The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-08-05
A MISSIvE TO HIS MOTHER.
John o. burlington Tells Her
He is Doomed to Death on
the Gall0ws.
Christ Has PardOned His Sins
and In Consequence He Will
Go to Heaven.

John D. burlington, sentenced tt
be hanged September the 11th for the
murder of Sheriff Cranmer, has writ
ten the following letter to hi, mother
Friday, July %,
6 o'clock p. N.
My DEAR MAJ will wlite you 6
line or two to tell you the result o.
my trial. Ma, / can't say but a few
words now, but will write a longer
letter in a day or two, just as soon al
1 feel better.
NV trial commenced "Wednesday
morning, the 23d, and has just ended
/ have Just come from the court house.
am we'll as to health, but / have
suffered much since my trial has been
going on.
Ma, my Savior has been with me
all the time and / have borne up ap-
parently, but suffered thousands OF
deaths. l showed my pain TO no one.
| knew / had no one to sympathize
with me, and / bore all without a
murmer, asking my Savior to help
me.
Oh, ma, how can / tell you; please
trust the Lord to help you bear it,
for know it will be death blow to
you, for must tell you / am under a
death sentence. The jury found me
guilty of murder in the first degree,
the Judge sentenced me to be hanged;
set the day for execution to be Sep
TENDER l1th, 1890; but ma, / won't
be hung then, tor my lawyer has TAX
Ell an appeal to the supreme cour. for
a new trial. Supreme court sets the
third Monday in October, then if |
get new trial it will probably be a
month or two before | have a trial.
If the supreme court affirms it, then
they will hang me at once; but ma,
let them hang me; L will be at rest
and happy then. l have nothing TO
say only wish all was over with and
We were in heaven together, where
We could get justice IN all thipgs.
Ma, must close now. cant tell you
anything about my trial. want you
to write to my lawyer; he will tell
you all you wish to know. | want
you to correspond with him. He
lives in Sedalia, Mo-. and he is a kind
hearted man and an able lawyer. He
fought hard for me. Well, ma, I
must say good-by. | do and will pray
for you, that God may support you
in this trouble. for / know it is more
than death to you; but oh, ma, l will
tell you now, while under the
sentence of death, that / never
thought of hurting anybody and this
death | will suffer is the fruit of an
other mans plans. | was persuaded
into making any attempt at all to get
away, and now / must suffer death for
it; but oh, ma, l had rather suffer
death in the body than to stand be.
fore the courts above, as he will, for
getting me into it. Ii he don't re-
pent his soul is already dead, for he Is
a wicked man, and Christ tells us that
no sin can enter the home above.
Ma, | feel more safe now concerning
my soul being at peace with God than
ever before. L have had a hard
struggle going on in my heart ever
since Christ forgave my sins and my
spirit was born in Christ. Satan has
been tempting me TO swear some
things in my trial to try to save my
life and | just felt like as if my hope
Of heaven would be forever lost.
Last night L knew / would go on
to the witness stand this morning. /
read the place in the bible where it
says, he that speaks to save his life
shall lose it, and / prayed for strength
to overcome evil and spirit to lead
me into all truth, and L can say now
[ fear no temptations, for | went on
the witness stand and swore to things
[ knew would help to take my life !; |
but oh, ma, they were the truth and
| knew my Savior would not forgive
me if | swore anything else, and what
would this life be if 1 should know |
had no hopes above.
/ know what it is to have no hope |
in life on earth, but this life must 60 |
anyway, while the next
world will never end. Well, ma, l
must close. thought L could not say
much, but / have said more than
thought l could. Ma, L have been
cooking for letter from you. Fyou
ire sick get some one to write for you.
must hear from you. Pray that my
savior will never forsake me. Good
,ye. Please write often. From your
devoted son in death. =
JOHN OSCAR BURLINGTON.
P.S.-Ms, 1 noticed that your last
etter was mailed at Martin. Which