Introduction
IDA BURTON was born in New Jersey in February of 1873. It is quite possible that she is the same person recorded in the 1880 Census as Ida Jenkins, daughter of Kassie Jenkins, and granddaughter of Benjamin Jenkins, of 707 Kaighn Avenue. By April of 1892 she had taken up with William Randolph Whitler, alias Randolph Stokes. Both Ida and Randolph liked to drink, and apparently both had some anger issues. Randolph was arrested for assault at least five times, three of these being incidents where he took a knife or razor to Ida. Ida apparently was no shrinking violet either. Someone tried to poison her at a dance in 1896.
The 1897 City Directory shows Ida and Randolph Whitler at 624 Kaighn Avenue. They are not listed in the 1898 edition. Randolph Whitler was sent to state prison for assaulting his wife in 1898. By the spring of 1900 he was out of jail.
1899 and 1900 City Directories show Ida and Randolph were living together at 714 Sycamore Street when the Census was taken. They apparently had been married in 1892, although she apparently rarely used the Whitler name, as best as I can tell. A daughter, Jennie had been born prior to the 1895 State Census enumeration, but the identity of her father is unclear. She died prior to the 1900 Census being taken.
By 1902, with her husband staying in Philadelphia, Ida was living with a man named James Brown, of 337 Summit Avenue. According to Ida, she stabbed him to death with a bread knife after he tried to brain her with a chair. She then went to Philadelphia, where her husband briefly hid her, before going to Media, Pennsylvania.
Ida Burton was arrested in Media and extradited back to New Jersey for trial. In January of 1905 she was convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison for five years. Ida Burton was paroled on December 28, 1908.
Philadelphia Inquirer — November 6, 1891
Albert Holland — Ida Burton
Philadelphia Inquirer — April 8, 1892
Stabbed His Wife
And Is Afterwards Shot by a Hotel Keeper in Camden.
William Whitler, alias Randolph Stokes, of Sixth and Chestnut streets, Camden, stabbed his wife, Ida Burton, twice in the back about 6 o’clock last night. After being cut Mrs. Burton escaped, and Whitler ran into the Blue Anchor Hotel, 625 Sycamore Street, and told Albert Holland, the proprietor, he wanted his wife. Holland, who was entertaining two young women, told him she was not there. Whitler began using insulting language, and Holland ordered him to leave the house.
Whitler then pulled out a knife and rushed at Holland, who ran down stairs into the bar-room, and as Whitler made a thrust at him he picked up a club and knocked him senseless.
A messenger was dispatched for an officer, but before he arrived Whitler regained consciousness and made another attack on Holland, who picked up his revolver and shot Whitler in the left cheek bone. The wound is not serious.
Holland went to the City Hall last night and surrendered himself. Whitler, who is wanted by the authorities in Philadelphia, for cutting a man on Hurst street about two years ago, was also arrested.
Mrs. Burton was in a dangerous condition last night having lost considerable blood from her wounds. All participants are colored.
Philadelphia Inquirer — April 9, 1892
Albert Holland — Ida Burton
Philadelphia Inquirer — August 3, 1892
Named: Randolph Whitler, Harry Pease, Cramer Hill, Emily Vandyke, E.E. Jefferis, Legion of the Red Cross, and William A. Drake.
Philadelphia Inquirer — December 15, 1894
John Painter — Ida Burton
Woman Slashed With a Razor
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Camden Daily Telegram — October 19, 1897
TAYLOR SHOT TO KILL HIM
Sumner Derrickson Dangerously Wounded During a Row.
THEY FOUGHT OVER A WOMAN.
The Participants All Had Their Guns and Knives Ready to Murder.
CAPTURED AFTER A HARD CHASE.
The Man Who Did the Shooting Ran from Seventh and Sycamore Streets to the Federal Street Ferry With an Excited, Yelling Mob at His Heels—A Ferryboat Held Until the Police Arrived and Took the Fleeing Man Into Custody—The Wounded Man and His Brother Known as Bad Men.
