Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-18

ed their mother. The little girl said that
there was someone waiting outside, for
she heard a voice calling from the back:
Come on. George, you've killed them
all"
The body of the mother Is at the I'M
dertaking establishment Of Greenberg.
Bond & Bloomfield.
Burge was seen at the Jail Monday, and
made a statement in which he declared
that his step-son, Frank Britton, fabricat-
ed the charge against him, and that he
was at the house Of George McCravy, a
cousin. from Sis O'Clock Sunday night
until arrested early Monday morning.
He SAYS that what the officers say was
blood on the cuff OF his shirt was simply
dirt He also denies that he had ever
made threats to take his wife's life.
1t is Just a matter Of prejudice on my
step-son's part" said Burge Monday. He
was the cause of the trouble between me
and my wife. and he made up this charge
against me because he disliked me.
81 was not at my wife's house Sunday
night I took supper with my brother,
and afterwards went to see George Nc
Gravy. my cousin. / got to his house at
Sis o'clock Just a little later 1 went
TO bed. and knew nothing OF my wife's
death until they arrested me.
MY step-son has given me a lot Of
trouble. He has always had IT in for
me because 1 sent him to reform school
in Birmingham. He ought never to have
been allowed 10 return home.
HE WAS SURPRISED.
.'I never was so surprised in my life
as when the officer came for me. They
claim they found blood on my shirt cuff.
That was nothing but dirt. Anybody has
dirt on his shirt cum after he has worn
II awhile. I had on the same clothes
Monday morning that wore all day Sun
day.
when the officers came to my wife's
house Monday morning, they put the dogs
on the trail, but the dogs ran TO the
barn and stopped. asked Oficer Dunbar
why he didn't try to find the murderer
instead of stopping and coming for me,
and he said that my son told him IL
was me, and that ended it."
Burge is thirty-five years old, and a
man OF good appearance. He didn't seem
to be perturbed by the charge against
him He is confined in a cell on the sec
ond floor Of the tower.
Burgess wife called at the sheriffs office
Saturday in response to service Of a
bail trover by her husband for certain of
his effects. She tearfully declared that
BurRe had threatened her II she did not
return to him. The sheriff was so i'm
pressed by her that he allowed her to
make personal bond.
Coroner Donehoo suggested Monday
that Burge be taken to the house where
the murder was committed and his feet
compared with the bloody tracks on the
bare floor.
On account If the high feeling in the
community, however. the sheriff decided
that such a step would be unsafe. He
was afraid that mob violence might be
attempted on Burge if he were taken back
, to the scene.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence
the authorities have against Burge is a
letter he wrote ]. NJ. Sykes, of Annis-
ton, father of Mrs. Burge, in Which he
told him that he had better take Mrs.
Burge and her son from Atlanta as 1t
wouldn't be safe for her and him to live
in the same place.
Burge admitted Monday that he wrote
Mr.. Sykes a letter, but declared that
he had meant to convey no threat OF
violence in II.
John McCravy, cousin Of Burge, at
whose house he spent Sunday night, and
his wife and daughter, Lille May Nc
Gravy. who were ordered arrested and
held as witnesses, are confined in sepa-
rate cells in the tower.