The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-19
Widow Of the Murdered Man to BE
Placed on the Witness Stand and
Questioned Next Monday.
AN INcRIMINATING LETTER
LAWYER PENNELL SAID TO HAVE
WRITTEN To MRS. BURDICK,
Saying, 'T Feel that 1 Must Kill Ed
Burdfck"-Mrs. Burdfck's Mother.
Reported Ill Last Night.

BUFFALO. N. Y. March 1s.-The Bur-
dick inquest has been postponed until Mon
day next. District Attorney Coatsworth
Is suffering from sore throat and cannot
speak without great difficulty. He said
to-day he expects to finish the inquest
Monday II he feels we'll by that time.
Otherwise part of another day may be
taken. MRS. Burdick will be the most i'm
portant witness called Monday" he added.
There will be several others. Burdicks
furnace attendant will be among them. I
will examine the man who attended the
furnace in the Pennell house and see what
there Is to the story that the furnace was
fed and attended to before he arrived the
day after the murder. II there is anything
in the story he will be called as a witness"
II Is said on good authority that the dis
trict attorney will place in evidence a letter
alleged to have been written to Mrs Bur-
dick by Arthur r. Pennell some months
ago. The letter was found in the Burdick
home when the search of the house was
made by the police. In the letter the fol-
lowing occurs: "I feel that must kill Ed
Burdick"
1t was learned to-day that Pennen left
a will in which Mrs. Pennell is named as
sole executrix in the event of her surviv-
ing. Three alternates are named to act
should Mrs. Pennell die first In view of
the fact that Mrs. Pennell died so soon
after her husband was killed it was sug.
gested that the executors named in the
Will be allowed to act. The matter has not
been definitely settled and an administra-
tor for the estate may be appointed by the
court.
The details of the strained relations be-
tween the two dead men were gathered i'm
mediately 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 muir
der of Burdick Pennell spoke to others
than the police of the hostility between him
and Burdick. On the day he was first ar
ranging to give out a statement for pub
lication he spoke of part of what he intend
ed to say. 1T deals with Burdick,'' said
Pennell. referring to this part of the pro-
posed statement. Some say that 1t comes
will i'll grace from me to abuse a dead
man, but Burdick was no saint, and when
the time comes that L must make state
ment in the newspapers in defense of my
ing about me intend to let people know
just the kind of man he was, and then.
perhaps, some of them will turn to him a
little of the time that they are now de-
voting to prying into my affairs. I did not
like him and he did not like me- and we
both knew 1t, and / have told the police
frankly that We were not on good terms.
His death coming at this time was one of
the worst things that could have happened
to me-
Notwithstanding all the talk about Pen
nell, however, the police are not consenting
| calmly TO blame a dead man for the Bur-
| dick tragedy. There are a number of points
| to be considered before any such branding
| of dead man becomes finality or even is
accepted as being a part solution of the
mystery.
One of the criminal authorities Is quoted
as saying. There are several reasons for
| believing three things: First, that the MUIR
| der was committed by more than one per-
son; second. that at least one of the per-
| sons implicated was entirely familiar with
| the interior of the Burdick home and, what
perhaps Is most important of all, that the
murderer or murderers had no fear of in
| terruption while at their work or imme-
| diately afterward. On the first point / dc
not care to say much As to the second
point, familiarity with the interior OF the
| house. l may point to the fact that after
| the work DONE the murderer washed
| his or her hands and therefore must have
known where a wash basin was to be found
sure: for. although there was blood on the
| inside knob of the den door. there was nc
| blood on the knob of the outside of the door
| which had been left open for the purpose
| of creating the impression that burglars
had entered the house. Familiarity with
| the house II also shown by the fact that
| the lunch was not brought to the den by
| Burdick. but by some other person. The
analysis OF the contents OF Burdick's stom-
| ach shows that he had not tasted OF a
particle OF the crackers. cheese and tarta