The evening world., 1894-08-17
IS He A MURDERED?
Justice Vaughn Says Burke Often
Threatened Bergmann's Life.
The Aged Prisoner Eats and Sleeps,
but Refuses to Talk.
Crowds Flock to South Beach, the
Scene Of the Tragedy.


Thomas $. Burke, whose arrangement Of
pullcys, strings and wires attached to
the trigger OF an old shotgun yesterday
morning caused the death OF his sonin-
law, Frederick Bergman, at South
Beach, is locked up In cell at the
Police Headquarters at stapleton. lie
has refused to see any one since he was
locked up, and will not talk about the
shooting at all.
Burke passed All apparently comforta
BILE night, sleeping soundly. This morn
ing he ate a hearty breakfast. and If
his mind was at all troubled he did not
show it by his actions. He win have
preliminary hearing to-day before JUS
tice John Nauhn, at Rosebank.
The prisoner has been before Justice
Vaughn many times for drunkenness.
and once last Fail for threatening the
life of the man who met such u horrible
death yesterday.
| He has managed to escape punishment
for his many misdemeanors heretofore,
as his old wife, his daughter and hsi
son-in-law have pleaded for him.
| 1t is common gossip that Burke was in
the habit of beating his wife, and 1t Is
said that he treated his daughter. whom
he yesterday made widow. In the same
brutal fashion.
Neither his wife nor his daughter have
The S''U dead man ' and the little four P
months-oid girl. his daughter. who was
. to have been buried yesterday, are lying
to-day in the back room Of Martin
Hughes's undertaking establishment at
| Rosebank.
Mrs. Bergman, the mother of Fred
eiick Bergmann, came from Brooklyn
early this morning, and made arrange
nents with the undertaken to have the
| funeral take place on Sunday, at I;
M. She was much affected, but said
| turned home.
An autopsy will be held to-day by DIR.
James fhompkins.. of Rosebank, and the
| inquest will be held next Monday even-
Ing at o'clock by Coroner Hailoran.
Justice Vaughn said this morning that
he knew that old Burke had been often
various offenses, but that his books had
been burned in fire at his house, and
tho records OF Burke's past offenses had
Burke had threatened Bergman with
death before. and had gone to live at
New Brighton for while after the last
charge OF this nature was made against
Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Bergman will
be brought to the Justices office this
afternoon at to act as witnesses Iaoe;s against
Island take great interest In yesterdays
| tragedy. Many people have come from
| distance to view the scene of the muir
der, and fresh crowds are arriving by
| every train.
After he had eaten his breakfast this
| morning, Burke asked the mailman for
Wamted to aH Write Letter te friend
In Nv York City. A shet of NOTE paper
and an envelope were given to him. and
| he wrote his letter.
| Coroner Hallarhan has the case in
hand. and Is at work to-day In securing
evidence. The Coroner has announced
his intention Of placing under arrest to-
prisone s and Oliver Nilsson All t the maa e
who witnessed the shooting. They are
Burke and his wife, Sarah Adelina
Burke, have been squatters on the
about Midway ase b Ste n points n eppo.
site to Swinburne and Hoffman Islands
Burke is Dublin Irishman;, who served
the War MRS. Burke Is from
New York. and claims to be a cousin
of Wayne, Macyeagh, ex-Attorney-
General Of the United State.
acres OF the sandy beach In 1865, when
houses were few and far between,
assumed the ownership Of the adioin-
ing property for some distance. They
claimedo to trace their title through
|
whom large portion OF the island had
been granted in l70s by queen Anne.
In 1892, John Foley, who was born In
the neighborhood returned from Visit
sisted the claims Of the Bdrkcs TO the
greater part OF the land. ana obtained
possession through the courts, The iit-
igation extended over a period Of seven
years and showed old man Burke 10 be
determined and persistent fighter.
/ Deprived OF the major portion of this
fInn Infn n u
ramshackle boa house, few hundred
yards from their former home. II IL
situated on the land OF Sir Roderick
to settle there, although Mrs Burke
claims that Sir Roger was instrumental
In driving them out OF their homestead,
man sided with Foley. since the enmity
with which he was regarded by Burke.
The old boat-house into which the
Burkes were forced to move for want OF
leaky AFFAIR when they took possession
Even the walls, composed of rotten tim
be% hem S
ton. The outlook for a nome was de-
cidedly bad. but nothing daunted, Burke
set to work with the sGanty material at
secure. II not beautiful. Every conceiv-
able object washed UP by the sea was
put to use. II the side OF a sea chest or
stop up a chlnk In the walls 1t was
slapped into the roof to close up a rain
hole or piled up against the side OF the
house to add thickness and stability to
the edince.
The Burke home stands back from the
sea about one hundred yards from high
tide mark. and presents peculiar az
pearance. Without regard to architec-
tura! regularity the original boat-house
was buried under a mass of fioatsam
until 1t conveyed an idea OF oddly which
at FIRST would seem 10 be the result OF a
preconcleved plan TO construct a most
outlandish place, The sides are COM
posed OF Irregular masts. old logs cabin
doors and boards WHEN project beyond
the corner lines in q zig-zag stair FASH
lon without regard TO symmetry. Two
miniature windows OF primitive construc-
ton light up the pace and a door OF
msaEre dimensions opens 70 the room
within. The conglomerate pile lis sur
mounted by a crooked old stove-plpe,