The Washington times., 1903-03-25
Mrs. Burdick SWearS That
She Has No knowledge
of the Manner Of His
Death.
Pencil and She Planned to
Divorce Partners and Be
come Man and Wife.

BUFFALO. Y. y. March 25.-As sure.
keen and relentless as a surgeons knife
was the examination yesterday OF &Es.
Alice Hull BurdfCk. in the inquiry which
is being made into the murder OF her
husband. Il laid bare her soul and
many Of its secrets. guilty. because she.
the wife OF the one man, loved the 9th
er so that the sacred ideal OF wifcly
hdelity, and what is yet stronger. moth
er's love. We're futile in restraining her
1 was a story OF lasting disgrace. OF
dishonor. and the bitter penalty which
worked 20 its end with the grim fatality
of Greek tragedy; a story in which
love and the most hideous side Of moral
nature We're commingIed: a dark. for
bidding picture. whose salient points
were brought out all the more sharply
by the production on the stand later Of
little Alice Burdick. the winsome daugh-
ter OF the murdered man. whose pure
young Hfe is caught in the woof Of this
remarkable tragedy.
Child Loved Her Father
And the story OF the child. told with a
pathetic simplicity. was the sunshine
that followed the bitter darkness Of her
mothers story. The child's plant was
OF love for her father and his affection
toward the children on the night pre-
ceding the tragedy. She said she loved
her father dearly and that he was a
good papa to her. The contrast between
this tender avowal and the confession
OF the mother who Ioved-but not the
husband and father-was most dramatic.
The ordeal was a severe one for Mrs
BuTdick. She showed 81 by voice. cx-
preston and gesture and she was ex-
cessively nervous at times. but with sur
prising self-contrOI rallied to meet the
merciless inquisition. And she gave a
deep sigh OF relief as Il ended with this
question:
No knowledge of Murder
do you swear that you have no
knowledge as to who murdered your hus-
band-that you have received no infor-
nation which would warrant your nam
Ing any person as the murderer OF your
husband?"
Certainly not have no such knowl-
edge. neither have had any such infor-
nation"
When the question was asked and an
swered the district attorney turned from
the witness and announced that he was
through with her Mrs. Burdick's own
attorney. F. B. Hartzen. then took her
In hand and by series Of questions en-
deavored to show that Burdick by his
own conduct. had lost his wIfe's affee-
tons and practically forced her into
Pencils arms
Before the dramatic end OF The dis
trict attorneys examination further let
tiers from Pennell 20 Mrs Burdick were
read In one Of them be said. Fate Is
ineXorable-unless we break it."
Pencils Provision.
The sensation OF the day was when
Mr.. COatswOTth confronted Mrs. Bur
dick with bond FOR $50 900 which had
been made out by Arthur r. PenneII as
security for payment TO her OF So. 600
The production OF the document caused
a hutter Of excitement in the court
room
A further sensation was produced by
Mrs. Burdick's denial under oath that
she had ever seen the bond. though II
was found among her own private pa
pers IN her own strong box.
Mr.. COatsworth compelled her TO ad-
after her husband had driven her from
home.
Much time OF the court was taken I'D
by the reading OF pitifuI letters which
were written by Mrs. Pencil to Bur
dick, begging him 20 forgive his wife.
and take her back. that they all might
be saved from the disgrace which was
then staring them In the face.
Two Divorces Planned.
Mrs, Burdick's testimony showed that
she was absolutely under Pencils DOW
er, and she did whatever ne told her.
He had endeavored to have his wife sue
him for divorce. she admitted. and when
she refused. both decided TO fight Bur
dicks action. She hoped to get a di-
vorce from Burdick. after which they
were 10 go West. Penneu was 10 get a
divorce. and they were TO become man
and wife
II was apparent before many minutes
OF the afternoon session passed that
District Attorney Coatsworth was on
deayoring 10 determine whether PcurrlI
had ever spoken 10 Mrs Burdick OF
ending his own life or hers 10 put "A
stop 70 his unhappy existence" The
line Of questioning showed that an of-
IfaT
der on the deceased lawyer and then to
pronounce his tragic death q suicide
Pencils Hints Of Suicide.
District Attorney Coatsworth culled
from the letters written every word or
phrase that tended In tho least TO show
n melancholy spirit; an existence that
was narrowing 10 his soul, and which
prompted the writer Of the sad and
morose missive TO become a self-mur-
derer An attempt was made by Mr.
Coatsworth to learn from Mrs. Burdlck
whether she and Pennell had planned q
double suicide
The phrase. I'VE had our chance and
did not take it, was taken up by Mr..
Coatsworth. He made a determined ef-
fort TO have Il interpreted as meaning
that an opportunity was afforded By
which they would have ended their lives