For many years, handwritten ledgers were used for inmate booking and releases. Several of these old ledgers were stored in a secluded and possibly forgotten part of the department. Some ledgers even dated back to the mid and late 1800's. Berrien County Sheriff's Department Historian and 911 Supervisor Chriss Lyon recently uncovered these ledgers with one in particular linking the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department with the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre.

 March 29, 1931, crowds gathered outside the Berrien County Jail awaiting the arrival of

Fred "Killer" Burke.  (Photo courtesy of Mario Gomes, www.myalcaponemuseum.com)

Fighting the cold and darkness, people wanted to see Fred "Killer" Burke in person.

(Photo courtesty of Mario Gomes, www.myalcaponemuseum.com)

The Jail booking ledger for March 29, 1931 shows inmate #6056 Fred R. Burke being booked into the Berrien County Jail. As you follow line #6056 across, you will see Burke’s age, place of birth, residence, occupation (which was left blank) and education.

The second page in the book lists the offense as Murder. Court Magistrate Collier sentenced Burke with conditions of commitment "to C.C.” (Circuit Court). The ledger continues with identifying the Sheriff’s Department as who received Burke in St. Joseph.

The third and final page shows line #6056 again. The date is April 28, 1931 and Burke has been transferred to Marquette State Prison for life.  He would later die there of a heart attack in 1940.