The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-25
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"MAJ." u. j. BURGESS HEARD FROM.
Released Last Week From the Ten
nessee Penitentiary

nessee Penitentiary.
Maj. b. j. Burgess was a well-known
man in Savannah dozen years ago. He
was principal of the Georgia Military In
stitute and in that connection had a rec
ognzed standing in the city. The school
was for time a fourishing one 1t was
through Maj. Burgess efforts that the in
stitute building, now the First Regiment
armory, was built.
But Major" Burgess finally disappear
ed. Last March he was released by par
don from the Tennessee penitentiary
where he was serving a three years SEN
tence for obtaining money from the Nash
vile Savings Bank by fraud.
The Nashville American prints the fol-
lowing story:
Unless the smoothest and most novel
pardon racket ever worked on a governor
has been perpetrated, the release from the
penttentiary yesterday of Milton T. Bur-
russ on an order from Gov. Turnev was
the closing chapter in a train of circum-
stances as strange and interesting as any
fiction ever written.
No intmation of story appears upon
the record of the pardon, but back of it
and leading up to the very moment that
the prisoner shook off his felon garb and
walked forth free man by another name,
the incidents when connected form
dramma with the richest of coloring
THE scene is Nashville and the time COW
ers a period of over thirteen months. The
convict was the chief actor but incident
ally the thread of the story leads off to
other directions, shifting the scene anon
and bringing into the action other people.
I'm the unraveling. the thread was taken
up in the office of Mayor William NJ. Nc
Carthy in the afternoon of Jan. 6. In his
mail that morning the executive had re-
ceived a letter under date of Jan. from
r. l.. Burgess, of Burgess station North
cumberland county, Virginia, making in
quiry for his brother, b. j. Burgess.
There was nothing of further interest in
the letter except the statement that the
missing brother though well educated
and good man at heart, was slave to
drink and led a wild life. The brother
suggested that he might be sick in the
hospital.
THE mayor asked the newspapers to
print the purport of the letter and this
was done. One of the Americans CORE
spondents wrote to the effect that a man
by that name had been killed in the rail-
road wreck near Thompson station and
referred the mayor to certain parties liv-
ing in the neighborhood All of this was
duly published in the American, but moth
ing developed from it. No such man had
been killed at Thompson station, or at
least the fact could not be substantiated
Mayor Mccarthy, in the meantime, had
searched the hospital records without re-
suit. A day or two later, however, Mayor
Mccarthy received a letter from man
named Candy at Baltimore, making fur
Their inquiry of B. j. Burgess, and also
purporting to more fully identify him.
This letter said that the writer was the
agent and representative of a rich uncle
of the man Burgess, who lived in England.
This uncle, the letter said was devoted
to his nephew, and, though knowing some
thing of his wild ways, was inclined to
humor him. The letter also referred to
the fact that Burgess had a mother and
brother living in Virginia, who were very
highly connected.
After making these disclosures, the let
ter went into more startling announce
ments. one of these was to the effect
that the writer had received a letter from
Burgess, from Nashville which caused
him great uneasiness, for it stated that
Burgess had drawn draft on Candy for
$50, to notify him Of which fact the letter
was written Burgess further confded to
Candy that he had a woman with him and
was going by an assumed name. He had
been going a pretty stiff gait, he wrote
and was up against it. but with the help
of the money he expected to brace up and
get on his feet again.
Candy in his letter to Mayor Mccarthy
then stated that he had not received this
letter from Burgess until some weeks af-
ter it was written, having been kept away
from his address on business. When he
did receive It, it was too late to take care
of the draft, which was never presented
to him and which, of course. was returned
unhonored Ii was for this reason that
Candy expressed uneasiness. He was
afraid the dishonored draft had caused
Burgess trouble. In concluding Candy
assured the mayor that anything that he
could do for Burgess II he We're in Nash
vile would be gratefully appreciated and
any expense incurred would be amply re-
paid. He. however, imposed secrecy upon
the mayor, earnestly requesting that the
matter be given no publicity, as Burgess
would rather die than let his uncle or his
mother or brother know Of any disgrace
into which he might have fallen. Candy
assured the mayor that had he received
the draft drawn on him he would have
paid IL, and many more like it. as those
were his instructions from Burgess I'M
Gle.
Candy also stated in the letter that he
was shortly to return to England and
would like to bear to his employer some
news Of the latters nephew, as the UNI
Gle was growing very feeble and inquired
frequently concerning his favorlte.
THE letter was an exceedingly well
written one and certainly presented
most interesting state of affairs. Ii quick
ened Mayor McCarthys interest in the
case. but additional search proved futile
until late one afternoon.
"rhc mayor was sitting IN his Office
when stranger entered and introduced