The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-27
BURKHART THE FAKE
BE Is Doing Business in I'll PaSO,
Tex, Now.
A. A. KLINE IS ON HIS TRAIL
IL Appears That He 10 Following
His Old Trade In That Coun-
try-Some Of His Dew
iltry Recalled.
\. A. KLINE IS ON HIS TRAIL

w. II. Burkhart, the notorious, who Is
well remembered in Butte through his
strange and unsuccessful efforts to con-
Wet Frank Hickey of the murder of on
Ger W. F. Jordan in the summer of 1892.
and his propensity for instituting dam
age suits on the strength of an imaginary
broken leg, is up to some of his old
tricks. A letter was received at police
headquarters yesterday afternoon from
Arthur A. Kline of Ell Paso. Tex. in
curing into Burkhart's record in Butte
and enclosing a couple of snap shot pho
tographs of the one-legged old fakir.
In this letter Mr.. Kline says: Il en-
close two photographs OF Lander. alias
Burkhart. 1 had some snap shots taken
in order to find out this mans record
and land him where he belongs. 1t Is in
my power to do so. He swore out a COM
plant against me saying l had tried to
bride him with 81 900 not to testify in the
United States court at Dallas on Feb. g.
He swore at my examination before the
commissioner that / sent for him and had
over a half an hours talk with him in
my store. He said that he has lived for
the last seven years in Texas and before
that in st. Paul. / never heard of the man
in my life, nor did ever see him until
met him at the examination. / was dis
charged, of course, and swore to COM
plant against him for perjury and had
several witnesses who swore to the con-
trary regarding his testimony. Still he
was let loose. found out since he is the
man who took an innocent man to Arkan-
sas, swearing against him as being the
murderer of John M Clayton. Outside of
my good reputation have not got much.
but will try to keep that"
"Burkhart is a blackmailer and all
round crook" remarked City Detective
MaiLlafOhn nc ba finished reading the 10 .
ter, land we know that he has served
time in the PEN
Fire Chief Werner, who was a police
man at the time Burkhart was in Butte
and who probably knows more about him
than any one else In the city, also re-
ceived a letter of inquiry from Kline sim
liar to the one received by Chief of Police
Tebo. Kline was in Butte a year and a
half ago and is known to several people
around the city hall.
Burkhart was known as the "profes-
sional leg breaker" previous to his con-
nection with the Jordan murder case, af-
ter which he was referred to by several
other sobriquets that were more eX-
pressive but not so elegant. He first turn
ed up In Anaconda about four years ago
and after his arrival there he instituted
a $4,000 damage suit against the city for
a leg which he alleged was broken His
record was looked up. and when II was
I 1Oun0 tnat ne had given the same per-
| Torrance I'm several other cities he with
drew the suit. Officer w. F. Jorndan was
murdered on his beat in June, 1892, and
Burkhart came up from Anaconda and
informed the officers that he could put
them onto the murderers. Two revolvers
of As and 3S-caliber, wihc had been used
by the murderes were found by the police
and Burkhart described them accurately
without seeing them. He said that they
had been borrowed from him in Anaconda
few nights previous by Frank Hickey
and a man named Boyle. who said they
were going to kill Jordan. Jordan shot
Boyle through the left arm in the fight
and officer Werner traced him to Fort
Benton and there lost track of him. On
the strength of Burkharts statements
Hickey was arrested at Denver and
brought back.
Hickey Burkhart skipped out and was
subsequently captured at New Richmond.
Wis. Hickey stood trial for officer Jor-
dams murder and was acquitted for the
sole reason that the jury refused to be-
lieve Burkhart's testimony. Burkhart
then claimed that Hickey was one of the
murderes of Clayton of Arkansas, and
| Officer Werner took him there on that
| charge. He was also acquitted there, but
| II was claimed IL was the political infiu-
| ence of the men who were behind Clay
| toms murder that cleared him. Il think
| Burkhart was honest in those two cases, .
| said Fire Chief Werner last evening but
there is no doubt that he is an all-round
| crook"