Fulton County GaArchives Obituaries.....Burdett, Walter W. January 6, 1915 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meredith Clapper http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002801 June 12, 2007, 8:05 am The Atlanta Constitution 6 & 7 Jan 1915 The Atlanta Constitution 6 Jan 1915 Burdett Shoots Himself on Roof to Avoid Arrest Was Wanted by County Police and Was Being Hotly Pursued When He Jumped From Roof of 21 West Baker to Roof of Woman's Club Hook and Ladder Removes the Body Carl Burdett, Brother of the Young Man, Was Bound over Tuesday in the Municipal Court on Charge of Auto Stealing. A few seconds after he had jumped from the roof of 21 West Baker street to the roof of the Woman's club next door, two pistol shots rang out, and Walter Burdett, aged 20 years, wanted on the charge of stealing automobiles, and hotly pursued by County Policemen T J Davis and A J Carroll, fell to the roof with a gaping wound in his body which was self-inflicted. Death was instant. The bullet penetrated the heart. Prior to firing the fatal shot the young man fired at one of the county officers. Shortly after the shot was fired Dr. Robert Grambling phone to the fire department and the hook and ladder responded and removed the body of the young man. Walter Burdett was the brother of Carl Burdett, who was yesterday bound over in the municipal court on the charge of stealing automobiles. They lived on State street. County Policemen Davis and Carroll had been pursuing Burdett all day. Shortly before 1 o'clock they traced him to 21 West Baker street. The occupant of this house refused to grant them permission to enter. Thereupon they telephoned the chief of police, who told them to go into the house regardless of the occupant. A moment later young Burdett was seen to leap from the roof of 21 West Baker to the roof of the Woman's club next door, a distance of eight feet. Two shots rang out. The county and city police present at the time state that they did not fire, and supposition is that the young man shot himself rather than be captured. ------- The Atlanta Constitution 7 Jan 1915 Burdett Killed Self, Verdict of Coroner Bullet was 32 Caliber-Policeman Carried 38 Caliber Revolver. That Walter Burdett killed himself on the roof of the Atlanta Woman's club, 11 West Baker street, early Wednesday morning to escape arrest by the county police, who were pursuing him, was the verdict of the coroner's jury, which held an inquest at Greenburg & Bond's' undertaking chapel Wednesday at noon. John Burdett, father of the dead man, did not believe the story of the police, that his son had shot himself after leaping from the roof of his own home to the roof of the Woman's club. County Policeman Jack Carroll admitted, under oath, that he had shot at Burdett, but that he did not think he had hit him. Burdett is said to have then fired at the policeman, who rolled off the roof immediately to the gutter beneath. A minute later, witnesses say, Burdett's revolver flashed a second time, when, it is believed, he shot himself through the heart. The father was pushing the probing of the pistol duel on the roofs of the two buildings until Dr. J W Hurt, county physician, testified that the bullet which killed Burdett was of 32 caliber, while the officer's pistol is a 38 caliber. Burdett only recently married, and his young bride was in the house from which he had leaped to the Woman's club building. Additional Comments: 1910 Fulton Co., GA 5th ward Atlanta ed 83 309 Fifth Burdette, James T head 25 married 7 yrs GA/GA/GA painter steeple climber oa rent Maggie M wife 24 mother of 3, 3 living Mildred L dau 5 Mabel E dau 3 Margaret? H dau 10/12 Walter W brother 19 painter steeple climber wage Does anyone know who he married? File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/fulton/obits/b/burdett9914ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb