The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15
Ana of Notifying Her Daughter, Who
Was I'm Atlantic City on the Night
of the Tragedy.
MAGGIE MURRAYs TESTIMONY
COOK or THE BURDICK FAMILY
CONTc ADICTs MRS. HULL.
DIR. Rowland Unable tn Comply with
DIR. Marcey's Request and Report
a Case OF Suicide.

BUFFALO. N. Y. March 14-Four wit
nesses were examined to-day at the open
Ing Of the inquest into the death Of Edwin
L. Burdick before Judge Murphy. They
were DR.. Howland, assistant medical ex-
aminer who was one of the first to visit
the Burdick home on the morning of Feb.
Is. after the discovery Of the murder; De-
tective HoIlund. Of the detectives from
headquarters, who visited the house on the
same morning; Mrs. Maria Hull. Mrs. Bur
dicks mother. and Maggie Murray, cook
I'm the Bu-dick households; the two women
who discovered Burdick lying dead in his
den.
The other women whose names have been
mentioned during the progress of the in
vestigation, including Mrs. Burdick. Mrs.
Payne. Katie Keneig. maid in Burdicks
home. and hAiss Romance, Mrs. Arthur r.
Pennell's maid. were in the courtroom. but
they were not called upcn to testify.
The Burdick family was we'll represented
by counsel District Attorney Coatsworth
conducted the examination of witnesses,
and Detective Cusac sat beside Judge Muir
ply, prompting him TO ask questions dur
ing the day.
Mrs. Hull is a little woman with a nerv-
Gus but resolute face, blue eyes and gray
hair. She was dressed entirely I'm black.
and wore long mourning veil fastened
well back from her forehead. Her an
swers were given In a calm, quiet tone, ex-
cepting now and then when her voice took
on peculiar ring. She used smelling
salts occasionally. but never became con-
fused Fven when shown a photograph of
the den with the body OF the murdered man
lying on the couch with the head battered
*. Mrs. Hull did not lose control OF her
self. She looked at the picture calmly and
tntently. pointing out familiar objects
which the district attorney asked her about.
DR. HoWLAND'S TESTIMONY.
DIR. Howland said that DR.. Marcy, the
Burdick family physician. who was at the
house when he arrived there on the morn
ing Of the murder, requested him to make
It appear the case was one OF suicide. After
looking at the body of the murdered man,
DR.. Rowland informed DIR. Marcy that
suicide was out of the question. Dr. How
land fixed the probable time of the murder
at o'clock Friday morning II Dr. How
lands deductions are correct, the '1one
woman whom Officers Meyer and Reid
met on the night OF the murder must be
eliminated from the case. she was seen
dick house at 1 O'Clock.
Maggie Murray told straightforward
story. She contradicted several statements
made by Mrs. Hull regarding what was
done in the Burdick home on the morning
the murder was discovered.
The testimony OF Mrs. Hull was interest
Ing Replying to question by District
Attorney Coatsworth she said that her
daughter was at Atlantic City on the night
home on Dec. 3, of last year, and left on
that date for Niagara Falls. from which
place she went to New York. While Mrs.
Burdick was at Atlantic City the witness
received letters and kilograms from her.
Once she teiegraphed in response to a
telegram from Mrs. Burdick. Witness did
not remember the date, but II was about
three weeks before Mr.. Burdick was killed
One OF the kilograms from Mrs. Burdick
was an inquiry as TO why her mother
had not written for several weeks. After
the murder the witEess telegraphed her
daughter:
Come home. Mr.. Burdick is dead"
Inc reply was: Leave tonight Will
De home In the morning"
THE FATEFUL NIGHT
Mrs. Hull said that Burdick came into
the dining room on Thursday evening, the
night Of the murder. with a bottle in his
hand. She did not know what il contained
and she did not see II again. She thought
Il strange that 1t had disappeared. Bur
dick and his daughter Marion were I'm her
room about $780, They talked about the
message from Mrs. Burdick. She did not
see Burdick again that night. but heard
him talking with his eldest daughter. whom
he kissed goodnight and went down stairs
She did not leave her room again that
night after putting the children to bed
about $50. She got up next morning at the
usual hour without being called. The Muir
ray girl called to her that the front door
was open. that the kitchen window was
open and that she had called to Mr.. Bur-
dick and received no answer. Mrs. HUI
averred that she heard no voices after she
went 10 bed: she did not hear the Murray
girl come in or hear the bell ring. When
she went TO the den she said she opened
tie door little way and called Ed
couch. II was dark In there. She saw
the Murray girl In the hall and said. Mag
gle, l fear that something has happened
shall we dor Then said that we had bet.
Ter send for DIR. Marcy
Were you on good terms with your next
door neisheor?
why did not you call hIm?'
II thought Is best 10 call the doctor"
Why didn't you go into the den tha,
morning.
II was too nervous"
What did you think?'
'sI did not know what had happened
thought perhaps IL was Ed on the couch
But you had seen him sleeping before
Why were you afraid 20 see him sieepingP'
wouid have % awakened him. was s asraid sfrsdm1 as
ind him dead in there. or course. did moi
know IL was Ed"
Then you did screa-n?"
Eyes. as loudly as i could. II did no,
arouse him, and / was frightened
You had no reason for expecting to find
him dead ia therey
mo. except that he did not respond Il
my screamsr
She did not use the telephone In the house
20 call DIR. Marcy. because II was close Il
the chiidren's room. and she did not wan
them TO hear her. When Dr. Marcy ar,
rived she told him she was afraid some
thing had happened
Previously TO DIX. Aarcy's arrival Mrn