The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-19
MRS. MARIA HULL
 SERIOUSLY ILL New Feature Develops in the
 Burdick Case, HOME CLOSED TO VISITORS Inquest Is Postponed Until Monday on Account of the Illness oi the Dis trIct Attorney-PenneII's
 Letter Found.
HOME CLOSED TO VISITORS

Butfalo. N. r, March 1S.-A rumor was current tonight to the effect that Mrs. Maria Hull mother-in-law of the late Elwin L. Burdick who was murdered on February 27, had been seriously injured or was i'll. Efforts were made to learn the real facts In the case, hut all re- quests at the Burdick residence were met by refusal to discuss the matter.
 A young man who said hls name was Allen and was a friend of the family acted as spokesman. He said;
 T refuse to confirm or deny the story that Mrs Hull was injured or that she Is in other than her usual health, except to say that she Is weakening under the terrible nervous strain to which she has been subjected and has not been herself since the trying experience on the wit ness stand"
 Dr. Marcey, the family physician, was not called to the Burdick home.
 Inquest Postponed.
 Police Justice Murphy announced today that owing to the illness Of District Att torney Coatsworth the inquest into the murder of Edwin L. Burdick would not be resumed until next Monday afternoon at o'clock.
 District Attorney coatsworth Is suffer- ing from a severe cold which prevents him from speaking above A whisper.
 It is expected that the inquest will be concluded next Monday unless some new evidence of importance develops this week. Mrs. Burdick, Burdick's furnace man, and the man who tended the fur mace for the Pencils. will probably be called on Monday.
 It Is said on good authority that the dis- trict attorney will also place in evidence a letter alleged to have been written to Mrs. Burdick by Arthur R. Pennell some months ago. The letter was found in the Burdick house when the search of the house was made by the police. In the letter the following occ'Irs:
 T feel that must kill Ed Burdick" | The details of the str dn citations be- tween the two dead men were gathered immediately after the murder of Burdick and before the death of Pennell. Pennell stated frankly to the authorities that the relations between himself and Burdick were strained, very strained" After the murder of Burdick, Pennell spoke to oth- CTS than the police of the hostility be- tween him and Burdick. On the day he was first arranging to give out a state ment for publication. he spoke of part of what he intended to say
 5urdlck Was No Saint.
 "It deals with Burdick," said Penncll, referring to this part of the proposed statement Some say 1t comes with i'll grace from me to abuse dead man hut Burdick was no saint and when the time comes that must make a statemtht in the newspapers in def en3e of myself from what other newspapers are pfinting aocut me, l intend to let people know just tie kind of a man h, was and then p,ihaps some of them will turn tc him little os the time they are HOW devotins to riy- ing into my affairs I did not like him and he did not like me, and we both knew 1t and have told the belize frankly that we were not on good terms. His death, coming at this time was rne of tle voiat things that could have happened to me-"
 Notwithstanding all the talk about Pen- nell the police are not consanting to ,almIy blame . dead va1 for the buried tragedy. There gre nun.l'er of Dp'nts to be considered before any sucl. brand ing of a dead man becomes a hnalty. or even Is accepted as bting a part sClu- tion of the mystery.