The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
MISS BURNS CALM, CASE WEAK
IDENTIFICATION or GLEN ISL
AND BELLBOY RIDDLED.

That Nno AnGHgu ~
brooks Took Il:ls o'Clock Gar. but
lie Is Yet TO he
PIorence Burns. the nineteen-yesr-oid
Brooklyn girl who is accused OF the murder
"a her lover, Walter T. Brooks. In the Glen
Isand Hotel on Feb, II, gave q remarkable
.,hibition OF nerve yesterday during the
.,amination Of the witnesses produced
-, the District Attorney to show that IL
20. she who went to the hotel with Brooks
-. the night Of the murder and killed him
there. -
Every little detail that could DO
.,t NV close examination Of witnesses was
sr.gged from them by either Mr.. Jerome
~, Mr.. Schurman for the prosecution or
- NJ, Rackus for the defence. In places
~. stories told by these witnesses were OF
= particularly narrowing character, but
,ha girl did not finch moe during their
r.lation. On the contrary she appeared
horsd by Il all and frequently raised her
handkerchief to her mouth to conoeai
Q yawn.
s~cientious about the identification OF the
,irl by certain Of his witnesses that he i'm
pressed the Importance OF accuracy on
than in a rather melodramatio fashion.
ue spoke on several occasions oft charge
n murder in the first degree made against
the girl and OF the penalty OF death which
.be would have to pay II found guilty.
B,t Florence Burns listened to 1t calmly
and without a show Of agitation.
Time and again during the testimony
of witnesses she smiled, not boldly or de-
lantiy, but as II much amused III she
n guilty Of the charge made against her
she Is certainly the most remarkable muir
deress that has ever been called TO the
bar in this county charged with such an
offence. Just once during the entire days
proceeding before Justice Mayer did she
show the slightest emotion, and hat was
when Mr.. Jerome spoke Of the possibility
that she and Brooks were man and wife.
Her eyes dropped then for the first time
and the tears were very near, but she man
aeed to restrain them, and a m later
abe was as calm and cool as ever.
The case put In by the prosecution yes
terday was very weak. About the only
thing proved wal that Florence Burns did
take the ii:l5 train on the Coney Island
branch Of the Kings County Elevated Rail-
road from the Brooklyn end of the Bridge
on EIluHY Hlkl IL "sO
made this very positive statement has not
been cross-examined yet, but Will be to-
morrow.
George Washington, the colored bell
boy at the Glen Island Hotel, made out a
magnificent case against Miss Burns, II 1t
had been left as he told il. But on CROSS
examination every important point In his
story was knocked out 30 far as Its value
as legal evidence Is concerned.
Mr.. Jerome began the examination Of
Florence Burns before Justice Mayer in
the Court Of Special Sessions by stating
that he desired the privilege Of examining
the father, mother and sister OF the de-
PENDANT.
Il am aware that / rave but to subpoena
these people to get this privilege he said,
.but l prefer TO rave them come volun-
tarily to my office. They are reputable
people and there is no reason why they
should not tell the truth. My purpose Ii
to get out the truth In this case and let the
burden Of this crime then rest where it will.
But II they will not come and permit US
TO examine them, / shall be obliged TO have
recourse TO a subpoena"
Mr.. Jerome added that in the matter OF
Conductor While he chose TO rave Mr..
Backus arrange for the identification Of
Miss Burns. Mr.. Backus saw no reason
why he should do this and said 30, Mr..
Jerome said his purpose in making the offer
was TO avoid any further criticisms OF the
manner OF making identiications and TO
give the defence every chance of having
this important matter arranged to its salts
faction. Mr.. Backus said that he had no
l. ~ -. ~. - NJ
Jerome then declared that when he called
While he would have him identify or fail
TO identify Miss Burns in open court.
John Earl, night clerk Of the Glen Island
Hotel, was the first witness called and
he told how, at 0 o'clock on the night Of
Feb. IL, he assigned a couple to room IL,
after the man had placed y. Wilson and
wife on the register. Two other couples
came in just ahead Of this couple. he said.
and so he hardly remembered what they
looked like, He only got a passing glimpse
Of the woman, as she went into the parlor
to wait for her companion, he said. He
was quite sure that he could not identify
her II he saw her again.
George Washington, the colored bell
boy. he said, showed the couple to their
room, and later. at about 10:40 o'clock he
thought, came to him while he was eating
in the dining room and told him that he
had smelled gas In the hall and had traced
II 10 room II. Earl old about the finding
OF Brooks in the room and gave a detailed
description OF the mans condition when
he first saw him. Miss Burn listened
intently to the testimony, but didn't appear
very much disturbed.
Mr.. Backus asked a number Of ques-
lions which pointed to the possibility Of
the two couples who came In at the same
time that Brooks and his companion did,
being with him. Earl was quite sure that
the parties didn't know one another. The
rest OF his witnesses story did not con-
tain anything that has not already bcen
published from him. After he had iden-
tilted a number of plans of the different
foors OF the hotel, Earl was excused.
Arthur G.. While, the Kings County Ele-
waited Railroad conductor, was called.
While Us a young man and has only been on
the road a short time, but he swore that he
knew Florence Burns by sight and, looking
her straight in the eyes. he declared hat
she got on his train at the Brooklyn Bridge
at il:i5 O'Clock on the night Of Feb. "a,
and rode as far as Beverley road, where
she got of.