Of all the murders that one reads about in the Victorian newspapers, none are so effecting as those of children, particularly when the perpetrator turned out to be one of the parents of the victim.
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, on Sunday the 12th of February, 1888, reported on a case of murder that, even today, elicits feelings of deep pity and anger in equal measure:-
MURDER BY DR. WILLIAM BURKE
An inquest concerning the death of Aileen Burke, aged nine years, who was shot dead by her father, Dr. William Henry Emerie Burke, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, on Saturday night, was held by Mr. Taylor, coroner at the Pheasant Inn, Monk Bretton, on Monday.
Jane Burke, mother of the deceased, identified the body, and said that on Saturday night her husband came in after nine o’clock, and said that he would take the deceased to the pantomime at Barnsley.
DROVE TO THE INN
The child was in bed at the time, but she got up, and the three of them got into a trap, and her husband drove to the Norman Inn, where they entered the best room, and Dr. Burke called for a bottle of champagne.
The deceased was sitting on his knee, and she (Mrs. Burke), seeing that her husband had had too much to drink, left the room and spoke to Police-constable Elmslie, who was in the passage.
HEARD A GUNSHOT
While talking to the officer, she heard the report of a pistol, and on entering the room she saw her child lying dead on the floor, and her husband lying on a long settle.
Her husband was attended by Dr. Sadler, and subsequently removed to Barnsley.
THE LANDLORD’S TESTIMONY
George Taylor, landlord of the Norman inn, deposed that Dr. Burke had been in his house in the afternoon a few hours before the occurrence.
Some slight altercation had arisen with respect to the change given for the champagne, and he heard Mrs. Burke say, “You are to give me the change,” and also exclaim, “You coward.”
During the afternoon, the witness had seen Dr. Burke kneel at the table and write with a pencil.
THE DOCTOR’S EVIDENCE
Dr. J. Blackburn, who made the post-mortem examination, stated that death was instantaneous, the ball having passed through the child’s heart and lungs.
Police Constable Elmslie deposed to finding the revolver on the floor of the apartment. It had six chambers, four of which were loaded.
WILLFUL MURDER
The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of “Wilful murder” against Dr. Burke; and the coroner made out the usual warrant of committal on the capital charge against the doctor, who is still ill the Barnsley hospital, and making satisfactory progress towards recovery.
SENTENCED TO DEATH
At his subsequent trial Dr. Burke was found guilty and was sentenced to death.
However, in May, 1888, the Home Secretary, Sir Henry Matthews issued a reprieve and Burke was sent to Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight.
DEATH OF DR. BURKE
In its edition of Saturday the 7th of December, 1888, The Leek Times published the following article about his ultimate fate:-
William henry Burke, surgeon, of Monk Bretton, who murdered his daughter in that village in February last year, and was sentenced to death at Leeds Assizes, and then reprieved, has died at Parkhurst prison, Isle of Wight.
After committing the murder he shot himself, inflicting a serious wound in his breast, from which he never thoroughly recovered.
Last week, his solicitor at Barnsley was officially informed that Burke, owing to the delicate state of his health, was about to be released.
It was arranged that he should be given into the care of his friends, but he was too ill to travel, became worse, and died in prison.