The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-11
Interesting Account of Life of
Mrs. DR.. Burton
CHANCE FOR THAxToN
Dentist Shot. In Tragedy of Monday
Night May LiVe-Funeral Ar
engagements of Burton
Not Made.

Back of the North Haven tragedy Of
Monday night that ended the lives of Mrs.
DR.. Laura e. Burton and Dr. Allen w.
Burton and that threatens each passing
hour to send DIR. T. T. Thaxton to his
grave lies a story of absorbing interest.
The story can be best told in its ehrono-
logical order.
Some fifteen or more years ago beauti-
full and spirited girl in the middle of her
teens, of gentle birth, refined environ
ment and good education left the protec-
tion of the fondest of parents to become
the wife of steamboat captain, a typical
man of the river, many years her senior.
This girl was little Laura Compton.
She grew into womanhood and with her
physical maturity come mental develop
ment and natural ambition and pride. She
began to realize the disparity between her
husband and herself, not in age alone, but
in other matters as we'll
She did not go adrift for she possessed
| the pride and virtue of her family.
She went to Louisville and matrieulated
| as a student in leading medical college.
Here she met a fellow student Allen w.
Burton, whose photograph now occupies
the place of honor on the dressing eabl-
net of the bed chamber from which she
was removed a corpse Monday night, and
whose body lies beside hers in an under
taking establishment this morning await
ing burial
Like had found like in the ambitions
of the two, and love- divorce from the
first husband and marriage followed in
rapid succession.
Graduation day passed and the wife
came to Birmingham and opened an Of
flee for the practice of her profession and
the husband Travelled for awhile for
we'll known wholesale drug establishment.
The wife succeeded and the husband
failed.
The man lacked application, while the
woman took pride in her profession and
developed high order of skill and COM
potency, and her reputation and clientele
grew steadily.
The two drifted further and further
apart and a decree of divorce, based on
serious allegations by the wife against
her husband broke their marital bond on
March last.
Burton, who had for some time prior
to the divorce exhibited little interest in
his wife, following the decree of separa-
ton commenced to court her anew in the
most ardent and persistent manner. The
result was that she agreed to remarry
him again on May 8, and their families
| and friends were looking forward to their
reunion by another marriage ceremony
with much pleasure.
| Some time ago Burton opened an Of
| flee for the practice Of medicine but was
unable to establish a, practice and last
week sought position with the whole
| sale drug house of F'indly, Dick q Co.
| of New Orleans, but was unsuccessful
! His repeated failures seemed to develop
Impotence and i'll temper towards his
former and prospective wife that became
so threatening that she appealed to rela-
| tives for personal protection.
| This state of things became more and
| more intense until II reached its climax
in the murder and suicide Monday night
Monday Burton telephoned Mrs. Bur-
ton that he, would be out to see her that
| evening. Sunday she had forbidden him
| to ever call on her again and broken
| off the engagement for their second mar
| riage.
About the Tragedy.
Monday afternoon he called at the court
house and carefully read over several
| times the the evidence in the divorce
proceedings frequently frowning as he
| evidently came across paragraphs that
| did not please him.
In the evening he called at his wife's
home in North Haven. She saw him
coming and ran to neighbors mouse
where she remained some time. but final
lv decided TO go and face him. She bor-
rowed a hat and cloak 10 give the I'M
preston that she had just come In from
the city.
Monday afternoon Mrs. " s. Andrews,
patient of Mrs. DIR. Burton, who was stay
ing at the Burton home while recovering
from recent operation, rearing lnat
something exciting might happen, tele-
phoned her cousin, DR.. 7. I. Thaxton oil
Pratt City, to come out and spend the
evening with her. Burton conversed with
DIR. Thaxton and Mrs. Andrews appar-
emily in the happiest mood until Mrs. Bur-
ton came in The Burtons went to Mrs.
Bnrtons rom and stayed fifteen or twenty
minutes, and then returned to the sitting
ROOM In a short time Burton requested
the woman to return to the room, but she
declined. He got up and went into an
other room and picked up 32-calibre re-
volver that belonged to Mrs. Burton, which
he put in his pocket, Returning to the
sitting room he repeated his request for
her to go to her room with him. She
again refused and Burton turned as white
as a sheet and put his hand into his
pocket Seeing this Mrs. Andrews ran and
DR.. Thaxton stepped between the pair. In
the coolest manner imaginable Burton
turned on him and fired two bullets into
his body AS Mrs. Burton ran out OF
the house Burton shot her In the breast.
In the yard he caught up with her and
at close range shot her in the neck.
He knelt over her to make sure that
she was dead. Being satisged he took her
bleeding head in his arm, fell on his knees
and mumbled either curse or prayer.
those close by could not tell which. and
cut his own throat, falling SO completely
over her body as to almost hide 1t from
| view.
The rest of the details have been already
| told.
DR.. Thaxton's Condition.
! DIR. Thaxton. who has been well known
! as a citizen and dentist of Pratt City for
| several years, was removed to the Hill
man hospital soon after the shooting,
when it was found that the two bullets
III. ANaR.