New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-21
DID BURKE SET 4 TRIP GUM

TESTIMONY N THE CASE OF HIS soNIN-LAw.
WHOM IT is CHARGED HE MURDERED.
There was startling evidence brought out at
the inquest begun last evening by Coroner Halo
ran, at Clifton s l., in the shooting case in which
Frederick Bergman met his death Bergman. 1t Is
charged was shot and killed by trap gun rugged
by his father-in-law. old Thomas 5 Burke. at his
home in a little hut South Beach last Friday
morning. Burke was present in court. ana smiled
at those whom he knew. His wife and daughter
the latter the widow Of the dead man. were also
present IN court but did not glance at the prisoner
The witnesses were examined by Distrlct-A''oihey
Ftzgerald The most important witness OF IN"
evening Joseph Higgins. a fisherman VINO
lives in hut within 200 feet Of where the shooting
occurred. Higgins testified he was attracted 10 IN"
Burke hut By cries OF murder. When he arrived
there he saw Bergman lying in front OF the door
bleeding Witness then ran TO the nearest t"r'
phone and summoned doctor and the police. lie
said when he reached the place where bergman
was found dying Burke was nowhere TO be seen.
He afterwarl saw him in the hut In the room
where the shooting took place IL dIPc"'o" ~ -
cool AMI collected
Mr. Hgginson said he had seen the trapgun
rigged in the room about a month ago. ana that
when he asked Burke why he had rugged II ne re-
piled he intended 10 FIX Fred Bergman lie said
that when ne the gun II was snsieh-e1 III
position with the muzzle pointing downward at an
angle OF about thirty degrees. II was Impossible.
he thought, for Bergman have been shot ana
killed by the gun IN accidental manner NJ SaI.
that Burke some time ago tod him tbat lle mex.
TIM Young Bergman attempted 70 enter the uOo'
he would he a dead man higgins "nen A., ~ ~.
Toned said he had not seen the irapgun WITHIN .e
last few weeks and did not know whether II VS.
rirq1d the same way az the time Of the shooting
as /, was when he Burke arranging ~ d.. .
burke crc.ss-examned the witness by asking IL ~
had no; said 20 witness that he had arrange tnc
run 10 Ak burglars, and not Bergman the witness
could no, be shaken IN his direct evidence -,
Mrs sarah Burke wife 81 the prisoner. einphat,
calv denied that her husband had ever thTeatshei
.he ne OF her sJn-in-law. She also denied 'Irre
bad heen any quarrel between her husband tili
foreman shortly before the shooting. or nj any lihe
during The week She said that at the tifnc OF me
rhnntInc she was In adjoining room an! aI-
,n,trd She had heard loud words spoken there
In, dii not know whether her HUSBAND ut'erru
,hem or not Sne admitted that old Buike hhu ben
nn,,osed 10 the marriage OF her daughter 10 Berg
man. -, ,,o,, ., tho dead man
s,a,ed she was in the house and heard the shot
She said she heard quarrel Det"ttI ~. NJ 49,,
and husband about half an hour before he sh
,nr II was over some hat fnering that her Ihh',
ma 10, doing In he room She said she had hskrI
ber husba nd not 10 go In to ask her lathti 10 Sop MI
noise AZ she realized there would De uoup'ea ,ho
Policeman Michael Cannon. VINO afrlNcI on IL IL
scene tust afe- the shooting gave t-siiniouS IL
estlfed that the gun had been SUSPENDED n en-
rigger from some side shelving coroner "a
adfSurned the inquest until Thursday night a' ''
village hall.