Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-14
BY NED E.aWILL1AMs.

| HltcI d1aiICCeSSd Sdi NSaiS SSi VI SAihiS
in northwest Iowa as queen Of a
daring gang of crooks and gunmen
organized by her. husband, a motor
tious bandit chief, Mae Yetzer Bur-
4 zette. "a years old, whose striking
beauty gained her reputation IN
Sioux City's underworld, has been
indicted by grand jury and is in
custody awaiting trial on a charge
of murder. ;9.f
Police detectives and state agents
have never been able to uncover
facts regarding the early life of the
attractive gangster queen. 1t is
known that she is Jewess and that
she lived in Chicago prior to her
arrival in Sioux City three years ago.
1t is said that she has a divorced
husband and two children in Chi
cago, but no further details are
available.
The daring young beauty first
kcame TO the attention of Sioux City
1police in September, 1917, when she
Vas arrested on charge of main
tanning "a disorderly house. She was
rearrestad at ,frequent intervals
thereafter on various occasions, but
never served Jail or prison sentences
for convictions on any charge.
Marries Handsome Criminal.
Shortly after her arrival in Sioux
CITY,. Mae Yetzer married "Red"
Bufzette,, Handsome young gang
leader of the underworld, who had
a wide reputation as desperate.
criminal and an outlaw killer" His
k,gang was said to be responsible for
wild series of murders, robberies,.
Eholdups, automobile thefts, bootleg
ging and highjackings exploits and
other major crimes extending over a.
period of more than a year. 1t op-,
Grated between. Minneapolis and
Kansas City, including the cities of
Omaha and Sioux City. Headquar-,
ters of the gang were maintained at
Sioux City. but crimes which occur
red in various sections of five states
were attributed to it,
The pretty wife of the chief gang
Isttr, who was famous for her beauty
l in sthe dives and resorts of Sioux,
city's criminal district was made
queen of the big band of crooks She
accompanied the bandits on their
r'jobs." usually driving one of the
high-powered automobiles in which
they Travelled. She exhibited fear
less nerve that matched that Of her
husband and was 'reputed to be as
daring a giinh'ghter las any OF the
men, 81 $50 ~
The murder d. Claude Letner. near
Hull, Ia, occurred on the night of
March %, 1919. He was held up on
a country road by two men and a
woman, according to evidence in the
case. Eleven cases of whisky were
high8aeked from his machine, $500
in cash was taken from his pokects
and his body was dragged to a~near-
by field. 1t was found the following
day by George Divestas of Sioux
Puzzles Police for Year.
This murder mystery. puzzled
police for nearly year. No evidence
was uncovered until-about month
ago.! when James E. Risden, state
agsiif, succeeded in connecting Joe
Pavey. a Bhrzette gangstery with the
case. Pavey is now serving time in
the Missouri state prison. Further
Investigation, according to Mr.. Ris-
den, demonstrated that the beautiful
bandit queen was the woman who
participated in the highjacking and
murder. Her indictment followed
During the months when "Red"
Burzette was an outlaw, tsfrorizing
northwest Iowa With the operations
of his gangsters, i but keeping; in
hiding because he. was wanted in
dozens of places. for scores of
crimes, his pretty wife lived in Sioux
City. maintaining her home as the
headquarters Of the gang. The in
famous chief world, drive, into. the
city under cover of.darkness to meet
his men at the rendezvous and plan,
crimes and coups, G.ssr j
His meteoric crime career was ab-
ruptly halted on July i22, 1919, when
he was Killed in a grim revolver
battle between himself and two of
his henchmen and four. policemen in
Sioux City restaurant The gang7
sters had spent the, night in town
and had stopped for breakfast before
driving away into hiding about days
break. Police received a tip that they
were there and surprised them be-.
fore thy could make their getaway.
Dying Detective Kills Leader.
True tor their reputation as.
desperate .es,nInen, the gangstersl
opened fire when the. officers en-
tered the places "Red" Burzette,
the leader, was killed instantly by
Detective. James Britton, who him
self received wounds from which
he died, a few hours later. The duel
between the detective and the out,
lawtrivaled all. tales Of fiction. They
stood,a ,few~feet apart and emptied
t;theif guns into each other, bullet
f9rs h,fllet, before falling to the
flooEs i"sss; -..t n
II jim Davis and Tex Maynard, the
Other two gangsters, were seriously
wounded, bat both recovered and
are,Ssf wing. long prison terms. None
of thk .otherSruembers Of the police
squad lwere., shot.
Following THE death of her hus-
band s'and' the temporary breaking
up of His gang, of criminals. Mrs.
Burzette lived quietly in Sioux
City for several weeks: Then she
reorganized the band, with herself
l,I, ,. 49, IL