Robert, alias Charles Taylor, colored, made a desperate attempt last night to murder Sumner Derrickson. Taylor is locked up at the City Hall and Derrickson is at the Cooper Hospital with a bullet wound in his abdomen. The doctors there say that Derrickson is resting easily to-day and that he is in no immediate danger of dying. Taylor claims that he shot Derrickson in self defense.
ROW OVER A WOMAN.
The shooting was the outcome of jealousy. Taylor and Charles Derrickson and the latter’s brother, Marwood “Sweeney” Derrickson, were gambling in a house on Baxter Street, between Ann and Seventh streets. A dispute arose and Taylor says that the Derricksons, who are known as bad men, chased him from the house. Sumner Derrickson, Taylor says, had a gun, and Sweeney Derrickson had a knife. At Seventh and Sycamore Streets Taylor states that he found his pursuers were pressing him too closely. He turned as he ran and drawing his pistol fired at the two men. The bullet struck Sumner Derrickson in the abdomen and he fell to the ground with a groan. Sweeney stopped to look after his wounded brother and Taylor continued his flight.
SURGEONS FOUND THE BALL.
The wounded man was taken to the Cooper Hospital where the surgeons found the bullet had taken an upward course and lodged beneath the skin in Derrickson’s chest. The ball was extracted and Derrickson was made as comfortable as possible for the night.
The news of the attempted murder spread rapidly and the police were notified at once. An alarm was sent throughout the city and every effort was exerted to capture Taylor who had fled from the scene of the shooting as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran down to Kaighn Avenue with the evident intention of taking a ferryboat to Philadelphia where he lives. The crowd that followed him, however, prevented Taylor making his escape in that direction. Like a hunted animal he turned up Second street toward the northern section of the city. The crowd increased each moment and the excitement of the chase became intense.
EXCITEMENT WAS INTENSE.
Policeman Charles H. Fitzsimmons III joined the throng which by this time was yelling “Catch the murderer” and “Lynch him.” People who were retiring threw up their windows in alarm thinking that the police and the crowd were in pursuit of another man suspected of the double murder of Mrs. Zane and Mrs. Shaw of week ago. The chase grew hot along Second street, but Taylor proved himself fleet of foot and reached the Federal street ferry in time to catch the 10.45 p. m. boat.
POLICE CAPTURE TAYLOR.
Collector Andrew Blair Frazee had been notified of the attempted murder and recognized Taylor as the man wanted. He instructed Gateman William Barnard to hold the boat while he sent word to the police that Taylor was at the ferry. The patrol wagon was sent there in a hurry.
In the meantime Policemen Al. Myers and George Cable had arrived and Policeman Fitzsimmons arrived a second later almost winded by his long run. Two respectable colored porters were taken into custody at first, but the policemen soon discovered their mistake and found Taylor crouched up in one corner of the boat. Policeman Fitzsimmons recognized Taylor by a scar on his neck and quickly grabbed him by the throat. The fellow made no resistance and was taken to the waiting patrol wagon by the three officers. Here he was hustled into the vehicle and sent to the City Hall. When arrested the revolver with which the shooting was done was found in Taylor’s pocket, but that individual had cutely reloaded the empty chambers as he ran so as to destroy what evidence there was against him.
Derrickson, brother of Sumner, was formerly of the firm of Reed & Derrickson who several years ago ran the notorious negro resort known as Olive Park where John Hill, a colored youth, shot Joseph Dodson, also colored. Hill afterwards was hanged for his crime and the police broke up the den where the tragedy occurred.
TAYLOR GIVEN A HEARING.
Taylor was given a hearing this morning by Mayor John L. Westcott. The complaint was made by John Foster and accused Taylor of assaulting, shooting and attempting to kill Derrickson. Lawyer Jackson appeared for the defendant.
