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URDERED!JOHN FLORA KILLED JESSE O. BURTON, MONDAY.Last Monday. Jesse 0. Burton, a respectable young farmer residing near Mt. Horeb, came to town to sell a load of turkeys and transact other business. While waiting for his team to eat he took a walk, starting at Burton’s drugstore eastward thence past the Putnam past the Grand to the Peoples’ Saloon corner and there he turned north to go back to Main street. He stopped for a brief moment to watch Will Munson who was pasting bills on the big bill boards between the Peoples’ and Burton’s saloon, then he walked on, little dreaming that he was approaching his doom and as he got opposite the doorof Shube Burton’s saloon a murderous sheet of flame and shot burst forth striking him on his right side, shattering his arm and lacerating his bowels in a fearful manner.As Burton heard the awful roar and felt the pain he turned and saw a man run up the alley. He swayed unsteadily and fell to the ground, writhing in agony. At first those on the street feared to go to the rescue, thinking more shots might be in waiting, but at length willing hands and tender hearts came to his relief.He was taken to Dr. Byrns’ office where an examination was made by Drs. Walls and Byrns who pronounced the wounds fatal and gave him but a short time to live. When asked who did the shooting, he said, “one of the Flora boys.” Frank was taken into his presence but he did not think that he was the man. John Flora wuis show'n him and lie said “that’s the man.”John at first denied his guilt but finally confessed that he fired the fatal shot but thought he had shot Bent Jones. He had been waiting for a chance to shoot Jones and as each wore a long overcoat and started from the Peoples’ Saloon corner about the same time, Flora thought he had killed his man. He expressed sorrow that he had killed an innocent man and one that he did not know. He was also sorry that he had not killed Jones whom he had -come up towm prepared to slay.Jesse u'as taken to the home of his aunt, Mrs. J. K. Hughes on w*est Main street where everything that could be, wTas done, to relieve his sufferings. lie died Tuesday morning about A o’clock, conscious almost to the very last. He wras ready to die and cooly gave such instructions to his wife and parents concerning his temporal affairs as wrere needed.The funeral was held at Mt. Horeb church yesterday afternoon. Fifteen carriages besides a big buckboard writh fifteen of our leading business men at-nended the funeral in a body. There is not a man, woman or child in Mitchell but what deplores this unfortunate tragedy and all say let there be no temporizing with this man who has shed innocent blood.
Newspaper Details
Mitchell Commercial
Mitchell, Indiana, US
Thu, Nov 17, 1898
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert M.
USA 10 Jul 2019
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Mitchell Commercial
