The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02
SHE'S A. WRECK.
Mae Burns, Accused of Murder,
Collapses. !.
Faints After Giving Testimony
at Inquest.
A FEAR OF VIOLENCE.
Says That Some One Is Trying
TO Kill Her.
Evidence Indicates That john
son Killed DunfOrd.
FEAR OF VIOLENCE.

| Mae Burns, who figures in the Dan
MS Dunford murder case is a physical
and nervous wreck
AT the conclusion of her evidence
given in the inquest to determine the
cause and manner of Dunford's death,
held at the court house this morning,
Mrs. Burns collapsed completely. She
was unconscious for a time and it was
feared she would die.
Mrs. Burns is reported to have said
| that she might as we'll go to the peni-
| tenitentiary as not that she would be
| dead inside six months anyway. She
is suffering from some peculiar nervous
malady, the exact nature of which she
does not reveal. She has not been out
of bed half the time for a long while,
and her physicians afffrns her state
ments that her nervous system is in a
serious condition.
This condition is complicated by what
is almost an insane fear that some one
will do her bodily harm. She caught
sight of one of the Dunford women
at the court house this morning and
thought she heard the Dunford woman
saying that all the wickedness in the
world was due to such women as her
self. She has heard that the Dunfords
have threatened dire vengeance upon
her and she is alarmed that one of the
relatives of the murdered man Ttll
come upon her unawares and shoot
her. The officers are closely watching
for such an event
After her testimony was given at
the inquest this morning she was taken
to the county attorneys Office in the
court house. Upon every occasion
that the door was opened she would
jump a foot or two out of the chair
she was sitting in.
Soothing opiates were administered
to her, but in her highly wrought up
state they did not seem to cause the
desired effect. After she was revived
from her spell of Inconsistencies and
also during her recital on the witness
stand the nerves in her body twitch ed
and she clasped and unclasped her
hands, the muscles showing tense and
rigid. sa1
stand this morning that Dunford met
his death at the hands of Harry john
son, who has been in custody in the
county Jail, She told an apparently
straight story n regard to the ,det ths
she hadn't told the truth when she
first told the story that She did the
shooting. She wanted. to protect her
lover, johnson, she said. al
The detai1snbfought out in the in
quest were essentially the same as has
been known yaha public knowledge for
a week. Dunford, tits said, came to
the Burns house to see; Mabel Heckert,
who was at the house at that time.
Mrs Burns did mot want to admit him4
on account of wthe feeling that had
been engendereds between him and
johnson and herself. 1t appeared that
there was some rivalry between the
two men, and that Johnson was the
favorite with Mrs. Burns, who is many
years Johnson's senior.
Mabel Burns Vas on the witness stand
this morning. rs were also Dr.. Bandsl
and Ralph johnson, brother of the man
charged with the murder.
The evidence indicates that Mrs Burns
gave her revolver to Ralph johnson to use
in case it was necessary. She claims she
sent Ralph out of the house to call the
police and that he met Harry johnson
while on his way up town. 1t seems Ralph
gave the gun to Harry Johnson, who re
turned to the house and began shooting
without utterins word. Mrs Burns in
the meantime had found an opportunity
to use the telephone to call the police,
who arrived shortly after the shooting.
The inquest was continued at 1870
o'clock this afternoon.
Harry Gruber. who accompanied Dennis
Dunford to the Burns house. and who
was the first to give the county officers a
story of the affair, was on the
stand this afternoon.
Fannie Field, who was also in one of
the upstairs rooms of the house, testified.
Her testimony was of little Importance.
johnson Is Held.
The cororners jury in the Dunford
murder case at 3 p.y m. held that Den
mis- Dunford was killed by Harry
johnson The jury found that Mae
Burns had nothing to do with the