The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-07-08
BANDIT QUEEN
IS ARRESTED IN
DEATHMYSTERY
May Yetzer in Tolls Az
ter Long Career
Husband Slain

COUNCIL BLUFFS. Iowa. July S.
May Yctzer. queen OF Northern Iowa's
underworld. alleged head OF as dar
ing "a gang OF bank robbers. hiiackers.
bootleggers. auto thieves and ALL
around crooks and gunmen az ever
infested "a civilized community, has
at last gotten into the hands OF law.
She has been indicted In Story city,
Iowa, for conspiracy to commit muir
der. and has been prrealed on that
charge. This is the first time In
the three years uf her reign that
the underworld queen has been caught
in the net of the law.
The murder in which Queen May
IN charged with being implicated Is
that Of Claude Lctner near HUI,
Iowa. In March, 1919. Letner was
said to have been II bootlegger. He
was heidd up one night by u woman
and two men, according to the evil
dence presented by State Agent j..
Il. RiSden. a dozen cases OF high
priced whiskcy were taken from his
automobile $500 were taken from his
pockets. and after he had been shot
and killed. his body WAS dragged into
a field II was found some days later
May Yctzer Is now charged with be-
Ing the woman who took part In the
crime,
Early life Mystery
Queen May il 20 years old. has
Titan hair. and Is exceedingly pretty.
She IL Jewess. Although the Iowa
state police have tried every way to
learn Of her earlier life they have
not succeeded. She IL said to have
desc-ted u husband and two children
In Chicago. but the police are not
certain They only Know that May
Ietzcr turned up in northwestern
Iowa about three years ago and In
sixty days was known 10 the under
world of Council Bluffs. Sioux City
! and other northwest Iowa points, as
well as In Omaha ard other Missouri
river cities.
shortly after coming to Iowa. the
daring young beauty was arrested in
Sioux city on "A charge Of maintain
, ing "a disorderly house. She wns re-
arrested "a number OF times on various
occasions. but never served Jail or
| prison sentences for conviction on any
| charge.
Then she married Red" Burzcttc.
gang leader. Burzotte was known
as n killer" He lived up to his re-
/ putation when Sioux city police at
! tempted to arrest him last July.
! Burzette and two Of his men were
/ on one side and four policemen on
\ the other. Detective James Brit
! ton headed tho police. Britton and
lnuENfAit fIlIAl7I NllflT TfNblNfTN IN
/ to each other. The young crook was
/ killed instantly. Britton died two
hours later. Jim Davis and Tex May
nnrd the other two gangsters. were
/ desperately wounded. hut recovered.
! They are now In prison for long
terms.
Gang Scattered
The Burzettc gang scattered when
Its leader was killed. But within a
/ NNss, ,tg tastf "a
| Queen May at it's head. Queen May
IL said to have planned the deals"
| for the members Of the gang to pull
off" At least one murder ana a big
! robbery were credited to the gang be-
fore the Sioux city police rounded
| them up
Queen May and three gunner. Joe
Z and Richard pyle ana Jim Bruno
were convicted of robhing Mrs Mar
garet Gnillet In Sioux city and were
sent tn the penitentlary. Joe Pyle.
! just past 9 years old. also was con-
4 victed of having killed Jacob Chris
tianson In the hOld-up OF n taxi.
But Queen May got scot free. The
{ police were unable to connect her
/ with the robbery. for which she had
been arrested. and she was not
| placed on trial. Although police be-
lievcd that she was the real leader
Of the gang and undoubtedly had
planned their coups for them. no
! evidence could he obtained to show
that she accompanied the men on
their raids
Raide Were Numerous
Il The Rurzette gang operated as far
north as Minneapolis and st. Paul,
and as far south as Kansas City
Omaha, ST Joseph, Council Bluffs
and other intermediate cities were
the scenes Of their operations time
after time, but the gang always
managed to make its getaway. For
two years the members led wild
lives. Queen May kept the house In
Sioux City open while the men con-
Quoted their raids. Between raids
they ran to cover in Sioux city.
Later. when the police discovered
their hiding place, the gang went
into hiding in nearby towns and
cities. AT night they would drive
into Sioux City and assemble at the
Burzette home, where they would
| plan their future raids. II was while
In Sioux City on one Of the occasions
that the police discovered them and
attempted their arrest with the re
suit that Burzette was killed.
Queen May IL said 20 have beer
the driver OF the hijacking car thai
overlook BootleggeT Claude Letner
near Hun, at the time Lctner was
| murdered. For nearly Il year the
murder OF Letner puzzled the police
but some time ago State Agent Ris.
den succeeded In connecting Joe
pavoy, q Burzctte gangster. with the
crime. Pavey is now In the Mis-.
so4iri STATE Prison for a different
crime. on evidence presented the
grand jury by Risden. tending TO con-
meet Queen May with the murder OF
Letner. or rather. showing that Queen
May drove the bandit car that night
the indictment was returned and she
is booked for trial.
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