The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-11-29
AGED PHYSICIAN
ON TRIAL TODAY
Is Charged With Having At
tempted to Murder Won
an and Her Baby.
CASE QUITE PECULIAR
When First Date for Trial
Came Prosecuting Wit
ness Was in Japan.


Santa Rosa, Cal. Nov. 2s.-One OF
the most sensational criminal trials
that has taken place here In many
years 10 promised In tho case of DR..
william p. Burke. who was brought
into court today to answer to the
charge OF having attempted to murder
Miss Lu Eta Smith and her eleven
months.old illegitimate SON. of whom
DIR. Burke 10 said to be the father.
The wealth and prominence Of the
accused physician. the unusual meth
cd which he 10 accused Of employing
in his alleged attempt at double muir
der. an the subsequent flight OF the
intended victim to Japan to avoid tes-
tifying at the trial are some OF the
remarkable elements In q case which
has already attracted wide attention
and the trial OF which will undoubted-
~ be followed with much interest.
DIR. Burke, who 10 q man well along
In years II the proprietor Of q large
sanitarium at Alturas. Ave miles north
OF this city. On the night Of February
s last the patients and attendants OF
the sanatarium were startled by a
loud explosion in the sanitarium
grounds. Upon investigation 1t was
found that the explosion had occurred
beside . house tent In which slept
Miss Lu Eta Smith and her infant
son. Further investigation showed
that the explosion had undoubtedly
been caused by stick Of dynamite.
The perpetrator Of the outrage. how.
ever, had made . poor calculation In
placing the explosive. The lives of
the intended victims were spared.
though II. was weeks before the wom-
an recovered from the shock.
Victim Was . Student.
Miss Lu Eta Smith the intended
victim was Q student at the university
Of California when she met DR.. Burke.
Later she went to live at the sanitar-
ium where her child was born. The
child was named Willard p. Burke
Smith.
The Investigation BY the authorities
following the explosion led to the ar.
rest Of DR.. Burke and his indictment
on the charge Of attempted murder.
The ofylcers claim to have ascertained
that . few days before the explosion,
DIR. Burke obtained quantity Of dy.
Mantle and took Il with him on his
return to Santa Rosa from visit to
the Phoenix mine, near Oroville.
which he owns.
One Of the peculiar features Of the
case was the disappearance Of Miss
Smith when the date set for DR.
Burke's trial approached. and her sub
seQuent return. Sometime after the
dynamiting episode the woman left
this vicinity and went to Berkeley
Subsequently she left Berkeley and
was next located In Japan. Accord
Ing 70 report she was given . sum oi
money sunicient to take her and hel
child to Japan and was promised reg
ular remittances % long - she re
NAMED there. But Il 10 said that thu
promised remittances failed TO mater
ialise and the result was that through
the generosity OF some Americana
whom she met In Toxic she was en-
abled to return to California. How
ever this may be It 10 certain that sh'
placed herself In communication Will
the authorities here and II now II
readiness to appear ~ tho principa
witness for the prosecution. Sirius
Cling to the end with all the resources
Of . man possessed Of wealth and un
usual cunning the aged physician nov
realizes the seriousness Of his posi-
tion under the charges made agains
him.