The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-11-16

his accusers. Nobody over here has
ever understood exactly why Major
Burdel~it the Teutonic at Queenstown
and returned post haste to London. II
was ascribed te fear and guilty con-
science. l asked Mr.. Lowe yesterday
In view OF the fact that the Burke
properties had now at last been sue
lcessfnliy launched In the English mar
ket, just what he knew of the majors
departure at Queenstown.
"It sounds like q novel; sstd Mr..
Lowe, ssforMejor Burke had twice been
on the verge OF great fortune before.
To have done, aud the second OF those
occasions was the means of dragging
him back from the Teutonic. lt is .
curious story of thrilling interest.
Major Burke acquired from President
Louis Bogran, at aud after the Worlds
Fair at Now Orleans, the concessions
OF territory which have since made the
ex>Treasurer of Louisiana the dictator
practically of the mining AZ well as the
fruit shipping interests of Honduras.
Bogran had become indebted to Burke
for enornou sums some Of this was
spent on the WORLDS Fair aud
some Ia the Times -Dsmocrat-Burke's
paper-on Bogran's behalf. The only
way Bogran could pay this back to
Burke, who had in the meantime, for
lack of cash and by reason Of his enor-
NOUS outlay, become somew hat embar-
rassed, was by presenting him with
golden river bed ninety miles long
and other vas. mining claims down 10
the Central American Republic.
had been down there repeatedly, be-
iieve-and Bogran said to him "l'll
not only give you one river bed, I'll
give you two. Now you see what you
can make out of thom.'
DEATH STEPS IN.
ssLast January Major Burke went TO
London to organize stock companies 10
subscribe to shares and develop his
Honduras properties. I was In London
when he arrived, aud he was as jolly
and clipper, handsome and agreeable
a man as you could meet anywhere.
He didn't seem TO have a care, and
was quite sanguine about disposing OF
his mines Col. McMurdo, the rich
American, one OF the most famous
promoters this country has ever sent
abroad, became interested in Msjor
Burke'S affairs, and matters went on
we'll. One morning Col. McMurdo
came down to his Office 10 execute
the last legal document which would
vest the title OF the Burke proper
ties in the new share syndicates,
which McNTurdo had arranged to pur-
chase. Everything was in readiness
and he was about to sign his name
when death interveued. He was car
ried out of the room helpless and Or
dered by his doctors TO seek change
of air in Paris. He obcyed, but to no
purpose. The end had come, to all in
tents and purposes when the pen
dropped from his perveless fingers.
This was late in the spring, but Col.
Burke set at work at once, through
other promoters, 10 organize other
share companies. Death had fright
ened Off the first formed. These new
promoters of Burke's Honduraneau
enterprises worked tooth and nall, and
had another company formed and
everything practically in readiness for
the transfer when, hang! the Treas
urer Of Louisiana fred at Col. Burke q
bomb whose echo reverberated through
Lombard street.
"But the Colonel was indomitable,
and he stuck to his work. He got ev-
erything in good shape again, and had
matters seemingly so secure that his
London agents could now, without his
help, close up the transaction once for
all and make him Il very wealthy
man.
CALLED BACK.
'rhep,' thought he, Il will go home
aud face my accusers.' So he aud his
| wife took passage on the Teutonic, ON
which sailed October 2. An impera-
tive summons was cabled Col. Burke
at Amsterdam, and he returned to
| London. / believe his promoters and
agents had no doubt been putting up
q good deal of money for him; it costs
money TO live In London, especially "a
spromote' there, and all these expense:
or major part of them, at least, these
London agents had borne. By the
time he got to Queenstown they real
lied that without his presence in Lon
don to stand up face to face with hi
partners, and TO deny and live dowr
the libelous rumors, the great Hondu
raneau gold mining syndicate would
third time fail of execution aud the,
, and theii advances would be lost.
they sent him such telegram-sio
the sake of what we have advanced
| - <f all n .