Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1913 — HUGH BURNS TRIED TO KILL HIS WIFE [ARTICLE]

HUGH BURNS TRIED TO KILL HIS WIFE

Murderous Assault Committed in Depot at Schneider—Posse Probably Fatally Wounded Him. ; / - „ - r ' i A sequel, and one not altogether unexpected, to the effort made by Hugh Burns eighteen months ago to kill his wife in Keener township, occurred at Schneider, Lake county, Monday evening at about 6:30 o’clock, when Burns made another attempt to murder his wife and almost succeeded. In a fight that ensued Burns was shot three times and it is thought was fatally wounded. The Republican has received the following particulars’ of the shooting: Mrs. Burns and her husband have been living apart since his escapade in Keener township, following which an effort had been made to place Burns under a peace bond, a proceeding which was denied by a jury in the Jasper circuit court. Mrs. Burns, who is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Gleason,' of Keener township, near DeMotte, is a very able woman and for some time has been employed as a bookkeeper in Chicago, where Burns also worked as a brickmason. Last Saturday Mrs. Burns went from Chicago to DeMotte to visit heir parents over Sundays. Burns also went to DeMotte and Monday afternoon wheb Mrs. Burns started back to Chicago, Burns got on the train at DeMotte also. She went to Schneider, where she expected to change cars and take passage on. the C., I. A S. railroad, and Burns followed her into the depot at Schneider. There were quite a number of people in the station and Burns sat do\Vn by his wife and tried to talk to her, and told her he was going to kill her and that she would never leave the depot alive. She did hot talk to him but walked across the waiting room of the station and sat down by the only other lady in the station. Burns left the depot and walked—arofand to a-window near where she sat, and taking a 38-caliber revolver aimed at her head at short range and fired. The bullet passed through the glass and struck Mrs. Burns on the back of the head, knocking her off the seat and rendering her unconscious.,The speed of the bullet had been very greatly retarded by the heavy window glass and it glanced upward from where it had struck her and lodged in her- hair. walked froih the window to the door and entered the depot, uttering an oath and saying to his prostrate wife, “I have you where I want you now." Several men tried to stop him but. he shot his revolver and threatened to kill any who interfered. He jwalked to the place wjiere his wife lay on the floor and With his foot pushed the body about. This revived her and she tried to get up but he pushed her down and pointing the revolver at her pulled the trigger twice but it was not discharged. He again pointed it at her while standing over her and the bullet grazed her side and pasged under her arm and only a few inches from her heart. She realized that she would be killed if

she moved and she feigned death and lay motionless on the floor. He said, "Well, I guess that finishes you,” and kicked hereabout with his foot. A freight brakeman, who was on the platform, ealled to him to desist and Burns fired at the brakeman. By this time men were arriving on the scene with revolvers and among them was a deputy sheriff, who commanded Burns to surrender. He responded by opening fire. The deputy returned the fire and soon, others arrived and opened fire, and Burns, standing behind the heavy door of the station, fired on every person he saw, reloading his pistol as fast as it was emptied. The deputy sheriff was partially protected from behind a telegraph pole. It was not long until there were a half dozen men firing at Burns and some one witff a high power, big caliber pistol, fired through the door and the hall hit Burns In tire right breast. He fell to the floor, dropping his revolver and took from his pocket a bottle of carbolic acid, which he tried to drink, bat the deputy sheriff reached him and knocked the acid from hlB hands. Burns Was re-' moved to a poolroom, Where a doctor from Lowell was called and pro nounced his wounds fatal. He had been struck four times, one in each breast, once in one knee, and onco by a glancing bullet on the. forehead. While the battle was going on

Mrs. Burns lay motionless on the floor of the depot, realizing that Bums would shoot her • if' she moved. She was able to give a full account of the battle between* her estranged husband and herself. She did not anise until Bums had fallen to the floor. Her injuries are not serious, a very miraculous fact, for -f* T .vVI.• ** ■ . >s» *.f ,

Burns was standing over her when he fired the second shot. It was her presence of mind and her nerve that kept her from being'murdered. r One bullet fired by Burns struck a man in the face who was standing in the door of the restaurant, creating a flesh wound but not a serious one. The depot was terribly shot up. All the windows in the waiting room were shot put and the walls inside and out are full of bullet holes. It is estimated that at least fifty shots were exchanged between Burns and the officers. Burns’ trouble a little over a year ago proved that he was a degenerate brute and Mrs. Burns and her f amily feared that Burns would kill her if he could and asked that he be placed under peace bonds. This was refused. Burns returned to DeMotte a few months after that escapade and got drunk and created a disturbance and was arresjted and gave bond for his appearance at trial here but pumped his bail, which County Recorder J. W. Tilton had signed. _ . Attorney A. Halleek, of Rensselaer, is a cousin of Mrs. Burns and he was notified Monday night and at once hired a car from the Knapp garage and went to Schneider. The car could not be driven across the Kankakee river and was left some distanco north of Lake Village; he walked across the railroad -bridge and then two miles to Schneider. Mr. Halleek and the driver, Lawrence Knapp, arrived back here after 6 o’clock this morning. Word was also dispatched to Mrs. BurnsVparents, near DeMotte, and they were taken to Schneider by Frank E. Lewis, superintendent of the Chicago & Wabash Valley railroad, on a motor car on the C., I. & S. track from DeMotte.

Burns was attended this morning by Dr. Rice, of Roselawn, and on his advice was removed to a hospital at Hammond, He thought that Burns could live but a few .hours. «*» - . Burns has been a bad actor during much of his married life and hip wife stood if for many years, working mueh of the time and supporting him in idleness. When his conduct toward her became so brutal that she could not longer stand it she left him and he has tried since then to force her to give him money and has written to her threatening her life unless she would send him money. He is reported to be a drunkard and a gaipbler. That this act was premeditated is shown by the fact that he had followed her from Chicago to DeMotte and thence back to Schneider, awklting an opportunity to carry his murderous design into execution. Whether he had intended suicide after the murder or had the carbolic acid to take rather than be captured is not known, but he said several times after being arrested that he wished he could have taken the carbolic acid. It is hoped that he dies and thus has an end put to his miserable and sin-cursed existence.