St. Valentine's Day Massacre Connection

Bungalow Residence in Stevensville, Michigan

Bungalow residence in Stevensville

Bungalow residence in Stevensville, Michigan thought to be that of Fred Dane but on December 14, 1929, after St. Joseph Police Officer Charles Skelly was gunned down, it was learned that Fred Dane was actually Fred "Killer" Burke. Residence is located on Red Arrow Highway south of Glenlord Road on the east side of road. Structure is still standing, however has been converted over to the business of Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

Arsenal Inside Burkes HomeWeapons Cache

When Deputies made entry into the residence of Fred "Killer" Burke, they forced open a locked upstairs closet and found:

  • Two Thompson machine guns w/ Nine ammunition drums - One gun was assembled, loaded and ready for instant use while the other was in a black suitcase
  • Five 100-shot .45 caliber drums loaded, many other smaller drums
  • Three 20-shot clips
  • Two high powered rifles, one was Winchester .350 automatic, other was Savage .303
  • One sawed off shotgun with pistol grip
  • Two bags of ammunition estimated at 5,000 shells
  • ½ dozen fruit jars and tin cans filled with misc. ammunition, including smokeless shotgun shells, shells loaded with iron slugs and small shot.
  • ½ dozen tear gas bombs

Sheriff Fred Bryant and Deputy Charles AndrewsIn addition to the arsenal, deputies found trap doors, several disguises, well-thumbed detective novels and $390,000 worth of stolen bonds from a Jefferson, Wisconsin Bank.

Sheriff Fred Bryant and Deputy Charles Andrews pose wearing bullet-proof vests from the Burke residence and brandishing two weapons also confiscated, including one of the Tommy Guns.

Wanted

Wanted Poster put out by the Michigan State Police for Fred "Killer" Burke in 1929.

Fred Burke Wanted Poster

Forensic Innovations

Colonel Calvin H. Goddard, first Director of privately funded scientific crime detection laboratory which later became the Chicago Police Department Crime Lab as a result of St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

Colonel Calvin H. Goddard

The gun room at the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Gun Room at the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory at Northwestern University

Firearms technician Allen P. Wescott test firing a weapon in a container of cotton at the lab.

Allen P. Wescott Test Firing a Weapon in a Container of Cotton

Calvin Goddard at work.

Calvin Goddard at Work

Calvin Goddard examining a weapon from breech to muzzle to see whether it had been fired since last cleaning.

Calvin Goddard Examining a Weapon

History Today

Berrien County Sheriff's Office Historian and 911 Quality Assurance Supervisor Chriss Lyon holding one of two Thompson Sub-Machine Guns seized from the Stevensville residence of Fred "Killer" Burke in 1929. Also pictured are Sheriff Leonard Paul Bailey and Quartermaster Lt. Michael Kline. Photo by John Madill, The Herald-Palladium, October, 2006.

Chriss Lyon Holding a Tompson Machine Gun

Fred "Killer" Burke house in 2008, now home of Coldwell Banker.  Photo by Chriss Lyon, 2008.

Burke House in 2008