Burke, E. A. (Edward A.)

Edward A. Burke was a politician and publisher of New Orleans, Louisiana. He was probably born in Ohio or Illinois ca. 1840. He may have served in the Union Army during the Civil War, but claimed to have been a Confederate major. Active in Reconstruction politics, Burke rose in the Democratic party in New Orleans and was elected as Louisiana state treasurer in 1878. He served as treasurer until 1888 and was indicted in the following year for embezzlements of state bonds totaling over 1,000,000 dollars. He fled to Honduras where he resisted extradition and lived out his life. Burke was managing editor of the New Orleans newspaper NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, which merged with the NEW-ORLEANS TIMES to become the TIMES-DEMOCRAT in 1881. Burke was instrumental in organizing the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans (1884-1885).

From the description of E.A. Burke papers, 1859-1929 (bulk 1872-1899). (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 122588213

E.A. Burke was a prominent citizen of New Orleans during the Reconstruction period. He claimed Kentucky as his birthplace (ca. 1840) but was probably from Ohio or Illinois. Burke may have served in the Union Army during the Civil War, but pretended to have been a Confederate major. He was Controller General in Galveston, Tex., Executive Member of the Conservative Democratic Party, and Director General of the 1884-1885 New Orleans World's Fair. Burke was managing editor of the New Orleans newspaper New Orleans Democrat. Active in Reconstruction politics, Burke rose in the Democratic Party in New Orleans and was elected as Louisiana State Treasurer in 1878. He served as Treasurer until 1888 and was indicted in the following year for embezzlement of state bonds. He fled to Honduras where he successfully resisted extradition. E. A. Burke died in 1928 in Honduras.

From the description of E. A. Burke papers, 1837-1919 (bulk 1865-1889) (Tulane University). WorldCat record id: 748588623