect of the verdict upon
his mind cannot be learned. The shock has
been severe one to him, and quite change
has been noticed in him even by those who
have known HIM only sincesthe beginning
of the inquest. He has made several night
visits to the Jail, and his actions were indica
tive of no good to Mr. Carpenter, whom he
regards as the sedueer and muir
derer of his offspring. Mr.. Burns makes
no concealInent of his belief in the
guilt of Carpenter, and has repeatedly said
that he would have killed Carpenter If he
could have gotten at him when first he
learned the news of his child's disgrace and
foul murder He makes no threats for the
future but is frank toindicate the pleasure
it would give him to pull a rope over the
limb of tree if o. A. Carpenter was dang
ling by the neck at the other end. Several
citizens who have had frequent com
munication with the old man have
expressed the opinion that this affair has
preyed upon his mind so heavily that
they fear he cannot stand it much longer.
All the detectives seem to agree with the
states attorney and other officials in the
theory that the right person has been held
They say they have information that might
not be admitted in a court as evidence
but which satisfies them that Carpenter il
responsible for his domestic's death. Their
belief is founded on what they
know. The public opinion is formed from
the newspaper reports of developments
mainly, and is unchanged apparently by the
demolition of any of the points which seem
to form links in the chain. Their belief in
Carpenters guilt is founded on the reason
which women always advanee-'becauSe.
Once they have expressed an opinion, it re-
mains mistaken by further developments.
States Attorney Forrest is not confident of
lis ability to keep Mr.. Carpenter in custody.
He thinks the coroner's jury lacked the back
bone to publicly espouse their private belief
He fears the same trouble will be found with
the Logan county justices. So far as evidence
goes, he feels assured that he has enough to
warrant the detention of Mr.. Carpenter
without bail, and he says that he has enough
to hang him. If this be true, it must be
evidence of recent requirement, for the
coroner has been fooling along with his
inquest for two weeks and ends with ver-
dict that could just as well have been reached
the first or second day after the commission
of the deed In addition to this, the officers
admit freely that they have made fools of
themselves" in allowing the defendants coun-
ell to become familiar with so much of their
evidence. The public well knows the value
of that evidence. The amount of it that
would be accepted in court would be
trihing.
The theory that an abortionist is mixed up
in the affair is strongly corroborated by the
disclosure of the contents of letter written
by Zura Burns to Thomas D. Dukes her In.
diana lover, on the day she left ST. Elmo fol-
Lincoln the last time. After indulging in
considerable exeusable sentiment, the girl in
forms Dukes that she is about to start for
Lincoln to do some sewing for a family, and
that while she remains there she intends to
submit TO an operation upon her throat
that may result fatally. She writes
that if he does not hear again from her tc
consider her dead. This letter reached Dukes
Indiana home while he was in this city at
tending the session of the jury Il was put
in evidence before secret session of the Jury
and even its existence was denied by the
officials. The strength it gives to the Bloom
ington detectives theory occasions further
and more exhaustive search for the piact
where the girl spent Saturday night an(
Sunday.
A letter from the Lafayette Qnd, } chic
of police gives new clew to be worked NJ
which may turn out to be of value thong
no confidence is expressed in it by the officers
1t contains the information that the thre
men arrested at Lafayette for burglar
committed at Forrest City, Ill, October 1S
had been in Lincoln; that one of them wa
wearing shirt which was spotted wit
blood stains on the cuffs and neck
band, and that all of them ar
very Lard characters. Although the officer
treat all clews suggested to them with YER
slight favor if they do not in some way in
phcate Mr.. Carpenter, they treasure all O
them and guard them zealously from tn
eyes of the newspaper correspondents.
The attorneys engaged on the case antic
pate the contamination of ten days in the d.
velopment of the preliminary trial