Milford chronicle., 1903-03-27

Burdick Children On Stand.
Buffalo. N. Y, March 25.-"Have you
received any information as to who
killed your husband?' mo sir"
"You swear you have no knowledge
or information as to who killed him!'
II do"
These questions were addressed to
Mrs. Alice Hull Burdick yesterday af-
ternoon by District Attorney Coats
worth at the inquest into the death Of
her husband. The answers were re-
turned by Mrs. Burdick in a calm, clear
voice. The questions came abruptly
while the district attorney was draw
ing from Mrs. Burdick information
about her relations with Arthur R.
Pennell. She had denied that Pennell
took her key to the front door of the
Burdick home while they were in New
York together and had duplicates
made of it.
To complete the examination of
every one known to have been in the
Burdick home on the night of the
murder. the district attorney yesterday
called to the stand the two youngest
Burdick children, Carol and Alice,
aged respectively 13 and 10 years. The
children displayed no more sign OF
emotion than did their grandmother or
mother or older sister while talking
about the terrible death of their father.
Their recollection of the happenings
at the time of the tragedy was rather
hazy, and 81 don't remember" was
usually the answer they gave when
the district attorney pressed Ehem
closely on any point.
Mrs. Burdick trusted Pennell i'm
pIicitly in everything The district at
torney read a number of letters writ
ten to Mrs. Burdicl1 by Pennell, in
which he said life was not worth liv-
ing without her, and that death would
not be unwelcome. She knew nothing
of a document found in her safety de-
post vault bonding Pennell to pay
her $25,00O in the event of his being
unable to marry her. Although it was
among Mrs. Burdicks private papers
in the vault, she claimed to have been
ignorant of its existence.
Mrs. Burdick admitted that Pennell
had promised to marry her after her
divorce from Burdick, their intention
being, she said, Pennell had declared,
ito go out west and get a divorce from
Mrs. Pennell," after which marriage
would be easy.
Mrs. Burdick declared that the last
time she saw Pennell was on Tues
day before the murder. He left her
that night in Atlantic City, arriving
in Buffalo Wednesday. She was in
formed of Mr.. Burdick's death by a
message from Mrs. Hull on the fol
lowing Friday, and hastened to Buff |
falo. A brief note of sympathy from
Pennell came to the house Saturday. |
She never heard from him or saw him, |
she said, between that time and the
day he was killed by his automobile
plunging into the stone quarry.
Mr.. Coatesworth showed Mrs. Bur
dick a letter written from New York /
to Mr.. Burdick by Mrs. Pennell on
December %, 1902 In it Mrs. Pennell |
asked Mr.. Burdick if he was absolutely |
crazy in taking the burden of pressing |
the divorce proceedings. She called |
attention to the fact that Pennell did |
not value life too highly, and init |
mated that he might commit suicide /
and take Mrs. Burdicl with him.
what did she mean by that?" ask
cd Mr.. CoatswOrth.
II don't know" replied Mrs. Burdick.
In a letter written December 2S,
1902, by Mrs. Burdick to Mr.. Burdick,
she told him she intended to go to
Atlantic City. The letter also con-
tanned a yelled threat at suicide. she
had never talked to Pennell about put
ting himself out Of the way or about
committing suicide herself.
Cross-examined by Attorney Hart
zell. Mrs. Burdick said that Pennell
learned at the charity ball that Bur
dick had secured from her the letters
which PennelI had written to her. He
seemed much agitated and wanted the
Setters back.
did he fear the revelations Of a
divorce action?" yes, very much"
Were your relations with him ever
eriminal?" "No sir"
did he ever make any indecent sug-
gestions to you?" 'No sir"
HE was always a perfect gentle
man?" Yes SIR"
"Then why was he afraid Of the d.
yorce proceedings?" He was afraid
Of being humiliated."
BY the court: Didn't you know that
Mrs Pennell loved her husband?"
"She may have once"
''Did you and Mrs. Pennell ever
haye any conversation on the subject?
Didn't she feel that you had wronged
her?"
mo. I don't think she did. She
knew IT was Arthur's fault"
WAS Mr.. Burdick fond Of the la.
aiesf" Eyes. he was very fond Of them"
Don't you know that Mrs. Pennell
was at Mr. Burdick's home the night
pf the murder?" mo SIR"
Didn't any one tell you that she
VAST" mo sir"
"Do you know that Pennell was
HERE that night?" mo sir"