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

tne uaSSSr allef you lett mere:
No"
Did you have any occasion to use it
just before leaving here?"
"No: the dagger has never been used
since L bought 1t over u year ago from
Mr.. Jackson"
Did you have on a straw hat, as was
reported by the Chicago paper"
mo; did not. l had on the felt hat
generally wear around home here, and
did not even have Il straw hat with me-"
did you tell the woman that cooked
for you the morning before YOU left not
to take any water from the cistern be-
cause the night before You saw Il cat
jump into the cistern?"
No, did not; | never told her any
such thing
"Did, you put the pump handle in your
roOmT
mo. l did not"
Did you send her down town for
some meat for your breakfast"
YES, | did. | don't remember
whether | was sitting in the dining room
or front room when she came in and
asked about breakfast, and | tolG Scr TO
get some money off the dresser and get
some meet for breakfast. This she did,
and | had a piece of stake and some eggs
for breakfast"
Did you see any blood on the steps
rs you came down from your room that
morning.
mo, | did not"
Did your wife come down with you
that morning.
The prisoner looked at the reporter Il
minute and smiled slightly as he
answered: 81 decline to answer that
question:
What was the cause of your leaving
if you did not leave under the charge of
MURDER" asked the reporter. ..
Il had three reasons for leaving
answered Burt. 1.-TWO of them will
not tell you, but l will give you one
reason. 1t was that | was informed by
II friend of mine that my brothers, who
are on my bond for forgery, which will
come up for trial this fall. intended Civ
ing up my bond Monday. and then
would have had to go to Jail. This was
one reason why | left town, but it was
not my principal reason. But | will
not give YOU my principal reason. My
brothers knew that | intended leaving
town ten days before | did go. They
were expecting me to go. When | went
into the store that Saturday afternoon
and got these shoes that | have on now
told them that | was going to leave
and told them where was going, but
of course, gave them the wrong place.
They expected me to go, however, ten
days before | did &C."
Wont you give the other reasons for
your departurc?" asked the reporter.
NO" replied Burt, Il will not"
"Do you admit that the murder
caused you to leave. or do you acknowl-
edge having known anything about it
when you leftE
'No. | do not; left for another
cause altogether, but that will be known
in due season.
"Can you prove an alibi for the night
of the murdcr?' asked the reporter.
Il might and | might not" answered
Burt; that will have to develop later.
| do not care to discuss this matter or
say anything until | see what | am
charged with. | have seen none of the
papers containing an account of the MUIR
der or the coroner's inquest. and | do
not know with what l am confronted.
Until | do see the papers | will have
! nothing at all to say about the crime
| with which | am charged save to say
those which people think caused me to
leave. When my trial comes up | will
be ready to make my defense. | will
neither ask nor expect any assistance
| from any man. | realize fully the
gravity of my situation and what | have
to face in the eyes of public opinion. and
when the time comes | will be ready to
make my defense, but until that time
comes | have nothing to say about the
matter. When the trial comes up
will have three witnesses on hand who
can make some statements in my behalf
that will be convincing. They will not
speak until the proper time. and their
names will not even be known until that
time, as | have no intention of saying
who they are until the time for the trial
comes, and then | will make their
names known. | know that they will
not speak until the proper time. While
| was in Chicago in Jail the officers
seemed to think that | would attempt
suicide and kept a close watch over me
at all times, but they were wrong in
| their surmises, for | tell :7ou. as | told
them, that | have too much nerve to
that if ever man wanted death to visit
him, have been that man for four years
past. | would not commit suicide, for
| have too much nerve for that, but
still say that death would not have been
| Objectionable to me during the past four
years at any time. | have often talked
with my wife about this, and she is one
of the sweetest and most loveable
women on earth, too. She is a Catholic
ny ldlti, as you KNOW. MANY II tline
has she tied to persuade me to join her
church, and when | afterwards told her
about my longing for death she ex-
pressed great surprise at my willingness
to die, when | had no religion. But
that is the way with me. | am the
black sheep in the family, and few can
understand me. This is about all that
| have to say on the matter. When |
see the papers containing an account Of
the affair that | am charged with being
mixed up in | may talk more"
When asked if there was any such a
man at Houston as the person to whom
he sent the box containing the bloody
clothes Burt looked at the reporter
minute, and his face looked strange as
he replied: Il know nothing about that
matter and decline to answer" When
he asked the reporter to bring him a
paper up to the Jail containing an ac-
count of the murder, the reporter turned
to Sheriff White and asked him if he
would let him in the Jail late last even
ing. Sheriff White replied that he was
going to bed as soon as he got home. but
he would leave orders with Jailer
Hughes to admit the press representa-
tives and the relatives of the prisoner.
Burt spoke up and said that he only
wanted TO see the newspaper men last
afternoon if they called on him. and did
not care 20 see any one else until later
as he wanted to rest.
"Dd you wear glasses in Chicago?
see they say you had them on and did
Won wear them MS n Disguise? Were they