The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-03-01
NEGROES we're
BORK SLAYERS
Man Sentenced for Life for An.
other Crime Admits Guilt
For This

Leavenworth. Kas., March Gus
Thomas, negro under life sentence
was brought to the Kansas peniten-
tiary from Girard, Kas., this morning
to avoid threatened mob violence.
Thomas made confession to Sher-
iff Merryweather, who brought him
in, of numbering Mr.. and Mrs. William
Bork and their son near Pittsburg
to killing James White, another ne
gro.
To Make New Confession
Thomas expressed relief n reach
ing the penitentiary in safety. He
has expressed willingness to tell Of
all his crimes and Warden J. K Cod
ding will get written confession
from him in few days.
Thomas is a neat appearing. yell
low skinned negro, 26 years old.
Pittsburg, Kas., March 1-Gus
Thomas, also known as Ed Young, a
negro 26 years old. confessed at Gi-
rard, Kas., last night that he and Ed
Charles. another negro, killed James
White, a negro, at, Dunkirk, two
weeks ago, for robbery.
Prisoners in the Jail at Girard de-
clared that Thomas told them that he
and Charles had killed William Bork,
his wife and their child on lonely
road, seven miles north Of here last
November,
When confronted with this state
ment and urged to confess, Thomas
cried, but declared that he had never
killed white man. He did confess,
however, to several highway robber-
les. Immediately after his confess
sion Thomas wa sarraigned in court
pleaded guilty to the murder of
White. was sentenced to life impris-
onment and hurried to Lansing.
Charles Says Thomas Lies
Charles stoutly declared that he
was innocent of all four murders and
the robberies to which Thomas con-
fessed. Because of the fear of mob
violence when the confession of Thom-
as became public, Charles was hur-
ried to the county jail at Fort Scott
for safe keeping.
Thomas and Charles were arrested
in Girard last Thursday. but because
of the feeling aroused by the crime
with which they were charged, their
arrest ives kept secret.
Borks Slain for Robbery
The bodies of William Bork, his
wife and child, were found in a corn
field in q lonely region seven miles
north of Pittsburg November 25,
1909. The bodies were terribly mutt
lated and gave evidence of the strug-
gle the victims had made to save
their lives. After the murderers had
beaten all their victims until their
bodies we're almost unercognizable.
they dragged them into the cornfield.
The negroes are also accused of
killing James White, a negro Janu-
ary s, at Dunkfrk, a mining camp ten
miles from here. Robbery was the
motive for Whites murden. After
shooting him, his murderers cut his
throat and threy his body under the
ice of a pond. Only 1920. was OBJ
tained by the murderers.
Thomas Wife Betrayed Him
The arrest of Thomas and Charles
was brought about by the conscience
Of Thomas wife. She confided to the
wife of B. s. Jaleskill, an attorney
of Grard, that she had at various
times washed blood from the clothes
of her husband and she feared he
might be guilty Of some of the brutal
crimes that had been committed in
this vicinity.
The police were. notified of the
statements made by the negro woman
and her husband was arrested. The
officers tried at once to force con-
fession from Thomas, but at first
only succeeded in getting enough in
formation to justify the arrest of
Charles. But they perseyered and last
night Thomas made complete con-
fession. 1t IL known that he con-
fessed the murder of White and it is
believed he admitted that he and
Charles killed the Bork family. Charles
has stubbornly refused to confess.