The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-23
BURNEY ON THE GALLONS.
THE MURDERER or TOM BUTLER
Hung AT VALDOsTA.

He Lays the Blame For His Crime to
whisky-AddrcsscS the Audience
From the GaIIows-He Is Ready
For His End-A Brief sketch of the
Case.
valdosta, Ga. Jan. 22.--Jake Burney. the
murderer of Tom Butler. the timer. was
banged at Les o'clock this morning in
the presence of the officers, physicians,
ministers and reporters.
Before the execution the prisoner was al
lowed to address a large crowd of people
who had congregated about the Jail, filling
all OF the streets for nearly block away.
The condemned mans address was spoken
from the portico of the jail up stairs and
was spoken plainly enough for people all
around the streets below to hear it.
The address was as follows;
How do you do, brethren and sisters?
Well. I got up on this box, but I got up
here with Jesus. or course. 1 am going
TO bid this old world farewell. and I am
going on a long journey. but I have got
Jesus in front of me. tCries of Thank
Cod" Amen" etc.) I am not ashamed
of Jesus, and will praise His name with
millions. You all see where whisky car
ries you to. From the streets to the JAIL
from the jail to the court house, and then
TO the gallows. but am not afraid. 1 am
not ashamed of Jesus and will speak His
name before millions. 1 am not scared to
face a million and give praise to His name
] trust my fate will be warning to you
all. OF course 1 am going to leave you
all, but I am going in the name of Jesus
(More cries of Thank God" and "Amen.'O
Brethren and sisteren. am going to leave
you all but hope you will remember that
have a little child that will leave here
without father That's all / want to
say"
After a short hymn, he said, "Good-bye
all, Friends, Goodbye" and there were
cries of Goodbye from the crowd
During the delivery of the speech,
which took up but three minutes time
Burney's hands were bound behind him
and as he left for the galiows he motion
them to the crowd, as if in salute. Burn
ey walked upon the gallows without a
tremor and appeared as little excited as
any one in the room. He was asked IL he
wanted TO say anything, and he replied
that he wanted to make one more prayer
kneeling upon the scaffod he prayed
aloud with good deal of feeling and when
he arose he told the sheriff that he was
ready to so.
The black cap was adjusted and the
moose put around the negro's neck There
was moment of complete silence and
Sheriff Harrell broke it with "Good-bye
Jake" and at the same time kicked the
trigger which held the trap in place The
body shot toward the ground and the rope
and ratters began to creak, but there was
he
pended form. In four minutes there was
a slight contraction of the muscles. but
with that exception there was not the
least sign of a struggle. Death came to
the murderer as evenly as his temporal
ment has been in contemplation of il. In
just seventeen minutes the physician pro-
nounced life extinct. A little later the
body was cut down and placed in a coffin
and carried to the pauper farm for burial
The crime for which Burney was hung
was committed in this city just a year ago
last Saturday night. Burney was drunk
and had been elected from a barroom on
two occasions. The last time he was put
out he rushed around to a side door and
entered again. Tom Butler was standing
at the counter with several friends and
Burney rushed by him. striking him a
blow on the neck as he passed. The wound
inflicted by the knife proved mortal and
Butler died in a few minutes.
A mob followed Burney when Butler
died, and he was caught on the edge of
the city. The police arrived just in time
to keep the indignant negroes from lynch
ing him. He was placed in a closed car
riage by the police and brought to the
city, where he was placed in jail
He was tried at the May term Of court
and a young lawyer from Atlanta, Col.
Park, was appointed to defend him. The
case was very ably handled His case
was carried to the supreme court, which
delayed his execution, but the Judgment
of the court below was affirmed
Burney has had many spiritual advisers
since his Incarceration, and they succeed
ed in working him up to a high pitch of
religious frenzy. He has maintained for
months that he would meet death calmly
and he kept his word. He told a Morn
ing News correspondent early this morn
ing that he had put God in front of him
and that he knew that the future was
bright.
Before Burney committed his crime. he
was porter in one of the stores here,
and was an unusually accommodating ne
gro. He was a hard-worker and all of
those who knew him then sympa thized
with him and were kind to him.