The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-04
BELIEVED A WOMAN
KILLED BURDICK.
Why the Authorities Hold to Thi.
View.


View.
Buffalo, n. Y, March 3.-The finger
of police suspicion in the Burdick
murder mystery is pointing toward
woman whose home is in the Elmwood
district. Her career is known to the
police.
BY far the most important statement
made since the tragedy was given out
to-day by Supt. Bull, who heretofore
has had but little to say. He an
nounces a suspect; that the motive
has been established. and that in due
time there will be an arrest. He says
that when there is enough evidence to
Justify the arrest there will be enough
% convict.
The cautious manner in which the
ponce are moving is undoubtedly due
20 the expectation that when an dr.
rest is made a stubborn legal battle
will follow. They want to be sure of
their ground. The social prominence
of the victim and of those who will be
dragged into the case later on calls
for extreme caution on the part of the
authorities.
Buffalo, N. Y, March S.-The most
important news which has been de-
veloped regarding the Burdick murder
since the announcement of the crime
itself came to light this afternoon. 1t
is this: Indisputable evidence shows
that Burdick was lying on the couch
in his den when the attack which end
ed his life was made. There was no
struggle worthy of the name of strug-
gle, the unfortunate man succumbing
almost Immediately to the first blow
struck. The assailant was a woman.
The first of these assertions-that
Burdick was lying on the couch when
murdered-is gased on a most import
ant fact which has so far not been
made public by the authorities. The
most important and vital fact is that
there was not even a spot of blood
on the floor of the den, except just
beneath the couch, and that had
soaked through from the couch. This
fact is evidence enough to satisfy the
police that Burdick was attacked
while lying down, and almost literally
defenseless.
That the attack came unawares is
shown by the further fact that there
were no evidences of struggle in the
room. 1t is probable that the first
blow was sufficient to daze the unfor-
tunate man and incapacitate him for
resistance.
That the assailant was not a man,
the criminal authorities believe from
some things which they have disclosed,
and some things which they decline to
make known. No one now doubts that
a woman was with Burdick that night
and in the den.
But may not a man have struck
the blows which ended Burdick's life ?"
was asked of one authority.
1.-THE direct evidence of the crime
was concealed by a woman" was the
reply. I'VE are satisfied of that fact.
And if it was a woman who piled the
cushions on Burdick, it was a woman
who killed him. The woman who
struck the fatal blows had some things
to do before she left the room, and to
do these things she required light.
But all who understand a woman's
nature, no matter what sort of a
woman it might be, know that women
cannot bear horrible sights. Women
who can commit murder cannot often
bear the sight of the person who has
been killed.
This woman's. nervous system could
not bear the appearance of a corpse
with the head horribly mutilated, lying
on the couch, even for the few min
utes Whlch IL was necessary" for her
to remain in the room. 1t was no
doubt necessary for this woman to put
on her wraps after the murder While
she made her preparations for going on
the street, therefore, she concealed the
corpse of Burdick by covering it with
cushions.
These, however, are not the only
reasons we have for believing a wom-
an committed the crime. We have
other evidence, but we cannot disclose
it now"