Year: 1872

pany A, First Iowa Cavalry, and the
other was a member of the Tenth Illi-
| nois Cavalry, whose name is forgotten.
| On approaching the house, they con-
| cealed their pistols in the woods, and
without arms of any kind entered the
clearing and hailed the woman. 1t was
| then about twilight, and both men were
| Thomas afterward said he would have
given anything he possessed to have
been out of the scrape. The woman
answered the call, and they told her
| that they wanted to see Burton. She
| said he was not there, but they insisted
that they must see him and would re-
main until he came. The woman find
ing that they were obstinate, at last
consented to let them remain over night,
and promised to send her son for Bur-
ton in the morning. They passed a
miserable and anxious night and rose
long before daylight.


About o'clock the boy returned and
reported that he had found Burton and
informed him that two men were wait
ing to see him. Burton had answered
that he would come over, and in few
minutes afterward he appeared at the
edge of the clearing. Thomas and his
companion walked out to the gate, and





or two in silence. Burton did not seem
pleased at their appearance, and once
or twice drew up his gun as if to fire.
They shouted to him not to shoot, and,
throwing up their arms, declared that
they had no weapons. Burton took
another survey of them, and finally
slowly approached, informing them that
he would fire on them on the least ap-
pearance of treachery, and that he only
waived his usual custom of firing on
any one within pistol shot of him out of
curiosity to hear what they had to say.
The trio at last entered the house, and
Burton, after ordering the men in front
of h m, sat down to breakfast with his
gun resting against the bed and in easy
reach. Thomas, who was thin and very
pale, acted as spokesman, and informed
him that they had few days before
escaped from a Federal prison at Spring
field, and that they were on their way
South. They had heard of him, and
knowing that he was we'll provided with
such things, came to him for horses,
clothing and arms. They professed to
be able and willing to pay when they
reached home, and promised to send
him the money. Burton replied that
he had no more sympathy for a South
erner than for a Northern man, and



and robbed both sides, and did not pro-
that they were perishing with the cloth
ing they had on, and would either
freeze or starve to death if he did not
assist them. Burton said he could fur
nish them with an easier death, and
thought he had better kill them and
put them out of their trouble. Looking
at Thomas emaciated figure and white
face, he added, with horrible humor,
that the skeleton could not live long
anyway, and might as well be hustled
out of the world at once. The two
men, whose teeth were chattering with
fear and cold, but dared not approach
the fire without permission, stood in
silence while he munched his breakfast
and uttered his CHASTITY jokes. He at
last finished his meal, and picking up
his rife, placed it across his knees as he
seated himself in front of the fire, and
gave them permission to approach.
They drew up chairs and seated them
selves on each side of him, and again
urged him to give them horses and
arms, saying that it could afford him no
qualification to kill two miserable devils
like them, and that they would be for
ever grateful to him for assistance.
Burton told them to stop their talk and
he would let them know what he would
do with them after he had smoked
pipe. Drawing his pipe from his pock-
ct, 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
with. Burton stopped down to put it
in the bowl, when Thomas, with the
spring of panther, gained his feet and
dealt the ruffian fearful blow across
the back of his head with the poker.
His companion at the same instant
grasped the muzzle of rife and snatched
It from his lap. Burton pitched for
ward on the hearth, but, although
stunned, still endeavored to clutch at
his rif1e-stock. Thomas had no inten-
ton 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, crush
ing 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 hys-
terically. The woman, who had been a
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" fell
to the floor in dead faint. The SOL
diers dashed part of the contents of
the water-bucket over her and soon re-
stored her to consciousness. 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 mile when they
heard the woman scream, and, turning,
saw her beckoning to them to return.
Not knowing what she wanted, tLey
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, he of course knew nothing,
although he had groped around until
he found the door, and on his hands
and knees was crawling away over the
dead grass.


Thomas and his companion gazed on