The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-27
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

dren i'll Texas in the latter part of July.
The story of the crime with which Burt
is charged is unique in the annals of
fin de steele criminality. Burt was n
cigar dealer in Austin seven years ago
Ills family connections were socially the
best. He married a Miss Mary Brad
ley. OF old Kentucky stock, prospered in
business and bliss, and waXed in reputa-
tion Children came. The home life
was ideal until Burt became, so the
story goes, infatuated with the whirl of
the wheel of chance. He gambled, and
lost, I.atterly he drifted downward.
At his home conditions became un-
bearablc.
On the night of July II last Burt and
his wife and children retired quietly at
their home. The next morning he an
peared early and called the servant girl.
Il wouldn't use any more of that els
tern water" he said to the girl. Il think
there are rats in it,"
Then Burt disappeared He was seen
again by no one who knew him, and
knew of the crime it is alleged. he had
committed, until II week ago in this city.
Mrs. Burt and the two children who
had gone TO bed in the house the night
before were unaccountably missing.
There was Il search made. After three
days TIE Austin police found their
bodies III the cistern of the Burt house.
Each of the three victims had been
brutally mangled by The strokes of
broad-bladed knife. An awful ferocity
had attended the mere killing. The
childrcn-a little boy and little girl
were almost dismembercd, and the body
OF the woman revealed knife wounds
which appeared to have been committed
out of pure fcrocity or insane malicious
ness. The murders had been perpe-
trated in an upper bedroom and the
bodies had been subsequently dragged or
carried TO the cellar of the house and
there thrust into the cistcrn.
BURT HAD DISAPPEARED.
There was a broad outcrying by the
law for Burt. He could not be found.
As the natural suspect he was hunted
for with diligence but his trail had
been utterly obliterated. He was off
the police map. The county of Traxis
offered 5000 reward for the apprehcn-
sion of the murderer. TO this other
sums were added by private citizens.
After II time the chase grew cold. There
seemed TO be no clew. Burt had faded
into mist.
Meredith G. PoindcXter keeps n little
fruit store in the narrow premises over
whose Market street transom are paint
ed the numbers 239 IL. Poindcxter was
Il resident of Austin seven years ago. He
| then knew Burt well. At the time of
the triple murder PoindcXter read an
i'Nbuhl VI ~ III lnt AllIOnltlt. Ilt lTpuS-
urcd it in his mind, being inter ested.
-Four weeks ago Poindcxtcr saw Burt
one morning in the open Board of Trade.
Burt recognized him, seemingly. When
PoindeXtcr was able TO leave certain
pending trades he had in the market
Burt had disappeared. PoindeXter
knew Officer Parkhurst of the Lake
street station. He told the policeman
about Burt, the crime with which he
snS .Yln Ia. a
the man and asked him to keep good
lookout for him.
Yesterday morning Parkhurst, who
was off duty, arrested Burt. He mar
rates the following story of the capture:
Il received tip that Bronson, or
Burt, was in town, about ten hours be-
fore | caught him. Two friends of mine.
who formerly lived in Austin, Tex, told
me that Burt was living at the New
under the name of w. ]. Bronson.
Yesterday morning mt 10 o'clock
was standing at Clark and Van Buren,
streets saw Burt 90 through the
Rock Island depot and across Van Buren,
street into the Rialto building. The min
ute | saw him | knew he was my man,
as he answered the description the police
received from the officials of Austin and
the description my friends gave of the
|
wick hotel. followed him into the
Rialto building and stepped up to him
and said, What is your nameY He
turned around quickly, and, seeing | was
a police officer, said: My name is Bron-
SON. then asked him if he ever lived
in Austin. Tex. At first he said no,
but then said he had passed through that
place, but it was some time ago. | was
sure he was my man, and told him he
would have to come to the station with
me. All right he said, only let's not
have scene in this building l took
him to the Harrison street station and
the wagon was called from the Des-
PLANES street station and he was re-
moved to that station. / did not book
murder was committed with. 1t is
regular dirk of the two-edge pattern. 1t
was sewed into the inside of his vest.
He also had n pawn ticket for a revol-
yer. He did not act as if he was excited,
but had a haunted look on his face. M.
NJ. Piety of Florence, Tex, and M. G.
Poindexter of 250 Market street of Chi
cagO identified Bronson as Burt. Both
of the men told me they had lived in
Austin Texas and knew Burt"
BURT is QUICK-WITTED.
In the presence of reporter for the
Chronicle Lieut.. O'Connor of the Des-
PLANES street station put Burt through a
mastery and searching examination. The
mans mind is a twO-edged intellectual
sword. He betrayed neither agitation
nor discomfort. He simply denied every
thing except his identity.
'If | need my wife can procure her
in court" he said. 81 know nothing of
murder. am doing as | please. came
here from Texas five weeks ago-from
Laredo-because 1 wanted to. L have
worked at nothing because / didn't have
to. / have paid my bills. have eaten
three meals a day. My linen is clean
and have more in my trunk. What do
you want of me? l don't understand
you"
Burt had no money when. arrested. He
has for some weeks been stopping at
hotel on Canal street, opposite the Union
depot.
II could get more money any time
wanted it," he said to Lieut. O'Connor.
Burt wore mustache in Austin. He
did not wear eyeglasses there. When
arrested here. and when first seen by
Poindexter he was smooth shaven and
wore glasses. He dresses well and has
the appearance of man of means. To
question from Lieut.. O'Connor as to
when he had last seen his wife he an
swered cody: