The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-07
PenneII Left Statement Of How
Burdick Met Death.
Was Killed at Midnight by an
Unknown Woman.
SAYS HE is INNOCENT.
But Doesn't Tell Name of Guilty
Person.
Now Claimed That PenneH Was
Defaulter.

Buffalo, n. Y, April lit is now stat
ed that interesting developments may
be looked for at the Arthur R. Pennell
inquest. 1t is known that Pencil left
a last statement in defense of himself.
In it he dealt at length with the Bur-
dick case. with Burdick, and with his
relations with Mrs Burdick.
Pennen said in his statement that
Burdick was killed at midnight; that
an unknown woman killed him; he pro-
tested his own innocence and said he
had nothing to do with the crime. He
told of his strained relations with Mr..
Burdick- but insisted that his relations
with Mrs. Burdick were purely platonlc.
This statement was finished by Pen
nell the day before his death. After it
was finished he set to work on the day
of his death on a separate statement.
The first was held pending the compile
ton OF the second statement. The last
statement has not been found. 1t has
disappeared as completely as if some
one had burned it up The first state
ment written by Pennell, in which be
comes to his own defense. is known to
have been in existence. and it is be-
lleved unless extraordinary circum~
stances prevent it win come to light.
this statement District Attorney Coats
worth and Judge Murphy Will have it
out at the Pencil inquest next Friday.
1t is now pointed out that it will be i'm
possible to divorce the Pencil inquesN
from the Burdick inquest. Too many
facts have come to light and being
seeming connection between the two
This apparent connection must be es-
tablished or discredited. the authorities
say.
Besides the statement in self-defense,
Pencil left letters to friends about the
Burdick case, detective reports detec>
tive bills and other documents pertain
ing to the shadOwing of Burdick in an
effort to get evidence against him upon
which to base a divorce case. 1t ia
stated that the authorities have some
Of these papers. Others they expect to
get from witnesses at the Pencil in
quest and thus secure further informa-
ton concerning Burdicks life and pos
S1bly of his death. If, by some legal
right these witnesses can decline to
answer or decline to produce the papers
they will have the opportunity to state
that right and stand upon it, so that the
public may know the fact. This is what
is feared by the authorities.
HE WAS A DEFAULTER.
A Buf+alo paper Monday published a
story in which it is alleged that Arthur
/ r. Pennell who was killed in an auto
mobile accident on March TO- was de-
faulter to the extent of from $50, 900 to
100000. The story, the paper says,
leaked out as the result of legal dis
pute over two life insurance policies.
and is to the effect that Pencil induced
friends in the east who had known his
family and the family of his wife, to
place money in his hands for invest
ments. He acted, in fact as their finan-
cial agent. He would inform them of
good investments which he had come
across which would pay an excellent
rate of interest and they would send
him money The money which was sent
n him ie al he.
SPENT and when interest payments fell
due he made the payments out of his
own pocket.
Wallace Thayer. who was PennelI's
attorney and intimate friend, is refer
red to by the paper as saying he had
suspected Irregularities, but that he had
no proof of any such wrong doing. In
eidentally, it has been learned that
Pencil made provision for the payment
to Mrs. Edwin L. Burdick of $50, 900 out
of his life insurance.
Pencil carried over 5000, 900 life in
Surance in order that after his death
the eastern estates to which he is alleg-
ed to have been a defaulter, might be
able to recoup the losses which they
sustained through him. In his viii
Pencil named as administrator of his
estate his brother, J. Frederick PenneH.
He left to his administrator sealed in
structions that upon his death he
should make good in full out of his
estate all losses which had been sus-
tanned through defalcatiOnS.
The story adds that Pencil had con-
templated suicide for two years, and
says the fact is known that Pennell
planned two years ago to throw him.
self in front of a train at Peekskill and
to make it appear that his death was
an accident"
He stopped off at PeekslilI on the way
back from New York with the intention
of committing suicide in that way, but
his nerve failed him. Recently he told
the story of the Peeksl1ilI incident him
self During the Pan-American exposi-
ton he sought for days for an OppOr-
tunity to commit suicide in a manner
that would make 1t appear accidental
He had an idea that he could be run
over in some way while al the EXPOSE
ton but he never could nerve himself
up to the point where he could throw
himself under train or drop under the
wheels of a trolley car.
It appears that there were two life
policies which had not been handed
over to the administrator One was for
$4,000 and the other for $4,000. Those
two policies had been assigned by Pen
nell to Attorney Wallace Thayer in
trust In one he was referred to as
wallace Thayer. trustee in the other
he was designated Wallace Thayer. as
trustee" The insurance companies took
legal counsel in the matter and held up
payments.
]. Frederick Pencil, the administra-
tor of the estate was called in and IN
sisted on having more information be-
fore he would consent to the payment
of any insurance money to Mr.. Thayer
as trustee. It was then that the story
of Pencils alleged defalcations and his
plans to commit suicide We're made
known. The $4,000 insurance money
assigned to Thayer by Pencil in trust
is supposed to be paid over to Mrs. Bur
dick IN accordance with the provisions
of the bond for 1000 which Pencil
gave prior TO his death Mr.. Thayer
will not talk about it. In fact, he has
1 declined to give even the administrator
of Pencils estate any Information ccR-
corning it.