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IN THE BACKJesse Barton Was Sbot WhileWalking Along the Street.MISTAKEN FOR BENT JONES BY«* ■ •JOHN FLORA WHO DID THE SHOOTING.Another Murder Added to Lawrence County's Long List.Bedford Deinochit, lfth.Another murdes is charged up to the account of Lawrence county. The victim in this instance being an inoffensive young man, whose character is in every way above reproach.At Mitchell Monday afternoon about 3 o'clock, as Jesse Burton, aged 23, whose home was near Orleans, was walking past ShubeBurton's saloon, a man stepped out and fired a load of shot and slugs into his back. He fell fatally wounded, and died at 9 this morning.The man who did the shooting was John Flora, who mistook the victim of his shooting for Bent Jones, whom he intended to kill.About a year ago Flora went to work for Jones, his duty being to open up the saloon of a morning, and later he became Jones' regular barkeeper, a position heheld until a short time ago, when he was discharged, Jones claiming that he had been robbing him. He still visited the saloon, however, and was there the other day when Jones asked him to go with him up stairs, telling him that he had something to say to him. Flora refused to go for the reason, as he claims, that he was afraid of Jones, and told Jones to say what he had to say right there, whereupon Jones told him that he wanted him to stay away from his place and again accused him of stealing from him.Monday morning Flora went to the saloon again, and, so Jones says, was again requested to leave and stay away. He left and soon after procured a shotgun, which he took to Shube Burton’s saloon, saying he was fixing to go hunting. He was there when Jesse Burton passed and mistaking him for Jones, from the fact that he can’t see very well and Burton was wearing an overcoat similar to the one worn by Jones, he shot him as above stated.Flora claims that Jones had made threats that he would kill him, that he considered Jones a dangerous man and feared him, that he had even been afraid to come up town for some time, and finally he concluded that he would stand it no longer, took his gun and went up to town to lay in wait for Jones.Jones claims that he never in his life made a threat against Flora; that if he had desired todo him injury he had had everyopportunity to do it, as Flora was in his saloon Monday morning.Flora was arrested and brought to Bedford Monday evening and taken before Squire Biliman, where he pleaded guilty to shooting with intent to kill and was bound over to the circuit court in the sum of $5,000. He was unable to give bond and went to jail. Inasmuch as Burton died fliis morning a new charge will be preferred against Flora and he will be tried for murder.Jesse Burton is a son of Emsley Burton, a prominent farmer living about three miles west of Orleans. He is a man of good habits and is a member of the Baptist church and one of the most influential young men of his neighborhood. He leaves a young wife to mourn his loss. The citizens of this. city are shocked that such a quiet, inoffensive young man should meet death in this manner. He was buried in the Mt. Horeb cemetery yesterday afternoon.1
Newspaper Details
Orleans Progress
Orleans, Indiana, US
Thu, Nov 17, 1898
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert M.
USA 10 Jul 2019
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