Evening star., 1932-08-09
]. F. BURKE DIES;
COUNSEL FOR COP.
President, Whom He Came to
See, Joins in Tribute to
Pittsburgh Leader.

Pa, chief counsel of the Republican
| National Committee, and close friend
and adviser of President Hoover. died
last night at Garfield Hospital few
| hours after he had conferred at the
White House with Mr.. Hoover.
Soon after reaching his office before
9 o'clock this morning Mr.. Hoover
paid the following public tribute to his
old friend and associate:
L feel deeply the loss of James Fran
els Burke. He was an ardent support
er and high official of the Republic
an party. In addition he was identi-
fled with multitude Of public move
ments, not only in his own city but
over the country. For many years he
gave his time and service to matters
of public interest in every direction in
worker, he labored for the country he
loved up to the hour Of his death"
The President and the members of
the cabinet planned to accompany the
body of Mr.. Burke from wright's
undertaking establishment at O'Clock
! this afternoon to Union Station. where
it will be taken to Mr.. Burke's home in
Pittsburgh.
Burial In Pittsburg.
|. Mr.. Burke's body will be taken to
the family home in Pittsburgh this
afternoon by Francis Scott Burke. his
/ son. who arrived in Washington this
morning by automobile. Funeral ar
rangements are being made for burial
, next Friday. Circumstances will pre-
vent the President from journeying to
Pittsburgh to attend the funeral, but
he will be officially represented.
The 65-year-old counsel OF the Ma
tional Committee died Just before IL
o'clock from coronary thrombosis fol-
| lowing a dilation of the heart, which
had evidently occurred earlier.
Mr.. Burke was in the company of
the President at the executive Office
| twice yesterday. First, during the fore
noon, when he called to discuss the
notification ceremonies Thursday night
/ and the speech of acceptance the
President is to deliver on that occasion,
and brief trip abroad he had planned,
| which would prevent him from attend
ing the ceremonies, and again later in
the afternoon. On both occasions
President Hoover noticed that his old
friend was not well, and following the
last chat, he summoned Capt. Joel T.
Boone, White House physician. to take
care of him.
Took Situation Lightly.
Aside from a shortness Of breath and
fatigue Mr. Burke appeared as ener-
getic and genial as usual and was in
clined to laugh-off the Presidents con-
Germ and his instructions to DR.. Boone
Mr. Burke told about his having felt
badly during his train journey from
Pittsburgh the night before. He said
he had suffered from shortnesS of
breath and was unable to sleep. He
smilingly told how he had spent most
of the night pacing up and down the
| aisle Of his sleeping car.
A curSory examination by DR.. Boone
showed that Mr.. Burke had a serious
heart ailmont. Mr.. Burke was then in
his room at the Willard Hotel where
he had gone from the White House in
! the automobile of Theodore Joslin, one
of the Presidents secretaries. DIR.
Boone ordered Mr. Burke to the hos
pital and a more thorough examination
showed coronary thrombosis. He died
a few hours later 1t was said that
he never lost consciousness until the
end.
In the meantime Mr.. Burke's family
in Pittsburgh had been notified Of the
seriousness of his condition, and his son
Immediately started by automobile for
this city. Besides his son, Mr. Burke is
survived by his widow and daughter,
all residing in Pittsburgh.
Looked Forward to Trip.
Mr.. Burke and his wife had made
! reservations on the Leviathan scheduled
to sail from New York tomorrow, and
to every one with whom he talked yes
terday while in Washington he spoke
with an almost boyish enthusiasm of
the pleasure he was looking forward to
on this brief vacation. He kept refer
ring to it as little loaf and rest be-
fore going to work in the campaign"
Mr.. Burke yesterday talked with the
same enthusiasm about Mr.. Hoover and
the party prospects, but it was notice
| able that he lacked something of his
customary vigor. His shortness of
breath, too, was very perceptible Sew
eral times during his chat with news
paper correspondents after his first
conference yesterday with the President
he was forced to stop for breath
He left the White House to attend to
some business at National Committee
headquarters and to lunch with friends
and returned to the White House later
in the afternoon. He appeared quite
tlreo on MS second VlSlt.
Native Of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Burke, a native of Venango
County, Pennsylvania. and for many
years a prominent resident of Pitts
burgh, where he had built up lucra-
tive law practice, was a familiar figure
about Washington and the White House.
Mr.. Burke's journeys back and forth
from Pittsburgh we're frequent since
Mr.. Hoover has been President. Often
he lived at the White House during
these visits.
Throughout Mr.. Hoover's campaign
in 1928. Mr.. Burke was close by his
side. His purpose was to give to his
friend, the Republican nominee, the
benefit of his long experience in politics.
He occupied a room adjoining that OF
Mr. Hoover while the latter conducted
his campaign headquarters on MaSsa-
chusettS avenue.
His trips to Washington were especially
frequent Just prior to the Republican
and Immediately afterward. He took
leading part in working cut plans for
the convention Itself and since IN map
ping out the campaign.
Linked Past and Present.
lHe phSSlHB VI Jimmy DuIAc, ao
he was so familiarly known In political
and business circles, removes one who
has long since been described as the
connecting link between the present Re-
publican Organization and the organ
izaticn of the days of Mark Hanna,
Matt Quay Tom Platt, Boies Penrose
and Uncle Joe" Cannon. He had
served his apprenticeship in practical
politics under these national political
leaders. This was especially true of
Quay and Penrose.
His long experience in politics, which
began in his early twenties, brought to
the party leadership of the present day
a sagacity and shrewdness as well as a
knowledge thatwas of the greatest
value. Besides his knowledge of poll
tics and his capacity as a parliament
tartan he was an engaging orator and
he had been scheduled to make a num-
Of