713. Pensacola Loses Police Officer William B. Burnham 1906

Police Officer William "Willie" B. Burnham was born on February 14, 1875 in Edgecomb, Lincoln County, Maine, the sixth of eight children of Joseph Burnham IV (1835-1922) and Mary Abbie Prebble (1841-1894). Little information is available about his father except that he was a laborer in 1880. Willie would relocate to Pensacola in 1897 where he married Maude Leah Dennis (1881-1933). One child was born to the union, a daughter by the name of Miss Minnie Gertrude Burnham (1897-1973). At the time of his death the Burnham family had established their residence on West Government Street, three houses west of Devilliers Street.

Willie would join the Pensacola Police Department in 1904 and was described by his fellow officers as a "popular officer who was both sober and steady as well as industrious. He was considered by the Chief to be one of the most reliable men on the force." He was an aggressive officer due to the fact that in 1905, with only one year on the force, he had made 338 arrests with only two officers with higher numbers. The second highest was Charles William Neel (1856-1928) who made 345 arrests in 1905. Neel was born in France and immigrated to this country via Cuba on the SS Nova Scotia in December 1877. He would pass away in 1928 in Lake Worth, Florida and was returned for burial in Pensacola. The highest number of arrests was Frank C. Benjamin (1897-1911) at 405 and would pass away of "acute indigestion" after nineteen years on the force. He was a native of Italy and had been a resident of Pensacola for 25 years.

On the night of March 17, 1906, two Negroes were fighting on the southeast corner of Wright and Tarragona Street of which one was identified as Jerry Lenox and the other James Ardis. The altercation was almost in front of Walter S. Norman's (1863-1912) saloon at 301 N. Tarragona with large crowds either in the saloon or out front of it. During the fight Ardis pulled a pistol and fired two shots at Lenox missing him entirely as his intended victim ran into Norman's saloon. Hearing the gunfire, Officer William "Willie" B. Burnham ran toward the altercation and attempted to place Ardis under arrest. However, as Officer Burnham ran up Ardis turned and shot him once in the chest. Burnham staggered back from the impact of the bullet as Ardis turned and fled down Wright Street through the crowd. Officer Burnham tried to give chase for about half a block, but unable to breathe, and soon stopped and leaned against a telegraph pole in front of the residence of Harry Smith at 413 Hayne Street. After a few short moments he lost consciousness and collapsed face down onto the pavement. One of the first to respond to the fallen officer was Sheriff James C. Van Pelt who had been close by when the shooting occurred. Burnham tried to speak but with both lungs pierced by the gunman’s bullet he could only issue a single gurgling sound before dying without uttering a word.

The suspect was positively identified as James Ardis, 25-years old, who lived in Pensacola and was also known by the name of Jim Fervey. He had a bad reputation and was known to have a quick temper, which kept him in constant trouble. He was reputed to be mean and dangerous especially when drinking. He had served three years in prison for shooting another man by the name of Ed Coleman at a “mite” meeting near the community of Goulding. While he was in prison, he was leased out to Varn Brothers & Company at River Junction and then sub-leased again to a turpentine camp. He was described as about 5’10”, 170 pounds, with large eyes, and sloping shoulders that gave him a “stooped” appearance. He was always known to carry a .32 pistol on his person and had already shown the police he was more than willing to use it. Ardis was released from the state prison on April 27, 1903, and had been working in Pensacola at the Goulding Fertilizer Works for several months. Near the time of the shooting witnesses reported seeing him hanging around local saloons in the vicinity of the Union Depot near where the murder occurred.

The body of the officer was solemnly transferred to the Frank Pou funeral home for preparation for burial. He was laid to rest in St. Michael’s Cemetery in section “A” on March 19, 1906. He was survived by his wife and two daughters who returned heartbroken to their little house on West Government Street.

We do know that his the Ardis case was presented to the grand jury who returned a “true bill” against him for first degree murder before the Honorable Francis B. Carter. A case number was assigned but no file exists. The "true bill" was presented in Ardis' absence, however Ardis was never apprehended, and his fate remains unknown.

His brother Charles Floyston Burnham (1880-1957) passed away in Pensacola, Florida in February 1957. His brother Thomas Roswell Burnham (1866-1950) passed away in Pensacola on May 26, 1950.