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


they were at the Jail before the train
reached the Union depot. When they
arrived at the jail they found no one
and Burt was quickly placed behind the
bars. Soon after however, the news
spread around town and Il large crowd
of curiosity seekers hurried to the jail
Burt was very composed while talking
with The Statesman reporter and show
ed not the slightest nervousness, nor was
there Il tremor as he talked on the
great crime with which he is charged
He refused positively to admit his con-
nection with the murder. and also re-
fused to answer certain questions put to
him by the reporter but he did tell all
about his trip since he left Austin.
In reply to question as TO his route
after he left Austin on that Saturday
night. Burt said: Il will tell you all
about what | did on the day | left Aus
tin. l spent most of the day at home.
went down town twice along about
noon"
What for?" asked the reporter.
"That | decline to answer" said Burt.
"In the afternoon | also went down
town for awhile and paid a few debts
| owed. but l spent most of the day at
home. Along about g o'clock | went
down town and got Il shave, then went
to the Capitol hotel and got my supper
and paid for it. After eating supper |
went out on the pavement and sat and
talked to some men. setting there for
awhile. and then went in and played
game of checkers with several of them.
| played until about half past ten and
then went and got my grips. went
down to the depot and stopped i'll front
of the Moilit House until the train
whistlcd. and then | went over to the
depot, carrying my three grips. | had
the smaller grip slapped on my side.
and the other two | set down on the
ground and took seat on them. | was
sitting on the grips within four feet of
the baggage room door when John Chen
neville passed by and | saluted him and
he returned the salute. When | got on
the train | saw Howard Cranberry, and
rode with him to Taylor
I'D Il you tell him you were going to
Dallas asked the reporter.
"ycs. l did" replied Burt, "and | did
&c thUc but did not stop"
Did you cat breakfast at Hillsboro"
asked the reporter.
Yes" replied Burt, "or ut least ut
he place tfcy eat breakfast, if that is
Ilil!slcro. You know the Katy splits its
train n HillsbOro and one part goes by
way of Dallas and the other by way of
Folr Worth | took the one that went
by Dallas and met the other section ut
Oelison and they went on to Chicago
hy way of ST Louis"
'Did you wear your wlfe's clothing or
change IT, them at HillsbOro?" asked the
rcpoltcr.
No" replied Burt. Il went all the
way to Chicago in the same clothes |
have on now"
Did you buy your ticket to DnlIas?"
asked the reporter.
~ hat decline to answer" said Burt
"Whcn Gid you get to Chicago"
asked the reporter.
81 arrived there the Tuesday morning.
after l';Ning here Saturday night. at
$50 o'clock. You see | had to take
not get into st. Louis until in the even
ing hut | went on through and arrived
IN Chicago Tuesday morning at $50
JclocK."
"What Gid you do in Chicago?" asked
lie rcJolicr.
"When | arrived there" Burt replied,
Il secured a room at the New Bismarck,
Il hotel just across from the Union de-
pot and cat my meals where l pleased.
| never tried to hide myself from the
time | left here until | was arrested.
| was N almost constant attendance
upon the arrival of trains at the Union
depot for the first few days that l was
there, and | saw very nearly everybody
that came into the city. | also spent a
good deal of my time ut the Board of
Trade watching the market quotations
and the buyers do their bidding. About
ten days before l was arrested, while l
was walking around the ring on the floor
of the Exchange, | thought | saw man
watching me, and that may have pos
sibly been PoindeXter though | am not
cfr rt al I tIb
ing me, and 1 kept walking around the
ring he kept turning his face toward
me, but | did not take particular notice
of him at the time. AS | said, | made
no "retentiOns of hiding while in Chi
cGgo and walked on the streets and in
the various places that | frequented
without making any effort to avoid de-
lection. The morning on which | was
arrested | had come out of the Board
of Trade building and walked down the
street to the crossing, and crossing over
to the other side turned and walked
back down to the Rialto building. in
which | was arrested. AS | walked
down the pavement to this building
which is directly opposite the Board of
Trade building. | turned in time to see
a policeman point his finger at me. Just
as | turned he lowered his hand, but
not soon enough TO prevent my seeing
nm. L walked on to the building, and
entering the main hall, which runs
through the center of the building, |
had gone about half way down when |
heard some one running down the hall
behind me. l did not turn my head, but
kept walking slowly on through the hall.
There was a door on the right of me,
a door on the left and one not twenty
feet in front of me- all opening on the
streets, and, in addition, there were two
elevators close at hand but / made no
effort to escape. When the officer came
up to me he simply laid his hand on my
shoulder and asked me my name. | of
course gave him my assumed name and
asked him to take me to the station as
| did not want to make a scene in the
hall. We went on to the station. He
did not put any handouts on my wrist.
but walked by my side. PoindeXter and
Piety identified me, but | of course denied
my identity. and the officer evidently
thought that | was not the man, for as
we went on to the station he made no
attempt to handcuff me. We walked
up the steps Of the station, and going
on back through the building came to
the dissccting room. When / arrived
there | called the officer into an adjoin-
ing room and said: Here, take this
knife away from me before / hurt some
body. These fellows are worrying me.
and / might do some harm to them
The officer took the knife and then !
was placed in Jail. / was besieged by
the newspaper men, but all that they