The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-10
FAMILY DISAGREEMENTS
CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY
Several Eye-wltnesses to the Affair,
Which Occurred In the Home of
Mrs. Burton, Who Was
Also a Physician.

w. 3. Burton, physician, dead.
Mrs. DR.. Laura E. Burton, wife of
|. B. Burton, dead.
T. T. Thaxton, dentist, Pratt City,
,obabiy fatally wounded
In brief, that Is the story of an awful
aaedy at 45 Woodland avenue, North
laven, last night between to:3o and
II o'clock.
Burton shot and killed his wife, two
bullets taking effect; shot and wound
ed Thaxton, and cut his own throat
with small poek tknlfe which his
wife had given n
Family disagr, tents, coupled probably
with jealousy, seem to have been the
cause OF the .rimes committed by Bur-
ton. According to statements made by
Mrs v. S. Andrews, and her daughter
Miss Blanche Andrews, who live in the
same house, the husband and wife had not
been living together for some time. A
divorce was granted the Burtons month
ago.
Mrs Andrews and her daughter further
state that Dr. Thaxton was cousin of
theirs (the Andrews), and that he was at
the house at their request, as the former
was recovering from a surgical opera
ton.
That Mrs. Burton was expecting to be
killed by her husband is indicated by
statement she made to a neighbor about
dark. A telephone message was received
from DIR. Burton earlier in the day. that
he was coming to the house. She went
TO this neighobrs and hid awhile. She
returned home later.
There were three eye witnesses to the
shooting beside DIR. Thaxton. The state
ments of all coincide, even that of DIR.
Thaxton, made before he was placed on
the operating table. The witnesses were
Mrs. Andrews, her daughter and Mrs
T. T. Thaxton The latter made the fol-
lowing statement:
Statement Made.
my husband and myself went to the
house at the request of Mrs. Andrews,
who was stopping with Mrs. DR.. Burton
while recuperating, from an operation.
Burton came to the house and tried to
make up with his wife. She refused to
make UP and he asked her to go in a
room for private talk. They came out
of the room in few minues and, we were
all standing in the hall. Burton asked his
wife to go back in the room with him
again. as he had something else to say
to her. but she refused. He looked at
her a second, drew a pistol from his
pocket and commended firing My hus-
band jumped between them to protect
Mrs. Burton, and DR.. Burton shot him
twice in the abdomen.
ST do not know much about the family.
had never seen DIR. Burton before but
had seen the wife. I understand that
they have not been living together for
come time and that they have had family
troubles and dsagreements.
1.-THE visit tonight was the second that
my husband has paid to his cousin Mrs
Andrews. l accompanied him and we
merely happened to be at the house when
the trouble took place Mrs. Andrews
telephoned my husband today that she
wanted him to come over to see her to-
night, and he naturally went. She was
operated on at the Hillman hospital re-
Gently and she thought that she could
recuperate better at Mrs. Burton's than
anywhere else. That accounts for her and
her daughter being there"
Policeman Nix was among the first to
reach the house after the tragedy He
made close investigation of the affair,
and has all the evidence that was to be
procured last night. The pistol and the
knife are in his possession. The former is
dorble-action Smith & Wesson, and
four of the five chambers have been
fired. The other cartridge was not dis
charged.
The knife has two blades and pearl
handles, and the longest of the blades
was used by Burton in taking his life.
He merely plunged it into his throat one
time making wound about an inch long
in the right side of his neck, and about
an inch and a half deep, into she 1ugular
vein
The house is near the end of the North
Highlands car line in North Haven. Sew
eral steps lead from the ground to the
front porch which runs the full length
of the front of the house. probably thirty
FIVE or forty feet The front door is lit
tie to one side of the steps. and opens
into the hall. where the shooting took
place
After Burton and his wife come
from the room where they r seen talk
ing, all stepped into the hall When
Burton pulled the pi which he did
without a word OF ming according to
all the witness IN Thaxton sprang
between hp- his wife and received
two bulet$xe The abdomen. A third bull
let probabiy one of those which took
effect, struck the door facing, where 1t
was embedded In the wood.
When Burton had Aired two or three
ti0ss Mrs. Burton ran out Of the front