Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-10-06
Tug BuRsoS AFFAIR.-The Legal

Oh the co!s''
TIE BuRsoN AFFAIR.-The legal
s-btoycr the alleged abduction in Chi
n Zoo of Miss Anna L. Burson, of this
c o:Ty byJ. 2. Gage president oftheClinton,
Iva National Bank, has assumed a
now phase. As stated yesterday civil
.,,ir has been entered against Mr.. Gage
h. Miss Burson for 100000 for alleged
i-.ach of promise of marriage. This
CAS-. will probably come to trial within
three or four months. The first charge
oroiast Gage was of a criminal charac-
,sr for assault and abduction, and on
,bis count he was last week indicted by
the grand jury in Chicago and is now
rpier 81 200 bail.
The Burson family have returned
from Chicago aud will probably remain
here until the case comes to trial in
that city. when it is thought that Miss
BIrson should return and give her evil
depce in person at the trial, rather than
have it taken by deposition.
II is stated by Miss Burson's friends
that the Chicago dispatches Immediate
IL after the occurrence rather tended to
jo the Girl an injustice by imputation.
In spcaiing of the affair yesterday and
i. probable outcome, Mr. l.. Guthrie,
Mis- Burson's attorney in Washington,
said:
I'm Justice to Miss Burson and her
mother it ought to be stated that in all
ofthis affair neither of them acted in
ANYTHING but a careful and discreet
way, and it was only through the de-
ceprion practiced by Gage on an inno-
cent and coniiding girl that the matter
turned out as it did.
Gage himself is high roller. He is
Inc president of the Clinton Bank, a
thorough man of the world, handsome,
wealthy. and well dressed, with rooms
ut two or three of the best hotels in
Chicago. so that he is at home any
where. The BurSons come from the
same county as Gage, and they We're
known 10 each other before they were
introduced by some mutual friends at
the Iugrlm. fashionable South Side
hotel. where they were stopping. Gag,
in fact, was introduced to the Burson
family by Mr. Benuet, the owner of the
hotel where they were stopping. Mr..
Bonnet i. ofthe firm of Bennett 4 FOs
ter. who are now prosecuting the case
in Chicago. and he has expressed his de-
termination to fight the thing through
to the bitter end.
Gage had been with the Burson
family almost every day for ten days
after they were introduced before the
night when they went to the theatre
together and when he made what was
fortunately an unsuccessful attempt to
lead the girl astray. Mrs. Burson was
with her daughter, and the party were
all together in the orchestra when Mr..
Bennett. who had box with some va
cant seats within twenty or thirty feet
of where they were sitting, asked Miss
Burson and Gage to join his party. To
this Mrs. Burson very naturally gave
her consent, as she was still almost
within speaking distance of her daugh-
ter. who was accompanied by Gage, to
whom they had been introduced By as
close friend as Mr.. Bennett.
when the performance was over,
however, and the crowd was going out
Gage told Miss Burson to wait for him
moment in the box while he went to
ask her mothers permission to take her
back to their hotel in carriage, the
way being long and Miss Bur.
son in evening dress, which would
suffer from the crush of the
street car. Gage pushed his way a lit
tie distance through the crowd, which
was dense. He did not go near Mrs.
Burson. but returned in . few minutes
10 tell Miss Burson that her mother was
willing for her to 60 back to the hotel
with him. On the way they stopped
at the Metropolitan Hotel for some
luncheon, and here it was that Gage is
accused Of drugging the glass from
which Miss BurSon was to drink.
Had she been a girl that was used to
drinking and going about ut night it
would have probably had the desired
effect, but. as it was, the dose was too
strong, and she fell asleep at the table.
She was taken in charge by the pro-
prietor of the hotel, and put to bed by
the housekeeper, while Gage became
frightened and left the house. The
next morning he returned, and said
that he had sent word to Mrs Burson
That her daughter was i'll, but this was
not so. This is the whole and the true
story of the affair, and it is due to the
girl that it should be told.
There is indisputable proof that
Gage did tamper with the drinks at the
hotel and there is also evidence from
the families ofseveral other girls whom
he has tried to ruin and who will testi-
f. against him at the trial. He is rich,
however, and able to spend good deal
OF money in his own defense. 1t is
said that he has had lawyers and de-
tectives in Washington and Alexandria
trying to work up some defense for him
at this end of the line, but there is no
way of telling how true this is, and
whether it is true or not does not matter
much"
As heretofore stated Mr.. Burson and
his family are comparatively strangers
in this city, having lived here but few
years. Mrs. Burson and her daughter
hold positions in one ofthe government
departments in Washington and Mr..
BurSon is employed about the Capitol
grounds in that city.
CITY SCHOOL BoARD.-At the month
l.. IL