The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-28
MUST Be A FAKE.
Snake Bitten Tramp in North
western WildS
Alleged to Have Confessed a
Kansas Murder.
JIM BURTON, A RASCAL,
Claims He Killed Joseph New,
OF Eureka.
Emily New and George D0bbs
Found Guilty
And Now in Kansas Prison For
Life.
JIM BURTON, A RASCAL,

A strange tale comes to the state house
from Coulee City, Wn., concerning the
celebrated Dobbs-New murder in Green
wood county some years ago. This story
absolves Emily New and George Dobbs
from any connection with the murder OF
Joseph New for which they are now
serving life sentences in the Kansas pen
itentiary. -tF
Through the establishment of alleged
new evidence a motion to give these de-.
PENDANTS a new trial has been urged be-
fore the supreme court but it has been
refused, so the two convicts win serve
their terms.
1t was shown at the trial that Dobbs
was infatuated with Mrs. New and
proven to the satisfaction of a jury that
these two persons conspired to get the
Woman's husband out of the way. No
other means proving successful, the muir
der, 1t is charged, was committed. The
Wlfe and her accomplice are now suf-
fering the penalty.
The Coulee City, Wn., News tells of a
tramp, Jim Burton, who confessed to the
murder of Joseph New, reducing the
confession to writing when on what he
supposed was death-bed, having been
bitten by a rattlesnalSe. Later the tramp
recovered and disappeared, having first
obtained possession of the document
containing the alleged confession.
James OdgerS is the publisher of the
Coulee City News, ON the editorial page
of which, July 20. 1900. appeared the fol-
| lowing:
Mark Noble was in our office this
week and told the following story. About
a year ago while in the vicinity OF
Moses Lake he came across a hobo
whose name he failed to ascertain, but
afterwards understood that it was Jim
Burton. Rattlesnakes are plentiful there
ana the tramp was unfortunate in being
bitten severely by one of the reptiles
Noble had a liberal supply of the
usual antidote for snake bites, and he
gave the stranger a generous portion.
When the effect of the poison was per-
HI =
sion that his days were numbered, and
began to weaken
He wrote statement on a piece of
paper, folded it carefully and placed it
in his pocket, then turning to Mr. Noble
said:
a. If I should die-if this proves
fatal-take the paper from my pocket
and mail 1t to the governor of Kansas,
as it relates to crime for which Emily
New and George Dobbs are serving a
life sentence in the Kansas peniten-
tiary. They are innocent
unfortunately" the paper continues,
1.-The snake bite was not fatal, and the
full contents of the note will never be
known, but enough has been learned to
indicate that the hobo was one of the
greatest scoundrels unhung.
"Out of gratitude the tramp insisted
upon paying Noble for the whisky
which cured the snake bite and gave
amined they proved to be rank counter
feits.
''This may throw some additional light
on the Emily New and George Dobbs
case"
The governor and the attorney gen.
eral attach no Importance to this pub
lication of the alleged discovery Of the
murderer of Joseph New. 1t is be-
lieved that some of the friends of the
two persons in the penitentiary have
arranged this plan for the purpose of
making an effort to secure a pardon
for the man and woman. The case is
an extraordinary one, and the state
ments made in the Washington news
paper puzzle the authorities here. 1t
has been decided that no attention will
be paid to the communications which
have been forwarded concerning the
confession by the snake bitten tramp
in the wilds of the northwest, so what
ever mission the newspaper contem-
plated in the publication of the article
will fail. 1t will receive no further at
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