The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-07
BURTON DENIES 1T ALL
SAYS HE MADE NO CONFESSION TO
SUPERINTENDENT COLBERT.
Claims He Left Indianapolis About
Two Weeks Before Fireman
Redmond Was Killed.

James Burton. charged with the murder
of Fireman Frank Redmond, was shown a
copy or the indictment which stands
against him yesterday. His reticence re-
garding his case heretofore has been partly
for the reason that he did not know ex-
actly what the charges against him were,
so he claimed. He read the indictment
carefully.
This looks like they were trying to put
rope around my neck" he said at last.
Il did not understand just what the law
is in this State, but 1 judge from this that
the killing of a human being by a person
in the act of committing felony consti-
tutes murder in the first degree
Burton was asked regarding the con-
fession which it is generally believed he
made to the warden of the Nashville peni-
Tertiary and subsequently repeated to SUI
perintendent of Police Colbert.
Il never made confession, and will say
right here that 1 did not kill Redmond
When L was taken to the Nashville prison
was measured by the Bertillon system
All peculiarties and marks upon my body
were also noted. When, therefore, 1 was
asked If | had served time at Columbus
o., admitted that L had. / was convicted
in Tennessee under the name of Hennessey,
and in Ohio under the name of Burton. i
was asked if L was Burton, and admitted
it. would have been a fool to have denied
1t, for the Bertillon system is never at
error, and, besides, I have eighteen tat
tooed figures on my arm that would have
identified me, and, furthermore my pic
ture was taken at both prisons. But the
admission that l was Burton is as much of
a confession as / have ever made.
Burton was keenly interested in the steps
by which the crime was laid to him. He
said he supposed Ed Phillips had impi-
Gated him, and based his Supposition on the
fact that Phillips was admitted to bail,
while Carl Harvey, the other man alleged
to have been Burtons accomplice, is still
confined in Jail.
Il do not know this man Phillips" he
said. Il knew Harvey He was in the Co
lumbus penitentiary with me. But this man
Phillips | do not know. l suppose he got
tired of lying in Jail and took this means
of getting out"
Were you ever in Indianapolis before
now?"
'Oh yes, 1 have been in and out of the
city several times"
Were you here at the time that Frank
Redmond was murdered?'
mo, left here about two weeks before
that happened.
Burton showed that he was familiar with
all the details of the history of the at
tempted robbery of Job Eldridge and the
shooting of Redmond, and it was remarked
that he must have taken a keen interest
in the case to have informed himself SO
Well on 1t.
."oh, | read of it in the papers, he said.
What papers?"
Burton hesitated. and the reporter sug-
gested that it might have been the Gin
ctnnau papers, as they contained full ac-
counts of the case.
Eyes read it in the Enquirer" he said.
Il was in Cincinnati at the time
Regarding himself, Burton said that he
was twenty-nine years old and unmarried.
MY name is not Burton, but it matters
not what it is. Cincinnati is my home, and
it may be that my real name will be made
known if l find it necessary. My family
is an old and prominent one and it may
be that l will call on the folks for assist
ance in getting out of this case. 1t depends
upon the treatment / receive. I suppose
when / am arraigned the court will APP
appointed cannot say what | shall do. l
think l will be able TO clear myself of this
charge, or rather, do not think they will
be able to convict me, but, of course, [
must have as good an attorney as the pros
ecution has. If / do not get such an at
torney as a poor person / may call on my
folks for help. l would rather not do this,
however, for they know nothing of my
eral terms in prison before i would have
them know it, But this is more serious,
and if it becomes necessary / will call on
them
as the reporter was about to leave Burton
said: Don't forget about that confession.
It's all lie. I never have made a con-
feSdsiOn and wh0sYer s9ys Gd lies
admission of my identity as that of an ex-
convict from Ohio is to be distorted into a
confession Of murder ] will be afraid to
open my mouth again. There must be some
papers speak of me as the 'self-confessed
murderer of Fireman Redmond Well you
want to quit that because whatever may
be shown against me / am not a. confessed