New-York tribune., 1902-02-16
SHOT HER LOVER. THEY SAY
POLICE ARREST SWEETHEART OF
WALTER s. BROOKS.
ROOM WITH BULLET WOUND IN HEAD
BOTH OF BPOOKLYN

Heavy sorrow fell on two Brooklyn families
yesterday. when the discovery of the murder of
young Walter S. Brooks. in Manhattan. was
followed by the arrest of Florence Burns, his
sweetheart, the charge of killing him. The
girl stoutly declared her innocence but she was
held a prisoner at the police station in Church
st, and the police declared that the proofs Of
her guilt seemed 10 be conclusive.
Brooks twenty years old, and a mem
ber of the firm of Brooks q Wells, a commits
sion frm, at No Il Jay-st He lived with his
father, Thomas J. Brooks. at No. ass Decatur
St. Brooklyn. For two years he had been much
in the company of Florence Burns nineteen
years old. whose home was with her parents at
No. 249 East Fifteenth-st. Brooklyn. The dec
Iaration of the young mans father that Flor
ence Burns had pursued and had made threats
TO Kill the young man If he failed 10 marry her
led TO her arrest yesterday.
At $50 O'clock Friday night, young Brooks
went TO the Glen Island Hotel, at Cortlandt and
West SITS. with young woman, and registered
a. John Wilson and wife. Brooklyn" The
couple were shown TO room on the third floor.
Half an hour later John Earle. the night clerk,
sent George Washington colored hell boy. to
answer ring from the room, and the young
woman put her head out OF the door Of the room
and ordered drink. When the boy returned
with the drink later. the young woman put her
hand out and took the glass without showing
her face The boy did not look into the room.
About midnight the boy smeHed gas escaping
from the room. The door was unlocked and he
opened it, Gas was escaping from two jets in
the room. Brooks alone and unconscious
on the bed The young woman was nowhere TO
be seen. and no one had seen her leave the
hotel. Earle was called TO the room when it
clear Of gas and lighted. He noticed that
the unconscious young man was bleeding from
a wound behind the right ear.
DR.. John r. Sweeney of No 127 Liberty-st.,
called to the hotel He examined Brooks
and thought he lnsensible from the effects
Of the gas. He administered some medicine and
went away. although Brooks was still insensi-
Bile. No revolver was found in the room. and
the physician did not examine the wound near
the with much care. At : a m. yesterday
DR. Sweeney was called again 10 look at the
patient who was still unconscious. Consider
able blood was flowing from the wound near the
then, and examination showed that il
a bullet wound An ambulance was called
to take Brooks 10 the hospital in Hudson-st
An examination of his clothing resulted in the
discovery of papers that disclosed his identity.
His father called to the hospital Young
Brooks did not recover consciousness. however
and died half hour before noon
When the police were told by the young mans
father about alleged threats by Florence Burns
detectives We're dispatched to Brooklyn to arrest
the young woman. 1t ascertained that
Florence Burns had been at the store in Jay-st
three times Friday, asking for young Brooks
who was in Newark on business. Brooks re-
turned to the store late in the afternoon. and
found her there waiting for him. They left the
store together about p m. One of Brookss
partners said the girl persisted in waiting for
him. There had been quarrels it was said and
attempts to break off relations between the
young couple. One of the partners said 1t was
understood Friday afternoon that young
Brooks was TO give the girl SEQ as expenses for
a trip to Pttsburg. and that she was not to
trouble him further but she said she would not
leave the city until yesterday morning
Florence Burns was arrested at her home in
Brooklyn in the afternoon and taken TO the DO
lice station in Church-st., Manhattan De-
tectves who arrested her said they had searched
her room and had not been able TO find re-
volver In the office of Captain Halpn she was
questioned closely by detectives and by Deputy
Assistant District Attorney Krotel. who had
been sent to aid in the investigation. She said
she knew nothing of the murder of young
Brooks She had parted from him about 8 D. M
on Friday. she said. and had not seen him
again. She declared that she had gone to her
home in Brooklyn and had been there all night
Washington. the colored boy, was called from
the Glen Island Hotel, ard asked if Florence
Burns was the young woman in the room with
Brooks on Friday night The boy said Yes"
Florence Burns did not finch when the boy
Identified her in that way. She continued 70 as
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