Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-31
BURD|CK INQUEST ENDED.
The Identity of The Murderers
 Has Not Been Proven.

What Judge Murphy Said About Pen
 nell-Mrs Paine and Miss Hutchin-
 son Were Exonerated and Mrs Bur-
 dick Was Censured.
 Buffalo, March 31.--Judge Murphy handed down his findings in the Bur- dick inquest today and declared that the identity of the Burdick murderer had not been proved. The statement Is an exhaustive review of the evi- dence brought out during the inquest. Special attention is given to the letters exchanged between Arthur R. Pen nell and Mrs Burdick, particularly the one containing threat against Bur dicks life. Judge Murphy says rela- tive to this:
 Altogether, these facts would, in my opinion, constitute just ground of suspicion on which warrant could be issued. were he alive"
 Referring to Mrs Hull he says:
 "The actions of Mrs Hull on that morning Che morning after themurder) and her testimony on the stand, has caused me much thought and worry. To my mind they are inconsistent, with perfect want of knowledge as to what had actually occurred. So little apparent feeling for the dead man, such an evident desire to cover up the crime and no disposition whatever to
 aid the authorities in apprehending the murderer may be explainable but 1 has not been explained"
 II find and certify that Edwin L.. BurdiclS came to his death in, the early { morning hours of February 27th, 1903. at his residence. No ,1O1 Ashland ave- nue in this city. The cause of his death was compound comminuted multiple fracture of the skull. That said fracture was the result of several | blows, by some person with a dull edged weapon delivered principally on the back of the head. That said blows were delivered with homicidal intent, that the identity of said person has not been proved. This inquest was held for the purpose of determining whether or not crime had been com- mitted and whether or not there is reasonable ground to charge some cer- tain person with the' same.
 l "At the time of the murder the de lceased was living with his three little girls whose ages range from 15 to 10 years. together with their grandmother, his mother-in-law, at said residence. l His wife, the children's mother, had Inot been home since the early days of December last for reasons which ap- I pear later and spent the night of the Il murder in. Atlantic City. The de deceased was home to dinner that night the same as usual. He had with him q bottle of cocktails, which has never
 been seen since. It does not appear from the evidence that anything llnus- ual occurred at the house in the fore part of the evening. Mrs Hull. said
 grandmother, retired with the children I as usual. One of the maids was out
 that night and returning about 1C l o'clock saw MT Burdick open the door leading from the front hall into the rear hall. He stepped back and I partially closed the door 1 while the maid went on up stairs tc 1 bed. A few minutes later she heard
 some one shaking the furnace in tho
 cellar. It was Burdick's custom tc
 look after the furnace. The other maid had retired as usual. That was | the last seen of Burdick alive by any one who has been sworn at this in quest. according to their testimony The two maids slept on the third floor
 went down stairs as usual in the morn ing. The one first down called the at | tention of the other to the fact thai the kitchen window was open and spoke of burglars. The other wen- il into the dining room and found noth I ing disturbed. They found the from
 door open, then one, according to hel testimony, called Mrs Hull, who was
 standing near the door in her room
 and told her the front dool
 was open. The kitchen windows
 were raised and they thought may
 be burglars were in the house. Sht
 told Mrs Hull that Mir Burdick wa.
 not ln his bedroom and the door of hi
 den was closed. The den is on tn.
 first floor. The family slept on th' second Mrs Hull swears positively
 that she was in the bathroom dressing
 when the maid called. The maid state
 that little Carol came out into the hal
 when she and her grandmother wer,
 talking and exclaimed, "Why, heart
 papa go down stairs a little whil |
 it was Alice, the younger sister, wh,
 made the remark. The house is o
 modern build, with front and bacl
 stairways. The maid said she did no
 know who it was that Carol heard g down stairs that morning. Mrs Hul testified that she went alone to MT Bul dicks bedroom and then rushed dow stairs, dressing as she went, and tha was the first time she saw the mai
 on that morning. The maid, Miss Mul
 ray, testified that she was upstairs 1 . the hall with Mrs Hull. and that whe Mrs Hull came out of MT Burdick' bedroom she told her the den wa . closed Mrs Hull then went down o 1. the second steps and looked aroun the landing to the den door; then sh came back, went to her room, got : skirt and went down the front stair! : Miss Murray went down the bac } stairway. Mrs Hull testified thre times that there was no light in tn room except that which entere ] through the door she opened