The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-13
DIES WITHOUT SIGN
Mrs. Arthur Pennell Sue
cumbs to Her Injuries.
Examination Of the Automobile Shows That
PenneI Did all in His Power to Control
the Machine,


Buffalo. n Y. March 1l.-Mrs. Arthur
Pennell died at the Sisters of Charity
Hospital tonight at o'clock. For hours
today the surgeons worked over the
unconscious form of the injured woman.
A faint twitching of the eye-Iids or a
murmur of pain were the only signs
of returning consciousness perceptible
during the a hours the injured woman
was in the hospital ward. Except for
a few incoherent words uttered when
she was first taken to the hospital Mrs.
Pennell's lips did not move.
Mrs. Abbie Y Pennell, J. Fred Pen
nell, mother and brother of the dead
man, and Henry W. Lamb. a brother of
Mrs. Penncll, arrived in the city this
afternoon from New York. They were
a tonce driven to the Sisters Hospital
They were admitted to the ward where
Mrs. Pencil lay unconscious and stood
beside her for fifteen minutes. During
that time the injured woman did not
move. They left the ward and were
taken to the Pennell home on Cleveland
avenue. All callers at the Pencil house
this evening were denied admission.
At o'clock j. Fred Pennell, Mr..
Lamb and Thomas Penney, exDistrict
Attorney, and former partner of Mr..
Pencil, went to the Austin building and
searched the desk of the dead man.
A policeman who has been on guard ever
since the fatal accident occurred, stood
by while the search was being made.
number of important documents were
found, including viii of recent date.
The automobile which carried Mr.
Pencil and his wife in the plunge to
the bottom of the stone quarry on
Kensington avenue last night, was care
fully examined today. The brakes and
levers were given particularly close at
tcntion. Experts in the construction and
manufacture of automobiles were called
in. The result of the examination left
no doubt in the minds of any of the men
present that Mr.. Pencil did everything
ia his power to regain control of the
vehicle when it careened. The brakes
were tightly set; the power indicator
pointed to reserve" and the track of
the wheels in the soft earth on the
ridge between the street pavement and
the quarry showed that the wheels were
turning backward when the machine
pitched forward to destruction.
Prior to the examination of the auto
mobile which was made by employees of
the concern that sold the vehicle to Pen
nell. Medical Examiner Dancer visited
the place where the accident occurred,
afterwards he said:
Pencil put on the brake of the auto
mobile in the effort to stop the fatal
plunge into the Genres Quarry last
night.
II have examined the ground on the
edge of the quarry The right wheels
had ploughed up the ground, while the
left made a smooth track. From these
indications l should judge Pencil had
tried to stop the machine"
Ever since the Burdick affair Pencil
had spent most of his time at home. He
was named as correspondent in the di-
vorce suit that had been instituted by
Burdick, and the following murder
preyed on his mind. He was cast down
by the revelation after the tragedy and
the consequent references to himself in
connection with the tragedy caused him
great anxiety and subjected him to
continuous nervous strain He spent
every moment of leisure in the company
of Mrs. Pennell. Nearly every evening
he and Mrs. Pencil took long walks
Superintendent of Police Bull when
asked If the death of Pennell would af-
feet the investigation of the police in the
Burdick case. he replied:
Il think not
Assistant Chief Cusack said:
81 have investigated the death of Pen
nell and it is my belief that it was pure
ly accidental"