The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
Mrs. Hull, the Mother-in-
Law, the Central Figure.
RELENTLESS EXAMINATION.
Mother Of Mrs. Burdiek Pu
Through a Severe Ordeal

where the Murder Was Csmnitss1
Because the Front Door spa .
window Were 0pco and She Thesole
Something Dreadful Mad Hap
pened--Ne Quarrel In the Hsass
Over Divorce Prseeedings-Meaasai
Examiner HewIahd Testines Thst ~.
Marcy suggested That the Murasr
he Omcially Reported A. . sulcsAs.
BUFFALO, March 14.-Maria A. Hull.
the mother Of the woman whom Edwin Z.
Burdick was suing for divorce when hs
was beaten to death in his home on Ash
land avenue on the night Of Thursday.
Feb. 20, was the central and remarkable
figure to-day at the opening session Of an
inquest which Ia intended To solve. the
murder puzzle. She was made 30 by the
relentless examination which she under
went at the handE OF District Attorney
Coatsworth for two hours this afternoon.
Al no moment could the county prose-
cutor be accused Of bullying or offending
the woman, yet the ordeal was 40 terrific
that the crowd In the dusty old police court
CAPPED al the unexpected proceeding. Yet
it was not unexpected to those who know
the District Attorneys determination to
draw into the light every fact connected
with the murder. nor did it disturb the prs
siding officer Police Justice Murphy. who
had declared that he would spare no ONES
feelings in getting at the truth. He let
the District Attorney make his own way.
now and then injecting a few questions
TO make the case more clear.
Mrs. Hull was a picturesque personality,
small and slight. clad all in black, with .
face almost ashen gray. silvery hair. her
features sharp and OF vice-like nrmneas.
Her keen eyes watched the District Attor-
ney through gold-rimmed glasses, and now
and then she snified at her bottle OF smelling
| salts. Her replies to the questions fred
at her during the two hours were prompt,
| for the most part, yet at times they came
| With hesitation and reluctance. Her voice,
tsnss and shsrp o. tho beginning, had died
| down 20 whisper at the end Of an hour.
| Then abe Strengthened up and was herself
| again until the rapidity OF the questions
wore upon her nerves. There were times
\ when her memory failed her and other
| times when she said that she did not know
or would not tell. -r
without warning, one after another.
the District Attorney placed in her hands
photographs of the room In which Burdiok's
body was found. One showed the smoking
room, or den, "a 1t was when the discovery
was made. The other was taken aftsr
the pillows and rugs had been removed.
lea Wing the body OF Burdick a. II was found.
, prone in death and horrible. She took
them In her hands and looked at thsm
without a sign, except to lean far back In
her chair. Then she looked Coatsworth.
in the eye and handed back the pictures.
She left the witness stand without having
given an inkling Of any idea she might
have as 10 the Identity OF the murderer
or as to n theory Of the method OF ths
crime.
Mr.. Coatsworth's most pointed and per-
sistent questioning OF Mrs. Hull was In re-
gard 20 her reason for not entering the
smoking room. She admitted that the room
vas 80 dark that from the place where she
stood IN the hall IL was impossible to see
that Burdick lay beneath the obscure pile
on the couch. yet -he had turned from the
door and asked Maggie Murray II she would
enter She did not admit that she had heard
any nois~ during the night that would lead
her to SUSPECT that either tragedy or aoc1-
dent had occurred. Her sole excuse for
calling DR.. Marcy was that she vas hlied
with an unex plainable fear that someth hing
had happened fear born in her the mo-
ment she was told by the cook that the
front door waf open and the door of ths
smoking room closed.
Also REGULAR 10 The auditors was her
insis,snoe that she was almost ignorant
81 the csuse that led 10 the divorce suit
and her .,atemen, that she had inquired 81
hsr daughter WHISTLER Burdick's charges
~ inndslity we're well founded.
The nam. 81 Arthur r.. Penneli Was no,
spoken all day, although be- va ono- TO-
f-rr~d Ia There Nas 10 ref-fsnoe "a Mr..
Paine al Mr. Warren
~ ~sIl pt.psf,si were 'hs authontl.~
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