New-York tribune., 1902-02-21
BROOKS'S MOTHER TALKS
SAYS FLORENCE BURNS THREATENED
TO KILL HER son.
THINKS THE GIRL WAS NOT TREATED
RIGHT AT POLICE STATION.


Mrs T. W. Brooks, mother OF Walter s
Brooks whose death has resulted in the arrest
of Florence Burns. declares that her was
pure, honest. honorable and truthful. Mrs
Brooks is Frustrated and confined TO her bed at
her home No. 45S Decatur-st., Brooklyn. where
she made a statement yesterday.
Walter never committed suicide" she said.
Although l am suffering severely as the result
OF the murder of my boy I will not commit
suicide. No one in our family has ever done
that. and Walter did not do it, He Conided
everything he did to me- and I know he was
truthful. This woman, Florence Burns, had
him in her power. and have been afraid some
thing would happen. AS lay here in bed with
my eyes closed I visions Of this girl
creeping up behind him and shooting him. am
positive she did ii.
only a few days before he was killed he said
to me: Well. mother. never mind about me;
the slightest move she makes toward me will
grab both her hands and prevent her from
doing any harm If you knew him as I did you
would not believe evil OF him. With the excep-
tion Of seven nights in three years. he was never
away from home at night I learned of Wal
teTs acquaintance with the Burns girl about
three weeks after she had left her Flatbush
home. AS soon learned of the state OF
affairs Mr.. Brooks went to see Mr.. Burns and
tried in every way TO Induce him to take his
daughter back again. Mr. and Mrs. Burns abb
solutely refused 10 permit her to come back
unless a married woman.
Some time after this Walter told that
Florence i'll in a furnished some
where In Raph-ave. We brought her to
home. and called in Dr. Moon, Of Haseyst. and
Nostrand-aveu to attend her. He said she was
suffering from malarial fever, with symptoms of
typhoid. The doctor made five visits. and
I cd ber ber chs Vprc
my own daughter She remained until after
Thanksgiving, and when she had recovered Mr..
Brooks again went TO the Burnses and begged
them TO take her back telling them that she
must leave house on the following Wednes-
day. Mr.. Burns said the only way he would
recognize his daughter was the wife of
! Walter Florence left here the Wednesday,
and came back on the following evening. saying
that she had been turned from her home. Fri
! day morning I was ill., and after Miss Burns had
! gone downstairs to get her breakfast. she came
| to my room. 1 asked her why she didn't leave
! my son alone. and she said, I win make Walter
| marry me or I'll Kill him Mother and I are fine
! shots
If you Kill my boy I viii kill you I said.
! and she replied: You won't have the trouble.
! After / Kill him I shall kill myself
"She called the following Sunday night. but
we did not answer the ring at the doorbell. on
/ the Friday before the tragedy Walter called on
| the Burnses, and when he came home ne said
! they urged him to marry Florence that night.
! He promised 10 return on the following Sunday
! with his answer. but never intended to keep his
| word He had made UP his mind by this time
| that Florence Burns was not the girl for him 10
| marry She called on him at his office a num-
Der OF times after that up TO the time he was
! killed"
| District Attorney Jerome said yesterday after
! noon that while all the evidence gathered by
| the detectives seemed to point TO Florence Burns
| as the slayer Of young Brooks, It was possible
! that the evidence might be explained away or
! that she might be able show that she was
! not at the Glen Island Hotel with Brooks
| There would be a fun and fair investigation IN
| the hearing before q magistrate, he said, before
| any attempt made 10 secure the indictment
| OF Florence Burns.
| a few witness were at the District Attorneys
| office 70 he examined in the case yesterday. one
! was d boy In the employ OF Brooks's commis-
| sion firm, who had seen Florence Burns at the
! store making inquiries for Brooks on several
! occasions Another was the manager OF the
| Hotel Lincoln, at Broadway and Fifty second
| St who was asked about a mysterious couple
that went to the hotel last Friday evening.
About o'clock that evening man and young
woman went 10 the hotel and the man asked
| for a room, writing II Wilson and wife. Brook
| lyn" the hotel register. They We're turned
| away because they had no baggage. The young
woman said TO resemble Florence Burns in
| appearance, but the hotel people have not tried
/ TO identify the prisoner.
/ Half an hour after the couple had been turned
away from the Hotel Lincoln, Brooks went to
| the Glen Island Hotel. In Cortlandt-st., with
| young woman and registered as H. Wilson and
! wife, Brooklyn" Brooks was shot later In the
hotel and the young woman disappeared.
: A colored boy employed in the hotel.
! Florence Burns at the police station next
! day and said she the young woman
! who was with Brooks at the hote., but there
! has been doubt cast upon the value Of the iden-
| tification, because the cOlOred boy was not
obliged 10 pick Florence Burns out from among
! other women.
Early on Saturday morning a young woman
! went to the Hotel Lincoln IN great excitement
and wanted to engage a ROOM and there was
! who there on Friday evening with H. VIII
: SON" A clerk at the hotel said yesterday that
! the woman who appeared at the hotel early on
/ Saturday morning was not the same woman
! who with the man registering himself
II Wilson" and he said. too that the
! did not answer to the published descriptions of
| young Brooks.
! District Attorney Jerome has urged upon the
police and detectives engaged in the inyestiga-
! ton OF the Brooks murder the need for greater
! effort TO find The revolver with which Brooks
| was shot. The weapon not found in the
room where Brooks lay dying for two or three
hours on Saturday morning, or. if II was found,
| the finder has kept it concealed. The disap-
pearance Of the weapon has been considered
| An argument that Brooks could not have COM
! mitted suicide.
Police Commissioner Partridge said yesterday
! that he had been making some Inquiries as to
| the reported third degree to which Florence
| Burns subjected I'm the police station in
| Church-st. after her arrest last Saturday He
| said
| "T am going to communicate with all stations
! in regard to informing prisoners Of their rights
| but I am getting some legal advice on the mat
| ter. SO far the murder is concerned I
| am not altogether satisfied with the treatment
! OF the young woman at the station"
| Florence Burns said to he well and cheer
| full in the Tombs Yesterday. She Is not al
! lowed to have any knife or fork with her food
/ She has held herself aoof from other women
| by her parents on Wednesday she was apparent
! ly light hearted, and showed no signs Of