Edward Fortie, one of the men who was with Derrickson when the shooting occurred, stated that he did not see the first shot, but when the second and third shots were fired Taylor was starting down Kaighn Avenue. Fortie and Jordon, with Derrickson, then started to run.
Ida Burton said she saw Taylor and Lawrence Anderson talking at Seventh and Baxter Streets. Taylor went slowly toward Derrickson and suddenly pulled a revolver from his pocket and fired point blank at his victim. When questioned by the Mayor she said she saw all of the shots, but when cross-examined by Lawyer Jackson she denied having seen the firing of the first shot.
Aubrey Thompson, who was about fifteen yards distant, said he saw the first shot fired at some one setting back of the station at Seventh and Kaighn Avenue. He then saw Taylor go down Kaighn Avenue.
Several other witnesses were heard who said they saw the shots fired, but who were not positive as to whom they were directed at.
Policemen Al Myers and George Cable, who made the arrest, said they found the man on a Federal street ferryboat hiding behind an ash cart. Taylor said he had no revolver, but on the way to the City Hall Patrolman Richard Golden found a 32-calibre revolver with three loaded chambers.
Mayor Westcott held Taylor to await the result of Derrickson’s injuries.
Philadelphia Inquirer — May 3, 1898
Named: E.A. Armstrong, Harry Darr, William Brown, Michael Keefe, James Kilroy, and Randolph Whitler.
Over in Camden
Philadelphia Inquirer —
1900 United States Census
1900 United States Census — Ida Burton
Omaha World-Herald — November 9, 1904
Killed in Camden
By Associated Press. Camden, Nov. 8.—During an election row here to-night James Brown, aged 41 years, colored, was struck in the head with a club and died later in Cooper hospital. No arrests have been made.
Philadelphia Inquirer — November 10, 1904
Named: James Brown, Dr. Paul N. Litchfield, Summit Avenue, Ida Burton, and Dr. William S. Jones.
Philadelphia Inquirer — November 12, 1904
Named: James Brown, Dr. Paul N. Litchfield, Ida Burton, and Philip Schmitz.
Philadelphia Inquirer — November 13, 1904
Named: James Brown, John Cherry, Ida Burton, and Summit Avenue.
Philadelphia Inquirer — November 19, 1904
Requisition for Burton Woman
County Detective Smith went to Trenton yesterday, where he procured requisition papers for Ida Burton, colored, who is wanted in Camden to answer a charge of causing the death of James Brown, also colored, who died election night from a wound in the head. The woman will be removed from Media, Pa., to Camden to-day.
Woman Charged With a Murder
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Philadelphia Inquirer — December 22, 1904
Charles G. Garrison — Ida Burton
Illinois State Journal — December 27, 1904
House of Murder Haunted
Negroes Say Strange Occurrences Happen Nightly in Building.
Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 26.—Negroes in the lower part of the city declare the building where James Brown was recently killed is haunted. After dark not a soul will pass, and the midnight hours are undisturbed. Since Brown met his death, for which no solution was made, the colored residents avow there are nocturnal visitants in the old building.
Philadelphia Inquirer — January 10, 1905
Charles G. Garrison — Ida Burton
Philadelphia Inquirer — January 17, 1905
Charles G. Garrison — Ida Burton
Philadelphia Inquirer — January 19, 1905
Named: James Brown, Sophronia Brown, Ida Burton, Randolph Whitler, and Charles V.D. Joline.
Philadelphia Inquirer — January 24, 1905
Charles G. Garrison — Ida Burton
Philadelphia Inquirer — February 7, 1905
Named: Charles G. Garrison, Ida Burton, and Frank C. Somers.
Philadelphia Inquirer — December 29, 1908
Named: John Baynard, Howard Brown, W.H. Burke, Ida Burton, George P. Gardner, Mamie Lee, Reuben Holmes, William Martle, Samuel McKim, Floyd J. Miller, William Morton, William Davis, John W. Priestly, Antone Sederski, Raymond Waples, and Jeremiah Watson.