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Brinks Robbery Suspect Is Convicted of Tavern MurderNEW YORK (* — Elmer “Trigger” Burke, 38-year*old gunman, was convicted last' night of first degree murder for killing a friend in a Manhattan bar three years ago.An all-male jury convicted Burke after deliberating 50 minutes at the end of a 23-day trial. Although sentencing was deferred two weeks, the verdict -carries a mandatory death penalty.Boston authorities, who linked Burke with the spectacular $1,210,-000 Brink’s holdup in I960, sought unsuccessfully to have him turned over to them instead cf standing' trial for the New York killing.One of Burke's four court-appointed attorneys announced the murder decision would be appealed. “This was just a barroom brawl,” he said.If the verdict stands, Burke will be sent to the Sing Sing Prison electric chair.The defense argued that Burke was innocent because of insanity and claimed the state failed to prove that he knew the nature of the alleged crime on July 23, 1952. On that date Burke’s pal, Edward Poochy” Walsh, 23, was shot to death.Burke toslified at the trial he was too drunk to remember even having gone to the bar with Walsh.The state ridiculed the insanity plea and called Walsh’s death “an execution, an assassination of one member of the underworld by another, a cold-blooded assassination.Burke betrayed no emotion as the verdict was given.The wiry World War II Ranger disappeared after the Walsh slaying. Authorities did not get their hands on him until nearly two years later when he was arrested in Boston on charges of possessing a submachine gun.Boston police said the weapon was the one used in an attempt to silence a suspect in -the Brink's hcldup in Boston.Burke was considered by Boston police as an important key to the unsolved Brink's case and also to a $650,000 armored car robbery in Danvers, Mass.On Aug. 28, 1954, Burke escaped from tho Ee«ston jail.One day less than a year later he was recaptured at Folly 3each, S. C., and brought to Now York to face trial on the Walsh murder indictment.
Newspaper Details
Greenville Record Argus
Greenville, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Dec 03, 1955
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Julie B.
ME, USA 28 Aug 2017
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