The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-03-22
SAYS AXE MURDERER CONFEoS-
ED. %Fs
Rev. j. j. Burris, Christian Minister
Came 600 Miles to Tell Mans
Dying Statement.

That he was called to the death
bed of a dying man in july. 1913,
and heard the dying man confess to
having committed t the yil ihs - axe *
ling story which Rev. j. J. Burris, of
Terlton, Lkla., came 600 miles to
tell in answer to a telegram from
Attorney General Havner, according
to his statement to a gun man yes
terday (Thursday) afternoon.
According to Rev. Burris' story as as
the Church of Christ at Radersburg,
Mont, in 1913, and that he was call
ed to the bed OF dying man by
friends who stated the sick man
wanted to see minister. The man,
he says, was suffering from excessive
drinking and started by telling Rev:
murdered the eight people in Wills,
ca. "He only told me part said
Rev. Burris," and while trying to
tell me more he became unconscious
and died" However, the dying man
asked that for the sake Of relatives
his confession be kept secret until
such time as it was needed to pre-
trouble.
Rev. Burris says he wrote the
mans name in book for safe keep
ing, but that the book has since been
lost and he cannot remember tne
name. He does remember that the
man was about - or 80 years or II age 3
Harve Willett was interview by a
Sun man yesterday also and al,
in and around Villisca for many
years he says there has been no
blacksmith there who fitted the de,
scription given, nor none VINO had
In his talk to representative OF
the Sun Rev. Burris said he did not
tell anyone of the confession, until
last October, when he noticed some
newspaper articles about the murder
and it's investigation. Then he wrote
to F. f. Jones of Villisca, ne sald'
and agreed to go IRON from - ier Mon,
tana, with Mr.. Jones to look up the
mans name and facts concerning ms
death, He says there was CONSIDER
able correspondence between hlmSell
and Mr.. Jones during the next lew ,
weeks, but that Mr.. Jones hnally
he did nothing until he received
request from the. authorities to come
here and money with which to make
the trip. Rev. Burris arrived mere
Wednesday night, but as near, as
could be learned had not been before
the grand jury up 10 the tllle Ihe
Sun went to press. . .,,:a
Rev. Burris formerly lived IN TINS
part of Iowa. He says he preached
at numerous places in Mills ana
adams counties, and was slightly ac-
auainted in the east side OF TINS
county, II have never known Mr..
Jones' said Rev. Burris, "and nev7 ',
er heard of him that know OF until
last October" Co.,
Before going to press the Sun II
made inquiry by telephone OF f. r:
Jones and he verified the statement
that there had been correspondence
between himself and Rev., Burrls;
After the correspondence developed
to certain point Mr.. Jones turned
it over to county attorney Wen
strand for investigation, since ne
(Mr. Jones) considered the county
attorney rather than he, was the
proper man to make the investlga-
tiOn.
The facts about the dying mans
confession, the chance that he couid
have been the murderer, the condl-
tions surrounding his death, and the
probability that he was ever Diack-
smith in Villisca, along with all oth-
er details of his story have previous
" been Investigated according to
Detective Wilkerson, when seen yes
terday afternoon after Rev, Burns
had told his story.--Red Oak sun.