The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-11
CRAzEDL|EUTENANT
HOLDS ALL AT BAY
CONTINUED from First Page)


his door and step into the hall short
~ before 3 o'clock. Throwing his hat
underneath the bed, Detective Scriv-
ener, posing as a guest, entered the
hall where Burgess was standing
and inquired Of him directions as to
the bathroom on that floor.
Burgess held a As caliber Colt auto
matte revolver in his right hand. He
Immediately raised the weapon and
pointed It in Scrivener's face.
Don't move" he warned.
Then he whirIed around twice, to
see IL there was any one behind him.
and backed to his room. Once inside,
he slammed and bolted the door.
Burgess is dressed in his uniform.
Detective Scrivener said:
He was one of the widest looking
men 1 have ever seen. His eyes were
dilated, his hair rumpled, and his face
was that Of q man who Is in terrible
mental trouble, or in great danger"
Escapes Detention.
Burgess is single and thirty years
old. His home is in Russellville, Ark.
He has been allowed the freedom OF
the grounds at the Government Hos
pital for the Insane, where he has
been an inmate for several months.
He left the hospital yesterday
morning about 10 o'clock. Coming to
Washington he bought Colt auto
matte revolver and registered at the
Metropolitan Hotel.
About 4:3O in the afternoon he
phoned DR.. John P. Murphy at the
hospital and asked the doctor to
come and see him. Doctor Murphy
arrived at the hotel about 1880 o'clock
last night. He was accompanied By
several hospital attendants and head
quarters detectives,
When the doctor reached Burgess
room, the lieutenant opened the door
and saw the men standing in the
corridor with DR.. Murphy. Burgess
insisted that the doctor tell the other
men to leave. or he would commit
suicide.
Murphy waved the attendants aside
and entered the room. While the
lieutenant held a gun pointed at his
head, Murphy sat on the bed and
talked with the crazed man
Doctor, you are my friend, Lieu
tenant Burgess said. 81 want you to
make an adjustment OF my case
want to be cured. Promise me you
can do it IN six months"
Threatens Suicide.
" hGn lIlO NONlOA Neo NAoSAo ~
make such a promise, Lieutenant
Burgess threatened to shoot himself.
He held the gun menacIngly, and 1t
was with difficulty that DR.. Murphy
persuaded him to think the matter
over a bit"
"AH right I'll think this thing
over" Lieutenant Burgess promised.
But keep those men away. The first
person that enters this room viii get
shot, and I'll kill myself"
Unable to make further progress in
the case, Doctor Murphy left the
room. He placed Detectives Scrivener
and Armstrong on guard. and warned
them not to let any person approach
the room During the night several
conferences were held by hospital
authorities in an effort to devise
scheme for getting Lieutenant Bur-
CESS out of the room
1t was proposed to introduce cholo-
form into the room This plan was
abandoned when doctors from the
hospital declared Lieutenant Burgess
would Immediately recognize the odor
of the anesthetic and commit suicide
rather than be taken
During the night the lieutenant
called for cigars, cigarettes, and
grape Juice. These were brought to
his room and handed through the
tTansom-
All night detectives sat in a
room adjoining Burgess room,
awaiting developments. With morn
ing, the fourth floor was barred
to all guests and even telephone
calls to the fourth floor were
ordered discontinued. The hotel
management made every effort to
prevent Burgess from being dis
turbed.
The door Of the room in which the
detectives are sitting is kept open
Burgess must pass this door II he
seeks to pass from his room through
the corridor to the hotel elevator or
stairway. His only other means of
escape from the room is through the
v .ndows.
Appeared Rational
Hotel employees declare they no
ticed nothing unusual in Burgess
conduct when he registered yester-
day afternoon.
"To all appearances, he was exact
" like hundreds of other guests" the
clerk declared today. He came in
here and asked for a room. We had
room 45l vacant, and I assigned Bur-
CESS to that room"
Lieutenant Burgess has telephoned
ADVERTISEMENT