Year: 1872

IlleHl dllu put tllelh ouU VI CiieiA oio,
ing at Thomas emaciated figure and white
face, he added, with horrible humor, that the
skeleton could not live long, any way, and
might as we'll be hustled out of the world at
once. The two men, whose teeth were chat
tering with fear and cold, but who dared not
approach the fire without permission, stood in
silence while he munched his breakfast and
uttered his ghastly jokes He at last finished
his meal, and, picking up his rifle, placed 1t
across his knees as he seated himself in front
of the fire, and gave them permission to ap;;
proach They drew up chairs and seated
themselves on each side of him, and again
urged him to give them horses and arms, say
ing that it could afford him no qualification to
kill two miserable devils like them, and that
they would be forever grateful to him for as
sistance. Burton told them to stop their talk,
and he would let them know what he would
do with them after he had smoked a pipe.
Drawing his pipe from his pocket, he slowly
whitfield some tobacco from hard twist and
filled the bowl. Thomas, who was at his right
hand, reached out, and, raising the heavy iron
poker in his hand, poked an ember out of the
fire for him to light his pipe with. Burton
stopped down to put it in the bowl, when
Thomas, with the spring of a panther, gained
his feet and dealt the rufian fearful blow
across the back of his head with the poker.
His companion at the same instant grasped
the muzzle of the rifle ard snatched it from
his lap, Burton pitched forward on the hearth,
but although stunned, still endeavored to
clutch at his rifle stock. Thomas had no in
tention of allowing his advantage to slip from
him, and, while Burton was still on his hands
and knees, sprung on his back, and using
both hands, showered blow after blow upon
his head, crushing his skull in at almost every
stroke. When satisfied at last that the wretch
was dead, Thomas dropped the poker, and
the two men, completely unnerved with the
terrible struggle, laughed Historically. The
woman, who had been terrified spectator OF
the scene, and who had, after the first blow,
wrung her hands and cried, "For Gods sake,
don't let him get up, or we are all lost" tell
to the floor in a dead faint. The soldiers
dashed part of the contents of the water
bucket over her, and soon restored her to con-
sciousness. They then took Burton's rifle and
side-arms and started for the camp, leaving
the body on the hearth. They had proceeded
but about quarter of a mile when they heard
the woman scream, and turning, saw her beck
oning to them to return. Not knowing what
she wanted, they ran back and saw the most
horrible sight they had ever witnessed. Bur.
ton, whom they had supposed dead, still had
a spark of life in his ugly body, and after
they left had gained his hands and knees and
endeavored to crawl away. His eyes were
pounded from the sockets, and, as his head
was beaten to jelly, be of course knew moth
ing, although he had groped around until he
had found the door, and on his hands and
knees was crawling away over the dead grass.


Thomas and his companion gazed on the
blood-curdling spectacle moment, and then
seizing the axe at the wood pile, hewed the
head from the trunk, and, anxious to get away
from the spot, dropped the weapons, and still
bearing the CORY head, ran toward their camp.
They reached it in about two hours time, and
exhibiting the head, related the story to their
colonel. Several of the soldiers recognized
the head as that Of Burton, and the two men
had no difficulty in obtaining the reward.
Their exploit made them heroes in the eyes Of
the people in that portion of the country, and
it was principally owing to his reputation and
the start in life obtained through the reward,
that Thomas afterwards married the daughter
of the colonel of his regiment. He is now
living in the Southern part of this State, and,
with q modest competence and charming
family, is as happy as he could desire to be-.
Even at this day, he is disinclined to speak of
his adventure, and shudders involuntarily
when the subject is alluded to. What became
of his companion, our informant was unable
to state.


Thomas, accompanied by some soldiers from
his company, and under the guidance of the
boy who had summoned Burton for them,
visited the robbers cave day or two after
the adventure, and there found large pile of
arms of all descriptions, number Of watches,
quite large sum of money, and over fifty
suits of clothes the monster had stripped from
the bodies of his victims. In the breast of
almost every coat, was found bullet-hole !;
and in the heaps of garments, the Southern
gray and Northern blue were indiscriminate-
" piled. What became of the plunder is not
clear, but it probably fell to Thomas and his
friend. Both men afterwards regretted that
they left the rifle O." the assassin in the cabin,
as it was not to be found when they returned
and looked for it. They solemly declared
that the stock contained a row of notches,
reaching from the breech to the muzzle, and
that Burton told them that every notch repre-
sented life he had taken, and that two more
would be added for their own, unless he felt
an unusual generosity and allowed them to
live.


With the exception of brief mention
made of the affair at the time by an army
correspondent, this almost incredible story was
never published. That the details given
above are true in every particular, the survi-
wing members of the Fifth Iowa or the Tenth
Illinois Cavalry will readily attest.-St. Louis
Democrat


PETER CARTWRIGHT.