New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-13
CANCSTERS BACK
OF CUNARD PLOT
Mother of Negro Burton
Says Boy Was Tool of
Experienced Crooks.
NEW HAVEN RECEIVES
DEMAND FOR $35, 900
Police Declare II Was Written by
Prisoner, Who Insists He Want
ed Money for Family.

Joseph Burton, the negro arrested
Thursday for attempting TO blacRmal
tho Cunard Steamship Company. Is
member of a gang which has lnfes'eu
Brooklyn for the last three months
according TO his mother. She lays the
bov's crime to the influence of his
associates. and declares he would never
have risked 1t If he had not been
forced into it by older and more ex-
perienced men.
Cunard officials agree with the Id
woman. one Of them. who refused 10
permit the use Of his name, said that
both the elaborate plot and its cold
blooded execution indicated the eXpe-
rienCed crook.
The boy had backing" he said. He
was being used by others more expert
and cautions than himself It's incredl-
BILE that negro only nineteen years
old. would plan a thing of that sort;
but he is exactly the kind OF man
whom crooks pick to do their work-a
voune fellow with a criminal record
Mrs. Burton. who lives on the third
floor of a dilapidated brick house. at
1917 Duffield st, Brooklyn, was more
explicit.
"Dat hoy 10 has always been a bad
un." she said. wiping her brow with
red bandanna. "and when he was
Young he run away from an orphan
asvlum. where Id had him put. Then
he went TO a Catholic protectorate
and got mixed up with some man who
had a boat. and then he was sent to
school for incorrible BOYS over at Bath
Beach.
when he come out ! was right mere
in Brooklyn, and then he was pinched
and went to Elmira for thirteen
months. He was due to be out in last
August. but YOU can't get out till your
people get you a job. / walked the
streets from August TO october tryin'
TO get some work for him. and got
him one at a place on Broadway.
But it warn't no use. for the crooks
he met in Elmra kept right after him,
though | chased them out of the
house time and again. and he went
round with them till he was pulled.
They done it. all right"
The old woman poked her head out Of
the window and called after picka-
ninny out in the street.
Come in heah, you Ill black rascal"
she said And to the reporter: Il hope
he turns out better'n the other. I'd
rather see 10 lyin' in state than behind
the bars, would. He always spent his
evenin's home whatever else he did
Mrs. Burton went on to say that 10
could write a very good letter, "hein'
able to write in number Of hands.
This quality may possibly be due to
practise. for it developed yesterday
afternoon, according to the police, that
Jo had written Mr.. Whalley, vice-pres-
ident of the New York. New Eaven c;
Hartford Railroad, demanding $4,000
and threatening 10 blow up train if
he didn't get it, Mr.. Whalley gave the
letter to Headquarters. The police de-
clare the writing similar 10 that con-
veying the threat to the Cunard COM
pany.
Mrs. Burton was not wanting in e1-
plantations of her sons difficulties.
HE was always a-ferritin' out crime
out of the newspapers" she said; "and
he had a girl, and he'd go about writin'
poetry. and then he had to have money
to get it printed"
Burton's criminal record. in part at
least, was found in his own room. 1t
consisted of two releases from prison
made out to Henry Cress, said to be
his alias. One was from the City Re-
formatory on Hart's Island and was
dated February 13, 1912 The other
was an absolute release from Elmira,
dated May Is. 1914. Cress's finger
prints are identical with Burton's.