The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-07
Had Been Living with Mar
ried Daughter at Liberty
Whose Home Mrs. Bur-
goyne Would Not Leave.
HUSBAND WAS ANGRY
Over Refusal Of Wife to Ac-
company Him, 1t Is Be-
lieved, and Committed the
Crime After Quarrel.

After sending bullet from .3s
caliber revolver into the right temple
of his wife's head while she was peace
fully sleeping at about $50 o'clock
this morning, Joseph Bursoyne. aged
about 50. of Liberty, Ind. placed the
barrel Of the gun into his mouth. and
sent TWO bullets crashing into his
brain. The report of the shots brought
Elmer Rodefer son-in-law of Burgoyne
who with his wife had been living at
the Rodefer home at Liberty for some
time, rushing into the room. He found
both Burgoyne and his wife dead in
their bed. Burgoyne's arm was lying
over the side of the bed and on the
floor few feet distant lay the weapon
which has blotted two lives. The
white bed clothing was crimson with
blood.
The refusal of Mrs. Burgoyne to ac-
company her husband to another
place where he was operating il
creamery, and extreme jealousy on his
part is offered by Mr.. and Mrs. Elmer
Rodefer as the cause for Burgoyne's
deed Friction between Burgoyne and
his wife on the subject Of her removal
with him to his place of business is
alleged to have reached high point
last evening and Burgoyne is believed
to have made preparations then for
murder and suicide when he was an
gered to temporary insanity by the
persistence of his wife in her determ-
ination to remain with her daughter.
Burgoyne had been away from Lib
erty the greater part of the winter.
but returned about a week ago, and
since then, his daughter told Coroner
| II. M. Egolf, he had been trying to
| induce his wife to forsake the daugh-
ter and live with him. Saturday the
couple were seen walking down one
of the streets, engaged in heated con-
versation. Burgoyne was later seen
labout several of the stores and wit
nesses say he had an insane glare in
his eyes.
| The tragedy has caused great excite
ment at Liberty. The family was
quite prominent and well thought Of
Mrs. Elmer Rodefer and her sister
Mrs. Roy Diggs, whose husband con-
ducts a shoe store. are PROSTATE with
grief and almost overcome by the hor-
ror and gruesomeness Of the tragedy.
/ They are both under the care of
1 physician. Mrs. Rodefer would not en-
| ter the room when she learned from
her husband what had happened, and
Mrs. Diggs condition has been such
as to prevent her leaving her home.
Mr.. Rodefer, who is station agent
for the c. Fl. & d. at Liberty, was
in the back yard when he heard the
report of the three shots. He rushed
to the house and made towards the
Burgoynes room, followed by his
wife. The latter. however. remained
outside, conscious that something ter
lrible had happened. Mr.. Rodefer en-
tered the death chamber and stagger-
ed before the sight which met his gaze
the faint outline of two bodies rigid
and paIed in death. perceptible by the
dim light which entered through half
iclosed windows.
/ Shot While Sleeping.
! The manner in which Mrs, Eurgoyne
was found lying in bed would indi-
cate that she was shot while asleep
and that she never received the slight
est warning of her husbands inten-
ton. There were no indications OF
any struggle. Burgoyne's body was
half turned toward his wife. The bed
clothing covered them to their waists.
1t is said by relatives that the mar
ried life of the couple has been feat
ured by many auarrels. They we're
married about 35 years ago at New
Paris, o.
Burgoyne lost his position with the
Liberty Creamery company more than
a year ago because of his inability to
get along with the other men Since
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