Episode 535: Florence Burns and the Murder of Walter Brooks
Feb 5, 2024
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Guest Florence Burns, a nineteen-year-old sometimes-girlfriend with a tumultuous relationship, was suspected in the murder of Walter Brooks. Despite evidence, she was never charged. The case reflects the influence of class, gender, and technological advances on the law. The podcast examines the cultural changes of the time, the rebellious youth culture, and Florence's ability to escape justice. The chapters cover topics such as Florence's background, the Bedford Avenue gang, the turbulent relationship between Florence and Walter, escalating tensions, questionable identification, and the unsolved death of Florence.
The podcast explores the influence of class, gender, and technological advances on the application of the law in the United States in the early 1900s.
The Bedford Avenue gang, known for their extravagant lifestyle and petty crimes, played a significant role in the turbulent relationship between Florence Burns and Walter Brooks.
Florence Burns' desperation to maintain her extravagant lifestyle and avoid scandal led her to make increasingly desperate attempts to secure her future with Walter, culminating in a deadly confrontation.
The court's inability to convict Florence of Walter's murder highlights the controversial concept of the 'unwritten law' and its potential application in her defense.
Deep dives
The Bedford Avenue gang: A group of wealthy, rebellious young people in early 20th century New York
The Bedford Avenue gang was a group of affluent young men and women in early 1900s New York who engaged in petty crimes and rebellious behavior for the thrill of it. They wore flamboyant outfits and carried weapons like heavy canes and baseball bats. The gang's main goal was to get money from unsuspecting citizens, primarily shopkeepers, and they were known for their extravagant lifestyle and wild parties at Coney Island dance halls. The gang's informal leader, Ted Bures, was involved in violent acts, while Walter Brooks, another member, was more inclined towards scams and schemes. Florence Burns, a young woman from a strict immigrant family, was drawn to the gang, specifically Walter, and they engaged in a turbulent relationship filled with threats and manipulation. Florence's parents disapproved of the relationship and kicked her out of the house multiple times, hoping that Walter would marry her. However, Walter, accustomed to his privileged lifestyle, remained noncommittal and sought ways to end the relationship without facing her wrath.
Florence's desperation to marry Walter and the escalating tensions in their relationship
Despite Walter's lack of interest in marriage, Florence was relentless in pressuring him to marry her. She made bold declarations of love and even threatened violence towards Walter if he refused. She moved in and out of boarding houses and her parents' home, each time hoping that Walter would commit to marrying her. Both families disapproved of the relationship, but Florence's desperation to maintain her extravagant lifestyle and avoid scandal pushed her to make increasingly desperate attempts to secure her future with Walter. However, Walter, tired of the constant pressure and manipulation, had already started dating another girl, further complicating their relationship.
The facade crumbles: failed wedding plans and mounting tensions
Florence's attempts to convince Walter to marry her failed when a planned wedding at a church was rejected. Walter's indifference towards marriage, coupled with his growing interest in another girl, led him to avoid committing to Florence. This caused further disagreements and confrontations, as Florence's desires clashed with Walter's lack of interest in a long-term commitment. Walter's parents also became frustrated with Florence's behavior and urged him to end the relationship, fearing the consequences of their son getting entangled with a manipulative and volatile person like her. Amidst their mounting tensions, Florence's parents continued to kick her out of the house on multiple occasions, believing that marriage was the only solution to salvage her reputation and their family's respectability.
The dilemma and impending consequences of their relationship
As the relationship between Florence and Walter reached a breaking point, both realized the stakes involved in their decision. Florence faced the possibility of being cut off by her parents financially, losing her lavish lifestyle and the fear of scandal if her pregnancy suspicions were true. Walter, on the other hand, was concerned about the relentless demands and wrath of Florence if he didn't comply with her wishes. Finding himself torn between leaving the toxic relationship and being responsible for Florence if she ended up on the street, the couple reached a critical moment where a decision about their future would have severe consequences for both.
Florence Burns and Walter Brooks: A Troubled Relationship
The podcast episode delves into the complicated relationship between Florence Burns and Walter Brooks. Despite Walter's assurances to end things with his current partner, Florence becomes increasingly suspicious and confrontational. The tension escalates when Walter and Florence check into a hotel, resulting in Walter being found unconscious with a gunshot wound to the head. The case against Florence is examined, but due to weak evidence and flawed witness identification, the court is unable to convict her of the murder.
The Unwritten Law and the Legal Challenges
The episode explores the concept of the 'unwritten law' and its potential application in Florence's case. This unwritten law allowed a person to kill someone who had dishonored or harmed their loved ones. While the evidence against Florence was circumstantial and lacked significant proof, the defense utilized this law to argue for self-defense. The judge's decision ultimately hinged on the questionable witness identification and the circumstances under which statements were obtained from Florence.
Florence's Spiraling Life and Final Years
The podcast delves into the aftermath of the case and Florence's life following her release from prison. She attempts to capitalize on her notoriety by pursuing a stage career, but fails miserably. Florence faces more legal troubles, including running a badger game and violating gun laws. Her life continues to spiral downward, marked by heavy drinking, public scenes, and failed relationships. Ultimately, Florence's final years remain a mystery, as her death is reported without a cause, leaving behind a story of a troubled woman in the shadow of a murder.
When twenty-year-old Walter Brooks was found dead from a bullet to the head on Valentine’s Day 1902, suspicion immediately fell on Brooks’ nineteen-year-old sometimes-girlfriend, Florence Burns. The two were known to have a tumultuous relationship and had fought violently on the morning of his death, and there was considerable evidence indicating that Burns had been in the hotel room at the time of Brooks’ murder. However, despite all the evidence indicating guilt, Florence Burns was never brought to trial for Brooks’ murder or even formally charged with a crime, and Walter Brooks murder officially remains an unsolved case in New York.
While the story of Walter Brooks and Florence Burns is relatively uncomplicated in terms of the crime around which the story is built, the story is a remarkable illustration of the ways in which things like class, gender, and technological advances can influence and even shape how the law is applied in the United States. Indeed, at the time of the murder, the nation was undergoing incredibly social and cultural changes as a result of dramatically expanded transportation and communication technology, giving rise to a youth culture the likes of which had never been seen in the nation prior. That youth culture and the rebelliousness it produced in many young wealthy Americans played a direct role, not only in Walter’s life and death, but also in the socio-cultural perspectives and Victorian beliefs that allowed Florence to get away with murder.
Thank you to the wondrous Dave White of Bring me the Axe Podcast & 99 Cent Rental for Research!
References
Evening World. 1902. "Denised she shot broker in hotel." Evening World, February 15: 1.
Ferranti, Seth. 2019. The Affluenza Murder Case That Shocked America 100 Years Ago. March 15. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3meyv/the-affluenza-murder-case-that-shocked-america-100-years-ago.
McConnell, Virginia A. 2019. The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York. Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press.
New York Times. 1902. "Brooks murder case ends." New York Times, May 21: 5.
—. 1903. "Florence Burns on the stage." New York Times, February 15: 10.
—. 1902. "Jerome on Burns case." New York Times, March 25: 7.
—. 1902. "Man shot, girl arrested ." New York Times, February 16: 3.
New York Tribune. 1910. "Florence Burns again in hands of police." New York Tribune, September 21: 1.
