A Bowie-Knife Murder in Platte City, Missouri

The following bowie-knife murder was reported in the Liberty Tribune, February 9, 1872:

Tragedy at Platte City
A terrible tragedy occurred in Platte City on Friday last, whereby Hon. Addison Burge was killed by Dr. F. M. Johnson. Dr. Johnson is out on bail. The paragraph below is said to embrace substantially the cause of the tragedy. The St. Jos. Gazette says: “A gentleman from Platte county gives us the following particulars in reference to the recent stabbing affair in Platte county. Our informant states that on Thursday evening Mrs. Johnson went to a spring on the premises of Mrs. Jack, the mother-in-law of Mr. Burge, and with whom he lived, to water her pony. Mr. Burge came to the spring in the meantime, and, it is alleged, greatly abused Mrs. Johnson. The next morning Dr. Johnson, a prominent surgeon of Platte, met Mr. Burge on the street and said, “Mr. Burge, I desire to see you a moment.”

Mr. Burge replied, “Yes, G-d d--n you, I know you do,” and at the same time grabbed at Dr. Johnson’s throat.

The doctor caught his arm with his hand, and, drawing a bowie-knife, stabbed Burge to the heart. He immediately gave himself up. Burge was formerly a member of the Legislature from Platte. His body was buried Saturday.