Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1885-06-26
Closing Exercises.


About three hundred persons attended the
closing exercises of the St. Thomas Academy
" hich were held in the pavilion at Chapel Point
On Tuesday evening. The young lady pupils
of the school acquitted themselves in very cred
itabl: and highly entertaining manner in the
various parts which had been ASST igned them in
the exercises. The entertainment began with
a highly amusing farce entitled ''The House on
tue Avenue" and in the personation of the
various characters the young ladies showed the
careful training and panstaking care which
had been bestowed on them by the ladies who
have charge of the school. The piece was re-
p,ete itharusing incidents and say ings which
were much enjoyed BY the aPpreciatire audi
ence. The piece closed By the singing o:
"'Home, Sweet Home by The school and so
and vociferously encorei After this came
musical selections by Misses Clara Howard and
Noma Thompson, both of whom were greeted
with much applause for the very charming
manner in which they rendered their songs
All The young ladies received numerous bou-
presided over by Missas Elizt Jenkins and
Emily Hamilton. The exercises concladed by
the distribution of premiums to the Young
ladies, all of whom received some reward for
their diligence and the improvement they had
made some particular study during the year.
Burkman Coveted.
Frank Burkrnan, the young Bllrimorean
who murdered Captain Nelson and the colored
mate of the sloop Fannie Southard while she
was lying in Machadoc Gre k, Vs., in The winter
of 1882, WIS convicted of murder in the second
degree on Thursday of last week at Tappahan-
nock Essex county, Va. He was sentenced to
the Stat. pententiary of Virginia for ter M OF
SO years. ls years on each of the two indict
ments for murder. He has served three years
in Jail, an the time of his Imprisonment will
cover 80 years. lie is now 2l years of age
bein ls at the time of his confinement, and
will be 81 years of age at the expiration of his
sentence. He WAS defended by Compressor n
Thomas Croxtou and Mr. Julius Mason W II.
Wright was the prosecuting attorney. His
plea was selfdefense, and his counsel Were con-
fronted with tn. difficulty of co:nciding hi.
statement with tn. fact that the murder was
committed while bis victims were asleep and
that he carried off ali the money he secured,
about $40, 90. To the untiring efforts Of his
couns,l, young Blrkman owes his escape from
the gallows to which he had been sentenced
by two inrie-. The trial ~hich resulted in his
conviction Of murder in the second degree Wa.
his fifth The first three took place in King
William county in which The murder Was com
mitted The jury in the 6srt trail failed t.
agree. In the two .ubst quent trials in thai
cou .iy the nence of death was passed upon
him, hut. through some techncaliies in The
law, he was given new trials. The fourth trial
took place in Essex county. While being re-
moved to Tappahannock on the STEAMER Theo
dore Wetms he attempted to escape, but was
caught, AMI completed the remainder of ths
trip in irons. His first trial in Essex county
elded in April, 1884, with ii verdict Of guilty
in the first degree, and he was sentenced to be
hanged on September 26lh of the same year
Some technic ,lity as:in interposed in his be
half and was given another show for life, which
resu ted as stated, in verdict of murder in thu
second degree.