New-York tribune., 1910-09-21
FLORENCE BURNS AGAIN
IN HANDS OF POLICE
Woman Involved in Murder Case
Arrested with Man Who Is
Held for BIaCkmail.
EXTORTION, LAWYER SAYS
Magistrate Characterizes Case
as "One of the Boldest Bad
ger Games Ever Attempted
in This City"

1 N--N-O
never brought to trial for the death Of
Walter S Brooks, in the Glen Island
Hotel in 1902. was arrested yesterday
along with Edward H Brooks. charged
with what Magistrate Steinert charac-
terized as "one of the boldest badger
games ever attempted in this city
Charles w. Hurlburt. a lawyer, who
gave his address as No. 80 Seventh ave
nue., told the magistrate in the Jeffer-
son Market police court yesterday
that the woman had lured him on
Sunday into a house at No. 224
West Doth street. There, he said
as he was sitting in a room with
the woman. Mrs. Florence Burns VIII
! drick, Brooks and another man came in,
each with a bottle in his hand, and
forced Hurlburt, under threat of assault.
to give up S57 in cash, to sign note for
$500, and to sign a declaration that he
had been guilty on various occasions.
of degrading practices with the woman.
This was on Sunday night. according
TO Hurlburt. and he was kept in the
room until o'clock in the morning.
after which he was taken in a taXicab
ali around the city and as far as Yon-
kers then brought back to the city
about 10 O'Clock and liberated.
Arrested After Discharge by Court.
The manner of the arrest Of Brooks
ho1 hot
Magistrate Steinert early in the after
noon, when Paul Adamson, a taxicab
chauffeur. charged Brooks with being
one of three men who had employed him
early Monday morning for a ride up to
Yonkers, and then got away without
paying his bill. Brooks. who gave his
occupation as real estate agent and his
address as No. 224 West 25th street, ad-
mitted being one of the party in the
taxicab. He offered to pay his share OF
Adamson's bill and was discharged by
the magistrate. Just after he left the
courtroom Florence Burns Wildrick
came in and inquired whether Brooks
was still there. She had heard Of his
arrest and had come to help him out.
In the mean time Brooks had started
to walk west in 18th street. It so hap
pened that Hurlburt was in the same
neighborhood and when he met Patrol
man Hewitt, of the Charles street sta
ton, in West 18th street. between Fifth
and Sixth avenues, Hurlburt handed the
policeman loaded .32-calibre revolver.
with the explanation that he had been
carrying il for protection from the man
coming up behind. who had threatened
his life. Hewitt arrested both men and
took them to the Jefferson Market court
When searched. after Hurlpurt had
made a charge of extortion. Brooks was
found TO have in his pocket a note for
$500 payable to himself and the other
man accused, and a confession. signed
by Hurlburt. admitting that he had been
guilty OF a degrading crime in company
with Florence Burns Wildrick.
Hurlburt explained in his affidavit that
he had known the woman for about
year, and had several times kept ap-
pointments with her. She telephoned to
him about noon on Sunday and asked
him 70 meet her at o'clock that even
ing at Broadway and 9th street 1t
was after the meeting that they went to
the house in West 25th street where
they were interrupted by Brooks and
his companion. The latter is now being
sought by the police Brooks had stated
al the time. Hurlburt said, that Florence
Burns Wildrick was his wife. Mag
istrate Steinert held Brooks in $1,000
bail for examination.
Connected with Murder Case.
Later in the day Brooks. in the
Tombs, made a statement that he was
engaged to Florence Burns widrick,
who expects to get a divorce from her
husband, Charles White Wildrick. within
a short time. The whole trouble be-
tween himself and Hurlburt, he said,
was over Mrs. Wildrick. She was the
same Florence Burns whose name had
been connected with the murder of Wal
ter S Brooks in a downtown hotel in
February, 1902. said Brooks, who added:
But that Brooks was absolutely no
relation to me-"
Though Hurlburt said the woman had
introduced Brooks to him two weeks
ago as a friend, Brooks says he has
known Hurlburt since last February
and that he had "cut OUT the LAWYER in
her affections.
Two months ago, he said, he had found
Hurlburt in an uptown resort in com
pany with Mrs. Wildrick and had
thrown him out of the room. Would
such tactics be the work of a man who
wanted TO blackmail another?" he asked
Brooks denied vehemently that he had
had any hand in forcing Hurlburt to
sign any papers. when / came into
the room on Sunday night" he said.
''Hurlburt came toward me. and putting
his arms around my neck, confessed to
me m. nature Of his relations with Mrs.
Wildrick. and then signed the papers
Of his own VOlition.'
Brooks gave his address as No. 36j
Ct Johns Place, Brooklyn. but main
tained that he was a real estate sales
man.
Detectives Griffith and Finn, Of Head
ouarters vent to the house in West
o-,b street and brought in the woman.
u,ho was arrested on a charge of rob
herv and attempted blackmaiL Detective
criff1th said the former Florence Burns.
who al the time Of the murder OF Wal
tor : Brooks, was a striking beauty.
a for ha