Al Capone and His American Boys: Memoirs of a Mobster's Wife

19 “Killer” Burke on the Lam

A rap on the door late one night broke the peace and quiet that had reigned in our home for weeks. When I opened the door I was startled. The man before me was a stranger. He had a turned up nose, and a bristling mustache that poorly concealed a hair-lip. It was the last item that helped bring recognition when he said, “Georgette, invite me in.” ItwasFredBurke’svoice,andalthoughIstoodasideandmutelymotioned for him to enter, he was the last man in the world I wanted to see. For Killer Burke was the most sought man in the country, and in spite of his old friendship with us, I could not help but feel that he did us an injustice by coming to our home and exposing us to possible apprehension . Burke made himself at home, and as he lounged in an easy chair I marveled at his changed appearance. The only two words I could think of to describe his appearance were “imbecilic” and “insipid.” In physique too he was changed. He was paler, he drooped and lacked his old vitality, and there was something cringing about him— reminding me of a dog that expects to be struck. When I saw him shiver occasionally it came to me he was a victim of shattered nerves, and as he told of his wanderings to evade capture I realized that the desperate, swaggering “Killer” was just an ordinary man after all who was being swept under in the backwash of his own foolhardiness. 19 “Killer” Burke on the La m 114 “Killer” Burke on the Lam 115 He said he had been in hiding near Green City, Missouri, at the home of Harvey Bailey’s relatives. When Gus came home he was only momentarily joyful at meeting an old friend, then angered that Burke had taken advantage of us. After telling Burke off, he asked him what he wanted. Burke explained that he had to have an automobile, but was afraid to undertake to make a deal for one. The next day Gus told the syndicate men of Burke’s unexpected reappearance , and since everyone knew that Burke’s presence was dangerous to them all, they were not hard to convince that the easiest way out was to buy Burke a new car and send him on his way. But Burke showed not the slightest intention of leaving. It was evident that the presence of friends gave him a certain feeling of security that comes to nearly all people in circumstances when they feel that strength comes from shoulders to lean on. Fred Burke probably felt secure for the first time in many days, for he knew he did not risk exposure while with us, and he was acquainted with Murphy’s wife, who was our maid. Behind the drawn blinds of the apartment he appeared to have settled down for an indefinite stay. He tried to bolster up his faltering courage by drinking copious quantities of whisky. His drinking began on rising in the morning and continued into the night. Hisdrinksweresofrequenthegaveupbotheringtomixthemoneat atime.Hewouldemptyapintofliquorinapitcher,throwinthechipped ice, fill the pitcher with ginger ale, and pour highballs until the pitcher was empty. Then he would prepare another. Partofthetimehespentinfrontoftheradio,hispitcherathiselbow. Then seemingly overcome with nervousness, he would pace the floor, carrying his glass in his hand. Many of his trips took him to the windows where he would stand for minutes peeping through a crack in the blinds. Although“Killer”Burkehadbecomealmostastrangertome,Icould see his old tendencies crop out whenever a woman passed the house. His eyes would narrow, he would draw one end of his mustache between his 116 al capone and his american boys teeth, and chew at it until the woman was out of sight. Then he would heave a deep sigh, take a swig of his highball, and move back to the radio. Burke’s presence frightened me, and his actions drove me to distraction . He complained querulously about everything. Repeatedly I asked Gus to make him leave, but although Gus was as anxious to get rid of him as I was, he was as loyal to him as he was to his other friends. There is no way of knowing how long Burke would have lingered out of fancied security if he had not received a scare one night that started him longing for a new hiding place. Gus was at the syndicate office and it was long past...