Robert Elliott Burns
Encyclopedia
Robert Elliott Burns was a World War I
veteran who gained notoriety after escaping from a Georgia
chain gang
and writing his memoirs exposing the cruelty and injustice of the chain gang system.
as a medic. Upon his return from Europe, he was unable to recover the wage he was earning in his job and became a drifter, which is how he eventually ended up in Atlanta, Georgia
in 1922. Burns was convicted of joining two other men in the armed robbery of a grocery store, which netted the trio $5.81 and got Burns sentenced to 6 to 10 years of hard labor.
Burns escaped from the chain gang with the help of another inmate who struck his restraints with a sledgehammer, bending and weakening them. He was able to escape the eyes of the guards on the pretense of a two-minute bathroom break in the trees. After evading capture, Burns made his way to Chicago
, where he eventually became the editor and publisher of Greater Chicago Magazine. During his stay in Chicago, he became involved with a Spanish woman named Emily del Phino Pacheo, from whom he rented a room. Eventually he married her when she threatened to betray him to the local police.
Seven years later, he sought a divorce in order to marry Lillian Salo, whom he professed to love. Del Phino Pacheo betrayed him to the authorities. Owing to his status in the community, many people helped him fight extradition to Georgia, but he surprised everyone by agreeing to return to Georgia, basing his decision on a verbal promise from state prison officials that he would serve no more than 90 days of "easy" time.
Burns returned to Georgia in July 1929 to finish his prison term. He soon realized that his 45 to 90 days had turned into at least 12 months of hard labor. He served a brief stint in Campbell County, where he was, according to his book, treated "intelligently and fairly". Burns later implied he was denied the promised parole after 45 days and had his term lengthened because he did not have $500 with which to pay off the parole board. After several failed attempts at parole, on September 4, 1930, Burns again escaped. He had waited until he had earned enough of the guards' trust that he could obtain the privilege of not being chained. He then paid off a local farmer with money he had received from his brother in Newark
and headed to New Jersey.
Burns could not duplicate his Chicago success in New Jersey because of the Great Depression
and took on odd jobs around New Jersey for a few years, all the while writing his autobiography. Burns was rearrested in Newark late in 1932, but the governor of New Jersey refused to extradite him since his book and a movie had been released and public opinion was firmly against the idea. The governor of Georgia pardoned him in 1945, and Burns lived as a free man until his death in 1955. His book and the movie are largely credited with the abolition of the chain gang system in the South.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran who gained notoriety after escaping from a Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
chain gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
and writing his memoirs exposing the cruelty and injustice of the chain gang system.
Biography
He was born in Palisades, New Jersey, and served in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a medic. Upon his return from Europe, he was unable to recover the wage he was earning in his job and became a drifter, which is how he eventually ended up in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in 1922. Burns was convicted of joining two other men in the armed robbery of a grocery store, which netted the trio $5.81 and got Burns sentenced to 6 to 10 years of hard labor.
Burns escaped from the chain gang with the help of another inmate who struck his restraints with a sledgehammer, bending and weakening them. He was able to escape the eyes of the guards on the pretense of a two-minute bathroom break in the trees. After evading capture, Burns made his way to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he eventually became the editor and publisher of Greater Chicago Magazine. During his stay in Chicago, he became involved with a Spanish woman named Emily del Phino Pacheo, from whom he rented a room. Eventually he married her when she threatened to betray him to the local police.
Seven years later, he sought a divorce in order to marry Lillian Salo, whom he professed to love. Del Phino Pacheo betrayed him to the authorities. Owing to his status in the community, many people helped him fight extradition to Georgia, but he surprised everyone by agreeing to return to Georgia, basing his decision on a verbal promise from state prison officials that he would serve no more than 90 days of "easy" time.
Burns returned to Georgia in July 1929 to finish his prison term. He soon realized that his 45 to 90 days had turned into at least 12 months of hard labor. He served a brief stint in Campbell County, where he was, according to his book, treated "intelligently and fairly". Burns later implied he was denied the promised parole after 45 days and had his term lengthened because he did not have $500 with which to pay off the parole board. After several failed attempts at parole, on September 4, 1930, Burns again escaped. He had waited until he had earned enough of the guards' trust that he could obtain the privilege of not being chained. He then paid off a local farmer with money he had received from his brother in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and headed to New Jersey.
Burns could not duplicate his Chicago success in New Jersey because of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and took on odd jobs around New Jersey for a few years, all the while writing his autobiography. Burns was rearrested in Newark late in 1932, but the governor of New Jersey refused to extradite him since his book and a movie had been released and public opinion was firmly against the idea. The governor of Georgia pardoned him in 1945, and Burns lived as a free man until his death in 1955. His book and the movie are largely credited with the abolition of the chain gang system in the South.
Media portrayals
His book has been made into two movies:- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain GangI Am a Fugitive from a Chain GangI Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a Pre-Code crime/drama film starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted convict on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. The film was written by Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes from Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain...
in 1932 - The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains in 1987