The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-02-14
VIM. BURKE
MURDERED
FOR sL.95
Shocking Tragedy Takes
Place on Ice- Covered
Slough East Of Hammond
Murdered Man Has a
Hard Fight for His Life.

Murdered for $1.95, William Burke, a
well-known Hammond character, was
found dead this morning by. Jesse
Ewing and other people going to work.
on hte ice of frozen slough, betwee-
the Indiana Harbor railway yards
Summer street, near where tbI old
Forsythe road crosses Summer eet.
Burke was employed as a section
man at the Gibson yards. and lived in
shack near his work Although he
had been heavy drinl<er while in
Hammond, those who knew him lately
say that he had remained sober and
he was sober last night when he left
the Rudolph Balag saloon. near For
sythe avenue
There was plenty of evidence that
the man sold his life dearly He was
partially stripped of his clothes in
search for money. it having been learn
ed that he had been paid last Saturday.
He had, hoyever, given s33.75 of his
pay to Balag to keep, and this the muir
derers did not get. He has q brother
in the state h sns@ssse SD Aszit.e<
tives in Iowa. but up to noon today the
police were unable to locate any of
them.
The body has been taken to Emmer-
lings morgue, where Coroner E. NJ
Shanklin held the inquest.
William Burke is about so years old
He is well-known among the railroad
men at Indiana Harbor, and several
months ago was a patient at ST. Mar
garet's hospital. He was a familiar
figure to the Hammond police, who
have arrested him several times be-
cause he was found in an intoxicated
condition. Lately, however, he has led
rather sober life and while he was
not total abstainer, was temperate
in his imbibing.
Captain Fred Rimbach and Oficer
Emil Bunde have been working on the
case all morning. They have found
conclusive evidence that the old man,
who was always considered to be
harmless, was the victim of an afro
cious murder In the snow was found
evidence of the terrible struggle in
which Burke battled against desperate |
odds. His head is laid open in several |
places, but no instrument was found |
near by with which the deed had been |
1t appeared that after he |
had received the first blow that he ran I
but being stunned he fell into the /
snow. He covered a distance of pos /
sbly fifty feet before his assailant at /
tackled him again. He evidently re- |
tanned enough strength to run another |
forty feet. but here he succumbed to |
the blows which were rained on his |
head.
Murder Four Weeks Ago.
Shortly before Jesse Ewing, a bar
Der at Grasselli. had made his discov-
cry. the body was also seen by Motor
nan A. l.. West and Conductor H. N I
Nichols on the first westbound Gary
& Interurban car They also notified |
he police station.
In a way the case is analogous to
he murder which occurred In Gibson !
lust four weeks ago. Sam Ristivo was
shot and killed in a boxcar in which |
lie lived at Gibson. The motive there i
vas not so apparent, but 1t is believed
hat the only reason the ho1dup men
lid not take his money is because they
we're scared away after the shooting.
Chief Austgen and his men promise
% bend every effort toward apprehend-
ng the murderers of William Burke.