Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-02
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW

OUTSIDE ,o POINT OF y,zw|
AT this writing the corcner's inquest
In the Buroick murder case is in prog
gress. What follows is IN no sense an
Ropinion concerning the person who
killed Burdick. In this article there
will be no noralizing on the condition
of society in Buffalo, that made it pos
ssble for all the dramatis persona to be
church members, or to be more exact,
members of church societies, members
of golf clubs, and to move in society
at large with other people of like
wealth. education and environment.
reference to the murdered man, who
was of such a peculiar nake-up that
after turning over his wife to her Sc
Queer ca took her back home for the
sake of the children" God help the
children! There are whole sermons in
any of the above mentioned subjects.
But the writer thinks 1t worthy Of
mention as to the abnormal make-up OF
the three women in the Burdick family.
This to come from their own evidence
and demeanor at the inquest. First va
had an account of the evidence of Bur-
dicks 15-year-old daughter No Won
der the lawyers We're aghast at the
nerve of this child-wonl;in. Examina-
ton and cross-examination failed to
disturb her equanimi.y. Questioned
about the finding of the body of her
murdered father, she showed no more
emotion than as tho it all referred to a
dead dog. Not tear did she shed Tin
public, not a CULVER IL. her voice as
she answered the lawyers
questions. Think of the situation.
Suppose loving daughter as a wit
ness concerning the murder of kind
father. No wonder that the actions,
demeanor and replies CT this young
been the cause Of so much comment on
the part of the newspapers as we'll as
that of the legal fraternity the country
over.
Then Mrs Burdick's answers to the
lawyers astonish the world. Certainly
she is mother to the daughter. She an
nounced her own shame in that court
room before 800 curious women In as
matter-o -fact-a tone as tho the ques-
tons referred to some other woman. In
one breath she admitted what kind
husband she had and Immediately after
wards admitted meeting Pencil several
times in house on - street. Jump
ing out of the window in the room
where she had an asigration with Pen
nell, thus to avoid an angry 90 hus-
band, she proceeds at once to church.
a woman~-the mother of three children,
the eldest almost n woman grown
coolly admits under oath her visits to
and travels with the husband OF lady
friend who frequently visits her home.
In parenthesis 1t can be assumed from
the evidence that the relations existing
between Pennell and Mrs. Burdick We're
known to Burdick, Mrs. Hull. Mrs PEN
nell, the children of Burd'ck. the minis
ter of her church, as we'll as several
lawyers, and some bankers. But the
writer agreed at the beginning of this
screed to make no reference to Buffalo
society people.
And last, but not least. was the EVIL
dence of the mother of Mrs. Burdick,
and grandmother OF the child-woman
witness. She evidently had handed
down to two generations on the female
side characteristics Of nerve" Cthere's
no other word that expresses it) that X
exhibited in good cause would excite
the admiration of the world. Here was
a mother having full knowledge Of the
guilty relations of her grown to middle
age daughter with the husband OF 9
friend of the family, even knowing Oh
the certainty that her granddaughter
was well aware of existing conditions,
living in the house with son-in-iaw
who had repeatedly condemned the Of
tense OF her daughter, knowing full
well Of the inevitable ana terrible dis
grace stamped on them forever, this
woman past the age when the ordinary
woman is at her best. physically and
mentally, stood the prunt of a keen
lawyers questions as tho she was al
most disinterested witness. Think OF
a woman by her own statements adj
hitting that something awful had hap
pened and allowing no one to uncover
the horrible object covered with sofa
pillows! This in sitting room ad-
joining where she had the morning
meal. And whether this woman loved
or hated Burdick the world will never
know from her manner at the inquest.
She, too. excited the professional adj
.miration of the lawyers for her wonder
full self-possession and ready answers.
And unless the future spells this state
ment, with one possible exception, the
grandmother, the daughter and the
granddaughter agree entirely in state
ments concerning all that happened on
that fateful morning in thu Burdick
household And we'll may the public
aswk, Is this remarkable exhibition OF
these three women the result of con-
scious innocence. of no knowledge OF
the author Of the crime. or it is the re-
suit, and we'll executed. of desire to
shield the guilty author nf the crime?
Mgs.azkezg
U