The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-12-26
NEARLYCONFESSED
Judge Longeneeker Tells How Close
He Came to Getting d Confession
From Burke
Giving the Details of the Murder oil
DR.. Cronin--He Thought He
Had III Sure,
But When He Went to Burke's Cell
Next Day Burke Refused to
Say Anything.

CHICAGO, Dec. 26.-According to q
story in The Times, Martin Burke was
at one time, after his extradition from
Winnipeg, ON the verge of making a
complete confession of all the events
connected with the murder of DR.. Gro
min. Judge Longenecker, at that time
prosecuting, now tells what narrow
escape be had from securing from Burke
q confession which would have changed
the whole complexion of the celebrated
trial of the conspirators who hired the
Carlson cottage for their awful butchery.
Judge Longenecker's Story.
Burke reached Chicago in charge of
Chief Hubbard, who had taken immedi-
ate supervision of his extradition, and
had gone TO Winnipeg to bring Burke
home, had him carried at once to the
Harrison street station. Here, feel, I
made my FIRST mistake. Perhaps ought
to have had him taken TO some other
station. / went directly to the
station, where Chief Hubbard and I
held long interview with the prisoner.
/ tried my best to get him to confess,
j and am confident that / should have
succeeded had nobody else seen him be-
fore my next visit.
Burke" said to hym, 1--WE have got
evidence enough to hang You. There 10
not the slightest doubt of that. We
know that you hired the Carlson cot
tage. We know that you bought the
furniture which was put in it. We
know that yon fed to Canada as soon as
the murder was discovered. We know
all this and good deal more, and we
can prove all we know. Now we also
know that you were not alone in the
murder. There were others. Now, the
people who are behind the murder don't
care anything for You. 1t is the others
whom they are going to try to get of.
They viii simply use you as q scape-
goat, as bridge to carry themselves
and the rest over safely. Burke, you
had better use the only chance you have
to save your neck, and turn states
evidence. | talked long while with
him In this strain. Then / showed him
letter from his mother. 1t seemed to
be the finishing stroke.
AkesA6AAS 40 WYNN A0uASsns
"When / left him that afternoon, both
Chief Hubbard and myself felt there
was not the slightest doubt that he would
confess all about it when returned on
the morrow. / left strict orders that
nobody should be allowed TO see Burke.
But ex-Mayor Cregier and Stephen ID.
May, who was at that time city prose-
cutor, ii remember Alright, procur cd
admittance and had talk with him.
don't want 10 be understood as impugn-
ing the motive of either ex-Mayor Gre
gier or Mr.. May. / feel positive that the
ex-mayor was heartily with us in our
efforts to convict Burke. Mr.. May also
had perfect right to see him in his ca
pacity OF city prosecutor. 1t is quite
probable that they both wished to see
Burke from mere curiosity. Mr.. MAY
had formerly been partner of Lawyer
Forrest. who was defending the other
prisoners. Whether anybody else saw
Burke or not that day do not know.
Still, there were plenty of police officials
who had the right of entrance TO the
cells.
Esurks's Demeanor Changed.
but the fact remains that the next
morning when Chief Hubbard and ]
visited Burke, fully expecting to hear
his confession, the prisoners whole de.
neanor had completely changed. In.
stead of looking like man who seemed
to have lost the last straw of hope and
had determined to save himself by CON.
fession, Burke was defiant. He laughed
at MS, and told as that he guessed he
wouldn't confess. As Burke was leav.
ing the station told him again that he
was being used as scapegoat. Tc
prove it ! said:
/" just you tell your Wisconsin law.
yer when you see him that you have
made up your mind to confess every.
thing and plead guilty. See how quickly
he will try and persuade you not tc
do so.'
II think that Burke may have done
20, and that his lawyer from Wisconsin
may have wavered little. This may
account for his being suppianted BY Mr.
Forrest almost .immediately afterward,
Ihave always bSlisved that BtrkeGin
tended 10 confess, but was braced ii
and .prsxented from telling anything tU
1he saaz1e mySteri0us power which lenl
eour1eD u UsSu1livan and the rest when
ever they he9xn - despair. /" 8
III M - ssss ~ sA1s 4-Esss ~
Eafth4nAks in R&np&yIvAnis.
BEDroHD, Pa DEC. 26.--~A vsry per
cepfibbe shock 0f 0feafthquake wss FELL
here. ssterzl families III M western
part Of town He'd from their homes
thinking terrible calamity had hap
pened
Charged with mission.
RoME, Dec, 26.- Cayelierri Luigi
il bead Of the engineering department q
Leghorn, has been charged by the Ital
ian government with mission to study
the public works system in North and
South American ports.