Connected To One By Family And The Other By Geography

From Washington, West of the Cascades...


"In 1907 he [Judge Thomas Burke] went abroad, accompanied by his wife and Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Backus*. They sailed on the steamship Minnesota and traveled extensively through the Orient, combining business and pleasure, for the two gentlemen were special commissioners of the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition. Their efforts in that connection were given without compensation and the participation of the Japanese and other oriental peoples in the exposition was brought about through their efforts."

*Manson Franklin (M.F.) Backus was the nephew of my great-great-great grandmother, Laura (Backus) Richmond (Manson's father, Clinton, was Laura's half-brother), and it was his name that caught my attention in the book.  

"In the meantime he (Thomas Burke) had determined upon the law as his life work and in preparation therefore he entered the Michigan State University [sic] at Ann Arbor, although again his period of study was not a continuous one, as it was necessary for him to leave the university at times and continue teaching in order to meet the expense of his college course. He was also a student for a time in the office of a practicing lawyer at Marshall, Michigan, and following his admission to the bar he entered upon active practice in that city. Before a year had passed he was chosen to fill the position of city attorney, which office he continued to fill until his removal to the west in 1875. [He was a student in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1870]

He began the practice of his profession in partnership with John J. McGilvra, a pioneer lawyer who came to Washington territory in 1861, holding an appointment as United States district attorney, given to him by President Lincoln. This partnership did not continue very long, although the two men remained firm friends and Burke became permanently related to McGilvra by winning the heart and hand of his beautiful daughter.

.Before leaving Marshall, Judge Burke had decided that Seattle was to be the place of his future residence." 

United States Census, 1880
Name:     Tho'S Burke
Residence:     Seattle, King, Washington
Birthdate:     1851
Birthplace:     New York, United States
Relationship to Head:     Self
Spouse's Name:     Carrie Burke
Spouse's Birthplace:     Illinois, United States
Father's Birthplace:     Ireland
Mother's Birthplace:     Ireland
Race or Color (Expanded):     White
Occupation:     Lawyer
     Household    Gender    Age
      Tho'S Burke     M     29
Spouse     Carrie Burke     F     21

Reading further about Judge Burke, the references to Michigan State University and Marshall, Michigan, got my attention.  We frequently shop and dine in Marshall, Michigan, from our summer home. (Thomas Burke attended the University of Michigan, not Michigan State University).  Not only did Judge Burke live in my neck of the woods at one time, he toured the Orient with one of my "Backus" relatives.

Sophie (Lyons) Choice - Or Born Into A Life Of Crime

The notorious Sophie Lyons Burke, retired criminal turned philanthropist, was once considered an "Edison or Morgan or Rockefeller of her field." Sophie came to my attention while doing research on Judge Ira Jayne in the Edith Mae Cummings case because Sophie Lyons Burke's probate case was named in conjunction with Judge Jayne.

A book written by Mrs. Lyons Burke, entitled Why Crime Does Not Pay is online.

I had done most of my research when I found a November 2009 article about Sophie here, "From Rogue to Reformer." This article, in addition to being an entertaining account of Sophie's life, provided additional details about her family. Sophie's granddaughter, Esther Bower, was named, as was Esther's mother, Florence (see here in 1903 and here in 1917 for Florence's two marriages to Joseph Bauer/Bower). The article also mentioned that Sophie and her favorite child, Carleton*, were cremated and buried in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit. [Note: Woodmere Cemetery was in the precinct where Jim worked most of his 25 years as a Detroit cop.]

*Carlton Mason [This one?]
Death date: 05 Mar 1922
Death place: Spokane, Spokane, Washington [not Seattle?]
Age at death: 44 years 11 months 1 day
Estimated birth year: 1878
Father's name: Edward Mason
Mother's name: Sophia Van Elken [Sophie's maiden name]
Collection: Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960

This newspaper article (in the Prescott Evening Courier, dated 24 January 1929), regarding Sophie Lyons Burke's estate, mentioned Sophie's daughter, Madeline Brady (who was incompetent) and in the care of a guardian in an English hospital.

A brief bio and drawing of Sophie's husband, Ned Lyons, a renown criminal in his own right, can be found here. (There's also a drawing of their cohort, George Mason; was he the father of Sophie's son, Carlton Mason? Pure speculation on my part).

This article, "Queen of Crooks, mentions Sophie's "Paris" years where she was acquainted with Victor Hugo, George Sand and Guy de Maupassant. One of Sophie's daughters was an opera singer in Paris (Lottie?). Contemporary accounts (May 1889) of Sophie as Madame de Varney can be found here and here.

This paragraph from "The jewelers' circular" (26 July 1899) mentioned that William Burke, alias "Billy The Kid," was arrested in the company on the notorious Sophie Lyons, and that he had previously been arrested in Detroit on suspicion of pulling a "sneak job" at Wright Kay jewelers. Billy was turned over to the Pittsburgh police after his Detroit arrest where he got 2 1/2 years for robbery.

Sophie Lyons Burke was in court in Washtenaw County, Michigan; the court expenses (Oct. 1884) for J. W. Babbitt, Asst. Prosecuting Attorney and D. C. Griffin, justice, were listed here. This bio of Sophie (p. 206) stated that she was engaged in blackmail until 6 Feb 1883 when she was convicted at "Ann Harbor [sic]" (Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., Michigan) where she was convicted for larceny and sentenced to 3 years at the Detroit House of Corrections.

The "retired" Sophie was robbed in Detroit in 1922, according to this New York Times article printed 6 July 1922. Stolen items included diamonds given to Sophie by her son who had recently died in Seattle, according to the article [Carleton?].

A Rogue's Gallery can be found here, including a picture Sophie Lyons Burke and others mentioned in her book.