Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-04-08
CASE NOW CLOSED.
Decision in Burdick Murder Mystery
Given Gut
SAYS HE WAS KILLED BY PENNElE-
The Statement Is rlade That the pcrAsS
Man Should BE Regarded inuoocne
Until Proven Guilty.

Buffalo, Special.-The verdict fu 1hSs
Burdick inquest handed down Dy
Judge Murphy Tuesday. while stagiaeS
that the identity of the murderer s1x
Edwin l.. Burdick has not been proves
practically charges Arthur K. PeuDc3-
the dead lawyer. with the criEDN.-
Pennell had a stronger motive than
anyone else for putting Burdick orSE
OF the way. Judge Murphy says. artrI
all the facts brought out by tue lz-
quest constitute just grounds for Gh0s
issuance of n warrant against PeuneH
II he were alive. The verdict IS snse-
ened somewhat SO far as it relates EsS
Pennell by the statement that it ENcEl-
nell was alive he would be given the
presumption of innocence uut51
proven guilty.
In the opinion of Judge Murphy
Burdick had no woman guest in hi&
''den" on the night of the murder ana
the crime was not the work OF Il bcE-
glaT. He eXonerates Mrs. Gertrude e.
Paine and Miss Butchison from sry
connection with the crime and in c0Sr1-
clusion criticises Mrs. Maria A Hull
and censures Mrs Burdick the form
er for her attitude toward the aU
thorities and the inconsistency OF hss-
actions with the theory that she hsass
no knowledge OF the murder. Judge
Murphy stated this afternoon that hv-
will hold the inquest into the deIxEG
of Arthur r. Penneil the latter part
OF this week.
| The story OF the finding of Bmr-
Burdick's body in the morning and Sos
the events preceding its discovers
| as related by the different member
OF the household is told. and the SLz-
crepancy in the testimony of the seE-
wants and Mr.. Hull is pointed out
Where is the motive for ttl,s
crime?" asks Judge Murphy. aud tIlgs4
he takes up the relations of Mrs Bar
dick and Pennell and says that II
| seems that five years ago. on the csr,-
casion OF n visit to New Haven 2ly
! the Burdicks ana Pencils. Mrs. Eur-
! dick gave the love which beIuugos;1
to her husband to another She t,Nys.vI
Penncll and he apparently became irc
| fatuated with her" Burdick IeurHpSY
! the truth and a separation followed
! but because OF love for her childrCSx
he took his wife back and forgaye the
author of his wrong upon his promise
| to leave Buffalo. This promise ami ;
the promise which Mrs. Burdicl1 madc.
to her husband" says Judge Murphy
Were shamelessly broken" Ffnnl25
Mr.. Burdick told her she must aa,a
his house and he applied for I'll
vorce from his wife Pennell. h5Weyet-,
induced her to defend the suit. EtuT
dick had been shadowing PeuaeIl ana
Mrs. Burdick and Pennell had de.cc>-
tives shadowing Burdch.
so far as appears in the cvidcncc~
says Judge Murphy. "Pennell had rxJt
succeeded in compromising BurdicSI
in any way. Burdick. however. had a.
lot OF evidence. consisting of letters
written by Pennell to Mrs. Burdick Jf
such n gushing. lovc-sick importIun-
ing nature that their publications.
meant complete humiliation and SO
cial ruin to their author. This of ali
Others" says the justice, was the HIS
tive strong enough to .ncitc Ciez-
perate mind already stepped in wrons.-
| doing. to so foul and cruel murder.
Did he DO Il? Was he responsible fcEz
it? He had returned from the tc:sG.
mans wife the day before the murder
He was here that night He was very
much excited the next morning ann
went and purchased Il revolver. Tie.
clerks present at the sale state at tt4g
"a a il-n D
SELF
The judge tells Of Pennell's visit to
the Falls on the morning of the dis
covery OF the murder. of his ncssega
to his wife to bring the papers and
OF their failure to- retIrn for dinner
that evening. Continuing. the judge
says in one OF Pencils letters sS
Mrs. Burdick there was n threat th4<
he would kill her husband The cash
Ter and bartender Of hotel also tcsLi-
fed that he said he would Kill q GER
tain man and Mrs. Penncll had writ
ten Burdick n warning letter. pen
nell had complete knowledge Of the
Burdick home and considering his re
lations with the family it could have
been an easy matter for him to ots-
| tain n key thereto. Altogether these
| fects would in my opinion constitute
! just grounds of suspicion on which a
| warrant could be issued were he ali-se.
| That would not mean, however. that
| he was guilty. He would have the
| right OF a trial." the report continues
He can never be placed on trial here.
| nor can his case ever be judicially de-
! termined Let us be as fair then fG
| the dead as the law presumeS us so
be to the living He must be presumed
innocent until proven guilty"