St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-08-08
Burke Again.

The Washington correspondent OF
the New York Tribune sends to that
paper an interesting interview nag
with "some onen who passed through
Washington a few days since from
Honduras, where he had either seen or
heard all about E. A. Burke, the de-
faulting Treasurer of our State. This
gentleman says:
Some one passed through Washing
ton a few days ago from Hondurass,
where he had either seen or heard all
about E. A. Burke, the fugitive ex-
treasurer of Louisiana. Burke, it APP
pears, had obtained large and presum-
ably very valuable grants from the
government of Honduras some years
before the discovery of his trouble in
Louisiana. He was at the time in Lon
don endeavoring to negotiate for the
zas. 1t is generally understood by
those who knew much of Burke's affairs
that he had been quite successful 10
his mission to England, having raised
large sum and secured the promise
of much more. Of course the Loulsi-
ana disclosure stopped all this, though
it is now believed that he must have
already transferred large amounts, for
the work he has since done in Hondu-
ras undoubtedly represents a far great
er expenditure of money than ne ap,
pears to own could have met. He had
heavily involved his wife's fortune
long before in various unprotitable
ventures, and could not, therefore,
have drawn upon that even had it been
available otherwise.
At any rate, hear that after his es-
cape from England he went to Hon
duras and began work on a gigantic
scale developing his possessions.
Among other things, he turned aside
the river Mangaualil at point where
experts had declared that it had de-
posted great quantities of gold, laying
bare its bed for several miles. This
achievement employed many hundreds
of men for months, and even at the
beggarly wages paid to rough labor IN
Honduras must have cost a vast sum OF
money. The whole enterprise, how
ever, was fruitless. No gold worth the
trouble of collecting was discovered,
and Burke found himself, at the close
of a season of stupendous effort and ex-
ertion. not only without the smallest
material reward, but, ia fact, bereft OF
his last illusion as regarded that feat
ure of his scheme. 1t must have been
terrible blow. He is a man of extra
ordinarily nervous temperament, cal pa
Bile Of herculean energy under the slim
illus of some great purpose, but, sub
.ject to collapse and prostration of cor
responding intensity under failure.
| am told by the people who know
him intimately that his ambition was
to make money enough in Honduras to
square his account in Louisiana, and in
that way to arrange compromise by
which he could return. The same per-
sons declare that Burke's ambitions
were never of the sordid kind and that
all the money he has made away with
was spent for self glorification or for
political effect. Indeed, it is coDject-
ured that the $4,000 known to have
been sent from Louisiana to Indiana in
1884, was secured by Burke (probably
through the medium of those very
bonds out of which he defrauded the
State). Certainly know, as an indis-
putable fact. that be came on to WASH
ington in 1885, Immediately after Cleve-
lands Inauguration, confidently expect
ing some very handsome recognition of
his services during the campaign. He
claimed that he had distinct under
standing with Daniel Manning, and, up
to the last moment, had supposed he
was to be made postmaster general.
When the prospect faded away be came
on, as | have said. The president,
however, treated his pretensions with
contempt, declaring that neither Mr..
Manning nor any one else had the
slightest authority to make promises
for him, and in word, repudiating
Burke outright and absolutely. Mr..
Cleveland carried this so far as to en-
brace the entire Democratic faction to
which Burke belonged and which in
Guided many of the ablest men in Lou
isiana. 1t was here that the great
Eustis quarrel took rise, for
Eustis, while be had no relation with
Burke beyond those of political affilia-
ton, strongly resented Mr.. Cleveland's
ostracism of a large and powerful wing
of the Democratic party which had |
done so much, not only in Louisiana,
but elsewhere, to secure Mr.. Cleve-
lands election. The president and
Enstis subsequently arranged their diff
ferences, but the former never relaxed
bis attitude towards Burke or his re-
sentiment of Burke's claims to recog-
nition."