Northampton Township, Then and Now

Murder by any other name is still murder and it wasn’t any different back in 1893 when this heinous crime took place. Samuel and Lena Rightly were bludgeoned with an axe, as they lay sleeping in the first-floor bedroom of their home located on the lower road from Newtown to Richboro. The bedroom was set on fire as the murderer took flight with his stash of cash: a mere $12 to $15.

According to the Newtown Enterprise clippings from Northampton Library’s archive room, the convicted murderer, half-breed Cherokee Indian Wallace Burt, is believed to be the last person in Bucks County to be hanged. Here is how the story unfolded, 19th century style.

The scene of the crime was an old stone farmhouse owned by the elderly couple. It was originally used as a Lutheran mission and had a small graveyard located on one side of the property. Samuel, 84, and Lena, 82, were a couple of little means, although by the size of their land (44 acres) one might never suspect this. The graveyard property was always in need of a good mowing to keep the tombstones visible and clear of overgrown grass.

Enter Wallace Burt, who worked odd jobs in the area and ended up mowing the cemetery grass for the Rightlys one day. He was paid 75 cents and was heard complaining to neighbors that it wasn’t enough, that he expected to be paid $1.00.

Whether it was an effort to collect this additional fee or whether he set out to rob the couple is unclear. Burt reportedly overheard that the Rightlys kept money in a small box under the pillow on their bed as they slept.

Early in the morning of September 24, neighbor Laura Slater, whose farm adjoined the Rightly home in the rear, came by as she did every morning to deliver milk. She was taken by surprise when she entered the smoke-filled home and immediately ran to couple’s bedroom. Slater was shocked beyond belief by what she saw and immediately reported the crime to authorities.

Investigating the scene of the crime was difficult because at first there seemed to be no trace of a clue. After days of searching the property, a piece of Big Chew chewing tobacco was found on the fence of the yard at the back of the house leading to the window in the kitchen where the murderer was believed to have entered.

Townspeople were questioned and Philadelphia detectives were brought in to help solve the crime. After an exhaustive investigation, there were three suspects—all were at the Rightly home on the day of September 23. The Rightlys’ nephew and an itinerant worker were released, as each had an alibi. The search then began for a half-breed male, about 6-feet tall with a slim build, weighing 160 to 170 pounds.

Wallace Burt was a man meeting this description. He was seen trying to buy Big Chew chewing tobacco and two cigars at a store in Newtown just days before the murder. Having only enough money to purchase the cigars, he returned the next day for the chewing tobacco. As was customary, the  shopkeeper cut a plug of tobacco near the seal of the top of the package in two places. Days later, when Wallace returned to purchase more chewing tobacco, the shopkeeper noticed “he had a wad of money.” Clues were pieced together quickly. Voilà! The plug of tobacco found on the Rightly fence exactly matched the plug cut near the seal of the package that was described in the police report.

Days later Burt was found hiding in the bushes by a postal worker in Yardley. He was arrested and jailed, and eventually stood trial pleading guilty and expressing extreme sorrow for the crime. Burt was hung at 11:00 a.m. July 26, 1894.

The stone farmhouse remained vacant for many years. Today, the property, despite its unusual history, is alive and thriving, having been beautifully renovated many times over.

 Visit www.northamptontownship.com for more information.