Edward Austin Burke or Burk (September 13, 1839 – September 24, 1928), was the Democratic State Treasurer of Louisiana following Reconstruction. Burke later fled to Honduras after it was discovered that there were misappropriations of state treasury funds. While in Honduras Burke became a major land owner and held government positions within Honduras' nationalized railway systems. He remained an exile until his death nearly four decades later.
Early life and career Burke, by his own account, was of Irish descent and born in Louisville, Kentucky. He used the name "Burk" until after the Civil War. Burk's initial career started with the railroads. At the age of thirteen he was employed as a railroad telegraph operator in Urbana, Illinois. By the age of seventeen, he had been promoted to a division superintendent. The outbreak of the Civil War found Burke working for a railroad in Texas. On October 7, 1861, he was commissioned as a Confederate officer into Debray's Mounted Battalion. His knowledge of transportation logistics gained through his years of railroad experience resulted in his temporary transfer to Texas' Office of Field Transportation in March 1863. By December of that year the transfer was permanent. Major E.A. Burk commanded the Houston Battalion, Texas Infantry of 145 men. By war's end Burke had reached the rank of major with a duty assignment as Quartermaster and Chief Inspector of Field Transportation, District of Texas. After the war Burke's business career wavered. In Galveston he initially found work as telegraph operator and then as a manager of a cotton factorage. He later teamed up with another former Confederate officer, H. B. Stoddart, and formed the import export firm, Stoddart & Burk. The firm primarily exported cotton and imported liquor. In January 1869, the firm faced tax evasion charges from failure to pay federal taxes due on the imported alcohol. The charges against Burke were eventually dismissed, but the litigation left the firm and Burke in bankruptcy. Burke tried to revitalize his fortunes by being elected the Chief Engineer of Galveston's volunteer fire department.
New Orleans Burke next appears in New Orleans in May 1869. At this point Burke added an "e" to his last name; prior to his arrival in New Orleans, Burke signed his name without an "e". Burke may have been trying to establish a new life in New Orleans and the minor name change may have helped him avoid Galveston creditors and distance himself from the alcohol tax scandal. Throughout his life, Burke also quoted different years of birth. Burke arrived in New Orleans during a commercial convention. He informed local New Orleanians, that he was in town to attend the convention and he was from the engineering firm of Stoddart & Burke. Burke, at first, found odd jobs in New Orleans, but eventually landed a position as a freight agent with the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad. In December 1869, Burke cut all his ties with Galveston, by tendering his resignation as chief engineer of the Galveston Fire Department. In 1874 the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad was reorganized as the New Orleans, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad.
In his newly adopted city Burke developed a friendship with Louis A. Wiltz, at the time, a politically ambitious banker. Burke became deeply involved within Democratic Conservative and white supremacist political circles in New Orleans. In 1872, Burke ran as the Democratic nominee for the city council position of Administrator of Improvements. The nomination of an independent candidate split the conservative vote allowing a Republican to win the post. The 1872 election was not a total loss for Burke, his political mentor, Wiltz, was elected mayor of New Orleans. Over the next decade Burke would become a crucial operative in the rise of the New Orleans Democratic machine. In September 1874 Burke was one of the key figures in the uprising and attempted coup d'état against the racially integrated elected government, known as the Battle of Liberty Place. During the coup, organized by the Crescent City White League, armed men shot firearms and cannons throughout the city in an attempt to terrorize the Republican state leaders from office. Burke was appointed State Registrar of Voters by the insurgency leadership."The Louisiana outrages: Nature of the calm in New Orleans," The New York Times, September 17, 1874. The insurgency lasted three days, with approximately 13 deaths and at least 70 injuries incurred."The Battle of Liberty Place: A Matter of Historical Perception" 64 Parishes The arrival of federal troops restored the previous administration. Nevertheless, tensions within the city of New Orleans remained high for weeks. In October, at a New Orleans intersection, Burke attempted to assault the then Governor William Pitt Kellogg. The altercation escalated into an exchange of pistol fire between the two. Although no one was injured, the attack resulted in the arrest of Burke. At the governor's request, as a sign of peace, Burke was eventually released. In November of that same year Burke again ran for Administrator of Improvements. This time he won. Two years later Burke guided Francis T. Nicholls in his election campaign for governor. The results of this election were in dispute, with both sides claiming victory and accusing the other side of voter fraud. Overshadowing this election was the disputed presidential election of 1876. Burke then went to Washington to take part in the so-called Compromise of 1877; which confirmed a win for the Republican presidential candidate, a win for Louisiana's Democratic governor candidate, and guaranteed removal of federal troops from Louisiana. The Compromise also ratified Burke's friend, Wiltz, as the Lieutenant Governor. This accomplishment earned Burke much political clout. As a reward Burke was appointed State Tax Collector, considered one of the most lucrative offices within the state government.
In 1878, Burke ran for the office of state treasurer and had an easy victory. It became apparent to both Burke and Wiltz that Governor Nicholls aims did not coincide with theirs. The two then began to influence party delegates towards their goals. Because of the rift, Nicholls decided not to seek a second term. Delegates were also persuaded to extend the current term of the state treasurer's office from four to six years and to give the Louisiana Lottery a state charter for 25 years. The Democratic convention ended with Wiltz being the nominee for governor. In the election of 1879 voters elected Wiltz governor, ratified the extended term of the state treasurer's office, and confirmed the 25-year state charter for the Louisiana Lottery. The Louisiana Lottery would prove to be a lightning rod for controversy in the coming years.
Politics, journalism, and defending honor One of the major critics of the Louisiana Lottery was Henry J. Hearsey, the editor of the New Orleans Democrat. Burke and Charles T. Howard, spokesperson and the ipso facto power within the Louisiana Lottery, conspired to financially undermine the Democrat. At the time the Democrat had an abundance of state scrip, earned through state printing contracts. For the most part, the Democrat used this scrip as cash to pay its bills and suppliers. In 1879 Howard brought suit in federal court questioning the use of state scrip in payment of state debts. The court ruled that the scrip had no legal value. The Democrat, unable to satisfy its creditors and facing bankruptcy, was sold to a consortium, consisting of Burke, Howard, and others. Hearsey left the Democrat to become the editor-publisher of the New Orleans Daily States. After the purchase was finalized a second judicial ruling reversed the first decision restoring the value of state scrip. Burke resumed control of the Democrat as its managing editor.
Bad blood between both Burke and Hearsey resulted in a challenge to a duel from Hearsey. On January 25, 1880, both men faced off and exchanged pistol fire. At the conclusion of the duel, neither man was wounded and both considered their honor to be intact.
In 1881, Burke bought out his partners and became the sole owner of the Democrat. On December 4 of that same year, Burke bought the New Orleans Times. He then combined the two newspapers into the Times-Democrat. Burke's newspaper was used to advocate his view of the New South. The Daily Picayune was also highly critical of Burke and his cronies. One stinging article in 1882 accused Burke of improprieties with the treasury funds. Incensed, Burke challenged the editor of the Daily Picayune, C. Harrison Parker, to a duel. Since Parker was challenged, dueling etiquette allowed Parker to select the dueling weapon of choice; Parker chose rifles, but on the actual day of the duel he rethought his decision and chose pistols. Parker was a better shot than Burke's previous opponent and succeeded in seriously wounding Burke in his right thigh.
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