The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-01
SON HELD FOR HER DEATH.
DELLA BoURkE FOUND DEAD IN
HER ROOM.

ncr and Held at the station House
to Await Post Mortem ENamI alton
and Inquest-Dr. Dunn Found the
wounds on the Dead woman and
Called in the COroncr-The Rooms.
in the Heart of the business Sec
tion, Presented II Horrible Scene of
Poverty and FiIth-BourISe Says He
Is Innocent and His Arrest an Out
rage.
Amid scene of filth and poverty almost
inds scribable, with her face and neck torn
and bleeding from recent wounds huddled
up ia a knot with her head between her
legs, Della Bourke was found dead last
night Her son, NJ r. Rourke, was arrest-
ed by Coroner Goette and is held at the
station house charged with murder.
The story is a horrible one, even if the
man is not guilty of the death of his
mother, but with this added possibility
become a certainty it is monstrous. The
woman was Sc years of age, while her son
is A. He is by trade printer, and good
one. When he is sober enough 20 work
there are few in Savannah who can excel
him in quicSness or accuracy, and had
re so desired he might nave made an hon
esf, comfortable and respectable living
That he did not so desire The condition of
the rooms in which he lived with his
mother was pointed evidence. and evil
dence, too, sadder still to say, that she was
but prone to condone or even to encourage
his excuses.
The room in which the woman and man
lived is at the corner of Barnard and
Broughton streets, in almost the very heart
of che business section. 1t is diagonally
across the street from the site of the
burned store of Lindsay & Morgan. and
the lower floor is occupied by the store
of L. Fried 1t seems impossible that
there could exist in such a neghborhood
such absolute poverty and filth as were
exhibited in the two rooms that Bour<e
and his mother made their home.
Shortly after O'Clock last night DIR. NJ.
F. Dunn received a telephone message
asking him to come to the house, that the
woman was dying dead, but that the
sender of the message thought II possible
that a spark of life remained and some
thing could be done. This message was
sent by a relative of the dead woman,
whom Bourke had notified that his mother
was dead. The relative rushed TO the
nearest telephone and sent the message
TO DIR. Dunn, who Immediately responded,
reaching the house and climbing the two
flights of stairs that led to the third floor
within a brief space after he had been
called.
The doctor was met by Bourke and his
relatives, the latter respectable people in
good standing in the community. 1t was
a dreadful sight that met his eyes as he
was ushered in. The room opening uro1
the hall was the one IN which Bourke had
slept and in which he was awaiting the
coming of the physician, There were
two or three chairs in tire rom and a
few cheap pictures on the walls On the
floor was the pile of rags upon which he
slept, with bucket a water BESIDE it.
from which evidently he was wolt 10
quench the drunkards raging thirst,
The inner room was worse still mere
INTENDED. filthier and containing he dread
object that DR.. Dunn had been called
there to examine. There was an cd bed
stead in one corner, from which the bed
clothes, reaking with filth. had Teen tum-
bled to the floor. Scattered about were
a number of empty bottles and the stale
evidences of housekeeping There was a
rusty stove. some dirty pans and keltl >
and few Clipped and broken dishes.
Lying on the floor of the room was the
body of the dead woman. There were some
rags also for her 10 lie on. quite as dirty
as those used by her son as a bed, ana
her body rested partially on these. The
top of her head, though, was on the floor
and her body was twisted and rigid. The
face was drawn, contorted and bloody,
blood having oozed apparently from the
mouth and nostrils. In the hurried bat
careful examination that DR.. Dunn made
he discovered scratches, made apparently
with finger nails, on the old woman 5
face and deeper cut i'm the side of the
neck that might have been produced IN
the same manner. The post norton con-
dition that follows death only after the
lapse or four or five hours had inter-
vened, 30 that DR.. Dunn knew that She
had been dead for this space of time, at
least
The physician thought the circum-
stances sufficiently suspicious to demand
the presence of the coroner and he was
notified. When Coroner Goette came he
also made an investigation and determin-
ed that IL would be well to place Bourke
under arrest until post morten examina-
ton of the body and an inquest might he
held. This was done and Bourke taken
by the coroner himself 20 the statioa
house
Later in the night a sufficient number
of Jurors for an inquest were summoned
and DR.. FARRELL called in TO assist DR.. Dunn
i'm making the posi- mortem examination
II was weird and gloomy party that
assembled in the desolate rooms and pre-
pared 10 execute its solemn duty. After
while, though, the physicians stated
that ii would be almost impossible to
make an examination at that time and
place. and the result in any event must
be unsatisfactory. II was determined
therefore, to postpone the matter until
the morning. when the examination win
be made. and If it is considered necessary
an inquest will be held. In the meantime
the body of the dead woman was removed
to the office of the coroner.
When Bourke was seen at the station
horse by a Morning News reporter. he
cold with maudlin elrnestness his story
of his mothers death. The effects Of he
whisky he had heen drinking during the
day had worn eff only in small part and
ct times he was almost uuintel igihle He
said though. thai ne had been sleeping
through the afternoon, and waking up
a out o'clock started into he back room