The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-31


Burke Impressed him as insane. The
prisoner seemed entirely rational in
the conduct OF business at the post
office. l
Forgot Els, Lines. II
Mr.. II. e. Sharpley. OF the American 4
Locomotive Works, member OF tn.
Tclks. said that at lodge meetings
BURKE, who was past exalted ruler,
forgot his lines. and witness had
take his place. Burkes conversationl
was dignity, but witness thought his
condition due to the Immediate effects
OF drinking whiskey.
Clifford Smith had noticed the change I
in Burke's character. He said Burke
seemed to be trying TO drop hisl
friends. At first his Impression was
that Burke was merely full" but af-s
ter thinking 4, over witness concludedI
that he was "daffy"
"He was 'rumdurn' most of the
time" said the witness. i did not
think him a proper subject for luna
or besotted.'
w, IS. Mccoy. keeper of a cigar az
soda water place Mt Eighth and Broad
Streets. testified chat on one occasion
Mr.. Burke came into his store and wf
served with dose of capudine. a tea
eooorful in q glass of soda. Ten
minutes later he came back and tool
a second dose. Shortly afterward he
returned for third dose, which the
witness refused to sell Miss Burke
called that afternoon and delivered q
| message from Mrs. Burke. asking him
| rot to sell her husband cnpudsne. and
thanking him for refusing to do 50
once. This was SIX months before the
\ n .Na n;
| coal tar preparation, which acts SINH
lar to morphine or iodine. He did
rot think Burke mentally or morally
responsible, but regarded him as a
s1unatic at the time.
Il What He Thought of Peters. g
i C. n. Blankenship. barkeepcr for
i James ANTHONY at Seventh. and Broad
\ IStree,s, prior to March, 1907. said that
4 Burke. on his way to market, came 10
! his place almost every morntn s-ceE-
:, tuiniy tour times q week. Ho vas
4 there when the saloon opened, and
usually took three "mountain toddies.
I The witness had seen the Defendant
! when ne was not competent to attend
/ to business, and had refused to sell
him liquor.
II. Lee Peters, President of the City
Council, one of Burkes bondsmen. de-
clared he had noticed and spoken OF q
change In his disposition, chiefly be-
cause he unarre!ed with his frleLfs
/. witness on the street. although they
ishad been close friends. When ASKED
about IL Burke said he WAS very pr.
Z Ifticular about whom he spoke to. Some
times he told the witness that ne
: thought he tPeters) was the most hon.
. est man in3the City Council and at othel
+ times said :2"You are the biggest Gro ok
Z la L.
/, bearers and told witness That he was
! the only one with hair on his head, ant
a. he hoped to live long enough TO have
them all balci-headed. Mr. Peters
though, Burke irrational, apart from
. his condition of intoxcation. He at.
/. tributed his condition To the imme'
q dntc effect OF whiskey, however.
9 9 Colonel John Murphy testified to tn.
i defendants reputation for honesty ant
II integrity.
John Donati and his cousin. Humber
Donati, Keepers OF saloon at Eigh
o teenth and franklin Streets, testified
? one after the other, that since he va
L transferred to Station g Burke cam
!, TO their place nearly every rOrnin'
:. and took one OF; more drinks. The:
4 had also seen him drunk at Barley
II saloon, on twenty-fIfth Street. on til
day OF his arrest. They had never hest
I. tated to sell him liquor. and thoug!t
4, him competent to look out for htnsei
n They had sen him flighty or bewildcr
h. ed, but never sloaded.". 49,
@. Judge David G.. Richardson testifie
= to the Integrity and excellent chal
acter OF the defendant Judge Levi
asked IL the witness had ever diseussa
Burke's character with any one. Judg
u. Richardson replied that he had no
ng that he had never discussed Juds
h, Lewis's character with any one, bl
~ would be willing to testify to it,
Charles r TAYLOR, Mr.; 9. q, Wake
eXcellent character and reputation ~
the aetendant previous lou r. hs arre. s.
condition. He told Of the change
his Temperament and disposition sins
Y I)his eldest daughter, ran away gand W q
against the wishes of the entire fan
ily. The witness also spoke OF tt
speech made BY Burke IN a; sess on (
! the Elks' Lodge last August, when h
"a language and expressions were insul
ing to his most intimate friends Il
had demonstrated with his brotlt
esan5 ahnk'h hs s AZ s ~
~ the past eighteen months proposed J
u confine his brother n an insane ass
+ lum. He had mentioned TO sever!
he .shoula YOb e. CO se but
3 means had kent him from put ting II
Z brother where he could not harm hin
1, self Furthermore. the witness hu
Y stated to Assistant Postnaas ter A Y
81 that his brosher was not nj fit man =
superintendeIt OF Station p. after y
errntic speech at the lodge He Won
mSntaly un %ound, but that there w
n something wrong with him. 4
y Mrs, Hurke ON Stand.
8 With courtroom cleared of. all se
cept those actively connected with 4
case. and In. a voice scarcely audit
Miss Ethel Burke, the tive ty-ysa arr g
9 daughter q the defendant, old OF y
= Illness OF her brother. who was tal n
4 suddenly With tuberculosis ana sc
8 West, and who Is now In Denyer.
o. Jnd q lewis objected that slckne
y inBthe family was asmIsiortune, not
8s excuse for gcrlme. The Testimony ~
FIN Iadmitted to show that Burke,s nlnrE
- cond lon 3Waa due to III i Illness Sof 4