The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02

The woman responded by giving an accu-
rate word picture of Burroughs. When
shown his photograph she exclaimed.
That's the man..
And she continued. che said he would
sit by the window and himself admit the
lady, because she knew him so well that
she would trust him and enter. whereas. If
she saw a stranger she would be frightened
away. Why she said. laughing. he was
here just now. but when he saw the young
lady coming with "A companion he got
scared and skipped out the back way"
ct is a notable fact that neither the post
Office clerk nor Ellen Mills We're brought
forward at the trial. The defense accused
the prosecution of want of energy in the
attempt to produce them.)
After the visit to Quincy street Mary felt
that she could no longer doubt the origin
Taking this proof of his guilt with her,
she then called upon Burroughs's brother
who was q well-known clergyman in the
city. He is said to have treated her harshly,
and he certainly denied that his brother
vas at that time in Chicago, though 1t ar
terward transpired that he had that very
day performed the marriage, ceremony for
the false Adoniram and another woman.
When Mary happened to see a notice Of
the wedding in the paper a few days later
she was Frustrated with grief and lay for a
long time very ILL., After her recovery she
was moody and silent, going about her
work mechanically. Finally she decided to
go to Washington and sue Burroughs for
breach of promise of marriage. With this
purpose she borrowed money of the Misses
Devlin and came to this city only to ind
that the object of her search had that day
started for Chicago. She turned around at
once and took the next train Dack, ana II
was some time before she renewed her at
tempt. On her second trip she stopped In
Baltimore with the parents of her employ
ers. Before starting she had purchased a
pistol. explaining TO Miss Devlin that she
intended to use it in self-defense, fearing
that the Burroughs brothers would attempt
to spirit her away.
She came to Washington with the pistol
In her pocket and went directly to the treas
ury, where she inquired for Mr.. Burroughs,
and being informed that there were two
men, of that name employed in the depart
ment, she looked him up on the register.
MURDER IN THE TREASURY.
A few minutes later an old lady who
worked in the office with a. j.. Burroughs
looked up from her task to see a young
woman standing at the door. Her black
eyes, burning like Goals of fire, were fixed
upon the form of Burroughs as he bent, all
unconscious, over his desk. She was about
to invite the stranger to enter, but she Just
then closed the door and went away. But
net far. She had marked her victim, and
only waited the proper moment to destroy
him. There was a clock a short distance
down the corridors. On the further side of
this she hid herself.
The clock began to strike the hour. Bur-
rougls came out of his office, accompanied
by a friend. He was laughing and chatting
world was before him The clock struck
one. He advanced down the corridor, his
friends hand upon his arm. AS they APP
PlOdClAEu IL ne ClOCh STRUCK once more.
Then a sharp report, a binding flash; the
bullet had taken effect. With a cry of pain
Burroughs dashed onward. CHANGING over
his shoulder. he looked into the face of his
murderess and gasped, "Oh, my God!'
Then. even as he fled, this woman who
claimed TO have loved him, stepped out, de-
liberately fired once more, and then as he
fell she walked calmly away.
Her self-possession did not desert her I'M
til after her arrest, when she was asked
her motive for the deed, when she began to
tear her hair and cry out wildly. ''Why
did I do it, oh Cod I loved him batto-
than my w SOUL
Surely love never yet neryed a murder
Gus hand, but a passion more selfish and
brutal that. if it cannot possess. will de-
stroy. She was asked if the man had
wronged her more deeply than by desertion.
Before God / am a pure woman she
said.
However. it is stated that she told a dia-
metrically opposed story to the officer who
had her in. charge.
This is the history of the crime so far as
known, and it is made doubly interesting
by d.. w. Voorhees, eloquent defense of
the perpetrator.
%sympathies of the jury, by working upon
the sentiment of chivalry that is implanted
in the breast of American men. 1t ran as
follows:
Voorhees, FAMOUS ADDRESS.
From that hour presaging woe to the
human race, when the first man born of
woman became a murderer, down to the
present time. W. have on record the fright
full characteristics of the murderer. He is
a being in whose heart the fires Of malice
and hate glow in a perpetual flame, in
whose face the image of God is blotted out,
in whose eyes the light of mercy and love
is forever %quenched, who lies in wait like
a tiger for his prey, and who strikes his
unsuspecting and unoffending victims from
motives of revenge or the lust of gain.
Around such a being centers every concep-
tim Of horror which tho b,11aoo ,,oIo1 GOV
embrace. . , : But turn from this faint
picture of a real murderer to the delicate.
gentle being before you. We are told that
deliberate and atrocious murder has been
and that the criminal is in court.
We are told that a brutal assassination has
been accomplished, and that the lurking
and ferocious assassin is in our presence.
Where, gentlemen, where? Am | to be told
that this heart-broken young girl with her
Innocent and appealing face and look of
duplicating dependence on you, is the
fierce and malignant monster of guilt which
is described in the indictment and in the in
nanlmatory language of the prosecutions"
The plea upon which Mr.. Voorhees, sue
eeeded IN liberating Mary Harris was par
oXysmal insanity" He said:
II deny that Mary Harris is a criminal. I
deny that any murder has been committed.
deny that this young prisoner is respon-
sible for the death of A. j. Burroughs. I
assert that his death was not a crime. He
was not slain in violation of the law. for
ofenses against the law can only come by
those who possess a sound mind and unim-
paired intelligence"
lie then reviews her life, and while show
ing that no stain rests upon her honor. he
dwells particularly upon ~Burroughs's early
acquaintance with the prisoner, claiming
that he had attained such complete ascend
ency ever her mind that when he deserted
her her reason gave way. He pointed out
how she always came at the m of
the man she loved:
Gentlemen, the language which faithful
woman holds to the object of her love when
the hour of separation is threatened is very
old and very beautiful: .Entreat me not to
leave thee, or to return from following after
thee, for whittier thou goest / will go.
where thou lodgest | will lodge. Thy people
shall be my people, thy God my God; where
thou diest there will / be buried.
He proceeded to cite many instances
where insanity has been produced by de-
%sertion, and though forced to confess that
in most cases the wrong has been of a more
serious character, he said:
Il deny that this fact tends to increase
the susceptibility of the female mind to in
sanity when laboring under grief from dis
appointed affection. Pride, honor and indig-
nation at wrong are all attributes of virtue.
and when they are assailed and aroused to
an unnatural action, they are the copious
springs from which insanity takes it's rise.
When a woman submits to her own dishon-
or she abandonS the claim which a Virtu-
Gus woman has to complain of mans in
justice, the standard of honor is lowered.
and the fires of a former v~irtuous indigna3
ton are turned to ashes"
EXPLANATION OF THE LETTER.
In discussing the letter signed J. p.
Greenwood. Voorhees, claimed that Bur
roughs, wishing to break off all communi-
cation with Mary, but remembering the let
Tprr IN bap eoe~aGefo, aud ce,.;,. - -.