The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
JAIL FOR HIS WIFE'S SAKE.
EDWARD y. BURG Ess'S RBsT0Rl-
TIoN TO CITIgENg8IP.

- .. A
ststsuasnts made to GOV. Black mat Ne
Served . Term In Prison Tor . Crine
Really BIZ His Wtrs ana
That ne Pleaded Guilty 20 shield her.
Gov. Black restored to citizenship just in
time for tho letter Of restoration to como as a
New Years present Edward J. Burgess, for
merly known ne Jack" Burgess, the pugilist,
who, according to representations made to the
Governor, served threo and a half years In
prison for a crime which he did not commit, but
Of which he confessed himself guilty in order to
save his wife, the real culprit. Tho letter was
signed by the Governor on Dec. 9o,Ireached New
York the next day. and got to Burgess as q
Now Years greeting. Tho restoration was
granted on the application of Emanuel Friend,
as attorney, on statements made by Police Cap
tain Stephen o'Brien, tho former head Of the
Detective Bureau; Mayor Bost wick Of Jackson
vile, Fla, for whom Burgess has been working
since his release from prison, and some other
persons TO whom he was known.
Capt. O'Brien's statement contains an out
limo Of the case against Burgess and of tho story
of his self for which he was repaid
by the desertion of the woman for whom he had
sacrificed his liberty. Burgess and his wife,
Nettie. according to tho Police Captains state
ment, we've arrested about July, 1889, by De-
tective Sergeant McCauley and himself. o'Brien
was then o detective Sergeant. They were
charged with grand larceny on the complaint
Of Mrs. Louise HURT, Mrs. Burgess's sister.
Mrs. Burgess was discharged on her own recog-
nizance and Burgess, pleading guilty, was sen.
fenced by Recorder Smyth in the General SEES.
sions to three and o half years In Sing Sing.
From ian investigation made at that time"
says Capt. O'Brien. II am thoroughly con-
WINGED that Edward j. Burgess was an innocent
man, having pleaded guilty to the crime charged
In the Indictment for tho purpose Of saving his
wife from imprisonment, she alone being guilty
Of this crime, having stolen q quantity of dia-
mond jewelry from her sister, Mrs. HURT. with
out the consent or knowledge Of the said Ed
ward J. Burgess, he being unaware Of his wife's
wrongdoing until she confessed to him, on q
Pennsylvania Railroad train, while en- route to
Chicago, that she had gone to a jewelry store,
where Mrs. HURT had left q quantity Of dla-
mond jewelry for safekeeping, and by present
ing o forged order, purporting to be signed by
Mrs. HURT, bad thereby obtained the said
jewelry, which she afterward pawned for 800
for the same In a letter which she had addressed
to Mrs, HURT before, her departure with her
When the couple arrived at Cincinnati Bur-
CESS compelled his wife TO write to her parents
at at Is sise ssiiin Mas sSsn sel ehas them he had Ct h hsF f !hft';
goes on to say that Mrs. HURT had been living
and had become indebted to them in the sum
of $175 for board. Finding that Mrs. HURT
s shST s,a, eS s1spG sa,ss . X Fsm Snsrsss t loof sSi.
means Of securing the amount involved. "
Mrs. HURT. however, was, very, vfndictiye in
though tho stolen property was recovered, in
sisted on their being sent to prison.
counsel, played a noble part and pleaded gully
of o crime. of which he was innocent, so as to
exonerate his wife. and was thus sentenced to
sacrifice he had made by, base ingratitude on
the part Of tho said Nettie Burgess, WHO not
but appropriated to her own use a sum Of money
to be delivered to said Burgess at the prison.
Moreover, he has not seen her since hiBrelease,
knowing these facts. end believing him to be q
gave me much Sini pleasure to recommend him to
Mayor, w. N. Bostwick Of Jacksonville, Fla.
as a detective to protect that city from The
the winter season OF 1896. The services rem.
dered by him were highly creditable. SO much
Communication expressing thanks for the very
valuable services rendered to the city of Jack
S %aS AGAIN. Gy s sns a sasa By sST the city Il bo OF Sseksd one
willie for the following winter season of 1867.
with the same good results.
ing the aforesaid unfortunate occurrence in the
career Of Edward J. Burgess. he is held by me
IN inc DlBueSI cSUecn, anu mas pTONCu ulluStu
worthy Of my utmost confidence
Accompanying, the statement Is a copy. OF
Mayor Ma yst. SS4 s,sSiiEo t ap~p fbs men OF burgess nsesr as as
and work" dated Dec. IS. 1896. There is also
CESS expressing satisfaction with his services.
With these are copies of letters from F. NJ.
rsnda ssrm iii general Ge e passenger M agent sdn OF the
and George H.. Ingham. Both certify to his
honesty and good behavior.
Mr.. Ingham. He says that in his pugilistic
days he was the first man who knocked out
things he prizes as showing What the people in
the South think Of him is a gold medal given
him by citizens of Jacksonville. or his course
toward his wife Burgess Is not inclined to
ri don't know what / can say about It" he
much - to Be said. it didn't strike me that
was doing anything out OF the usual at the time
only the regular thing, what anybody would have
done in the circumstances i looked at II that
could be brought back i would do the same
and I don't know what more to say. / nave
never seen the woman ! married since l saw
her sister once. but of course l didn't speak to
Burgers is living here now and has opened
q saloon downtoTn.
the Rev. William Wegg, Of Massachusetts.
While he was preaching in Yonkers, some years
FED to Franz; Hurt, a rich man. She was at
the time 20 years old. Her sister Nettie, at II,
met Burgess during a summer sojourn of the
ministers family in New Hampshire. became
infatuated with him. and married him against
the family's wishes. Some time about 1887 or
1888 Mrs. HURT left her husband and sought a
legal separation from him.
There is some discrepancy between the story
Fl aur lao to asi1 By Hap t. o SiS nu IN his state e. Mr TO
the Governor and the story given out by In
spector Byrnes on July "a, 1889. when he re-
ceiyed word Of the arrest Of Burgess and his
were valued at $4,000, took place in the Jam
uary previous. The story published with the
announcement of the arrest said hat after the
marriage of Burgess;and Nettie they were sup.
continued her assistance until the require
ments OF her sister and brother-in-law became
such that she fed to Europe to escape them.
When she returned she took apartments at the
yictori and when the Burgesses found her
they began living at her expense again, and she
reduced her outlay by taking a furnished, fiat
at 2O7 East Forty-eiGhth street. and all three
lived there together. In January. 1888. Mrs.
Old Guard ball. returned them to a Third ave.
nue. jeweller, with whom she was In the habit
OF leaving them for safe'keeping, with instruc-
lions not to let any one have them except on
49,. oulA. "ha- lha mr. hnpna fhn ~ Iaxy