Kimberly Tilley - Cold Heart: The Great Unsolved Mystery of Turn of the Century Buffalo

Cold Heart

The Great Unsolved Mystery of Turn of the Century Buffalo

Kimberly Tilley

Copyright Kimberly Tilley 2020

Black Rose Writing | Texas

2020 by Kimberly Tilley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

The final approval for this literary material is granted by the author.

First digital version

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Print ISBN: 978-1-68433-604-3

PUBLISHED BY BLACK ROSE WRITING

www.blackrosewriting.com

Print edition produced in the United States of America

Thank you so much for reading one of Kimberly Tilley s novels.

If you enjoyed the experience, please check out our recommended title for your next great read !

The Poisoned Glass by Kimberly Tilley

A great read and a fascinating retelling of a long-forgotten murder, that still resonates to this very day

for anybody interested in the history of the Silk City!

Mark S. Auerbach, City Historian, Passaic, New Jersey

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully thanks:

Dr. Richard Levy , whose guidance inspired me to write this book,

Charles Tilley and Cynthia Van Ness , Director of Library & Archives at the Buffalo History Museum, for generously sharing their specialized expertise,

Furman Walker , Kristin Sherry , Margaret Tilley , Harpreet Singh , Charlene Nuval , and Alexis Keenan for their excellent, thoughtful feedback that so vastly improved this book,

Ruwaida and Jamal Haddad , Isatu Bah , Amy McManus , Mayling and Dr. Lee , Emanuela Neagu , Todd Benson , Lily Suk , KT Thomas , Ashlee Wilkins , Blanca Batlle , Curt Peterson , Madeline Khurma , Loreen Brown , Jennifer-Bullock Shone , Patricia Rice , L.A. Townsend , Crystal Davies , Annick Strang , Nadia Buchko , and Alexandra Balestrieri for their friendship, enthusiasm, and advice,

Marcie Dean , for her encouragement and wisdom,

Mary Ginter , Beverly Pittenger , and Sylvia and GA Wagner , for supporting my writing,

Beth Crosby , whose editing talent is unsurpassed,

Reagan Rothe , founder of Black Rose Writing, for his partnership and innovative ideas,

Kristin Sherry , for her unshakeable confidence in me,

And always, great love and gratitude to Mom and Pop.

Author Note

This is the true story of one of the great unsolved murder mysteries of the early days of the twentieth century. The facts are presented as they unfolded during the investigation.

In 1903, the competition for readers amongst the large metropolitan daily papers was fierce. Newspaper editors featured sensationalized, exaggerated, and scandalous content with lurid headlines designed to seize potential readers attention. Errors were common, and often rival newspapers covered the same event with significant factual differences.

This book is nonfiction and relies heavily on contemporaneous newspaper accounts. To ensure accuracy, the key facts related here were corroborated by multiple sources.

Table of Contents

Part 1

A Glittering Life in The City of Light

At the turn of the century, Buffalo, New York was ascendant. Its rapid growth was due, in part, to the city s importance as a strategic shipping location at the intersection of Lake Erie and the Niagara River. Immigrant laborers flocked to the city for jobs in the grain mills, lumber yards, and wire works. By 1900, the city s population swelled to more than 350,000 residents, making it the eighth largest city in the United States.

Buffalo hosted the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, and for the first time, the city stood in the international spotlight. The exposition was a display of human ingenuity in a classically beautiful setting. Hydroelectric power generated by nearby Niagara Falls illuminated the grounds with electricity, and dazzled visitors nicknamed Buffalo the City of Light.

The exposition was also the tragic scene of President William McKinley s assassination. The popular president was shot twice by anarchist Leon Czolgosz during a public event at the Temple of Music. President McKinley was seriously wounded. He was taken to the Milburn House, where he and the first lady were staying during their visit.

When the president was known to be dying, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt rushed to the Milburn House. He arrived too late to see McKinley. Instead, he was sworn into office as the nation s president in the city of Buffalo, having served in the McKinley administration less than 200 days.

The country knew comparatively little about their new president, but they were hopeful. Roosevelt was truly a man of the age: optimistic, tough, and adventurous. It seemed apropos for this president to be sworn into office in a city that stood on the precipice of greatness.

In addition to attracting consequential visitors, Buffalo was home to many notable residents. Edwin Burdick was one of the city s most distinguished citizens. In 1903, the 40-year-old father of three was a success in every sense of the word.

Generous and friendly, Ed was a self-made man. He had started his career as a stenographer at an envelope manufacturing plant and worked his way up. When the owner of the plant retired, he sold the business to Ed and another employee, Charles Parke. Under their leadership, Buffalo Envelope Co. became one of the largest manufacturers of envelopes in the country. They produced more than 400,000 envelopes a day and employed seventy workers. Ed was also the president of his own publishing company, E. L. Burdick & Co.

Ed s physical stature was small, and his temperament humble. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family and had a lively interest in the lives of his friends. He was often described as an unusually compassionate man.

Ed married Alice Hull in 1885. Allie, as she was known to close friends and family, was a petite woman known for her impeccable taste in clothing. The Burdicks had three daughters: Marion, age 15; Carol, age 13; and Alice, age 10. Mrs. Burdick s parents lived with the family until the death of her father in 1899. James Hull left no money behind to support his widow, but thanks to her son-in-law s success, Mrs. Hull was financially secure. She remained with the family and helped to care for the girls.

The Burdicks lived in a large, beautiful home on fashionable Ashland Avenue in the Elmwood Village neighborhood, near Millionaire s Row. The family employed a full time cook and a maid, who lived on the third floor of the home.

101 Ashland Avenue

The names Alice and Edwin Burdick were fixtures in the society columns that chronicled the activities of the local gentry. Their names appear in numerous stories about upper crust dances, weddings, teas, and receptions, often accompanied by a description of the gown Alice wore to the event.

Ed and Alice were part of an insulated social group of about 20 wealthy couples, whom the press called the Elmwood Avenue set. The group frequented the Red Jacket Golf Club, of which Ed was honorary president, and the Elmwood Avenue Dance Club.