The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-13

Buffalo, y. Y. March 10.-More terri
BILE almost than the death of F. L.
Burdick, was the tragedy that occurred
late this afternoon when Arthur r.
Pencil, one of the chief figures in the
Investigation of the Burdick murder,
was hurled head long into eternity
Mr.. PenneIl was riding in his electric
automobile with Mrs. Pennell. They
were on Kensington avenue. near Fill
were in KinssingtOn avenue, near Fill
of the Gehrs stone quarry, a huge rock
ed rubbid hole in the ground. Mr..
Pencils hat blew off. The automo>
bile swerved and in some inexplicable
manner it Ieaped over the cur into the
abyss below. PANEL was killed in
stantly, his head being crushed to an
unrecognizable mass. Mrs. Pencil was
injured severely SO that the urgeOn
at the Sisters hospital. to which she
was taken, say that her chances for
recover are very slight.
Two boys saw the tragedy. They
were too far AVA to know positively
just how it happened. Miss Pennell
when found was unabl- to speak. She
was only semi-cOnsciO-S when taken to
the hospital and coulG speak no coher-
ent words. After tt operations, per
formed Immediately by DR.. Eugene
Smith in the hope # saving her life,
she Iapsed into I consciousness and
hence there can no true version OF
precisely how thu flair occurred.
Mr.. Pennen lief MS office in the Aus
- H., to- - f11o-l .rhs- fhrp
noon. He Wen to his home at 2OS
Cleveland aver a friend who called
up Mr.. Penne.i on the telephone about
) o'clock wa informed that Mr.. PEN
nell was in. 1t that he was going for
a drive. M. Pennell himself answered
the telepho-a and said that he would
be back b tween $50 and I o'clock,
making a.. appointment with his friend
for that hour.
Would 6 o'clock do" he was asked.
'Oh, we'll, you might come at {
o'clock but you better make it later
said Mr.. Pencil.
Those were the last words Pennell
was known to speak to n one except
Mrs. Pennel. save that he went back
TO the stairs and called out to Lizzie
Romance. the maid: Lizzie, we will
be back between 6 and I o'clock"
\ Then he and Mrs. Pennell rode away
- the automobile.
1t was learned tonight that the mat
ter mentioned in the telephone talk was
something he considered most serious
and which weighed heavily on him. 1t
was in connection with the Burdick
murder.
Recently Mr.. Penneu made the fol-
lowing statement:
About this case of Burdick. I have
told the authorities I went away to
New York before the murder n that
/ met Mrs. Burdick while I was away.
In fact. I saw Mrs. Burdick near New
York two or three days before the
murder of Mr.. Burdick. 1 came home
on Wednesday, the day before the muir
der. l have told it frankly and the
meeting vas a proper one. But they
seem TO be determined TO drag all this
business out in the papers. I would do
anything to stop it."
Pencil and his wife left their home
ut $50 o'clock or one or two minutes
before that time. 1t was a gloomy at
terHoon and rain was falling. 1t seem
ed d strange day for a man to take his
wife automObiling in the lonely north
east section Of the city at such an hour
Pencil was not a veteran at automo-
billing. Yet he was an expert at hand
ling the machine and was experienced
as 10 its management.
What was unusual about today's
proceedings. according TO the maid was
that Mrs. Pennell had always before
told her When they would return. To,
day, however. said the girl. when they
went out il was Mr.. Pennell who told
me-"
Their route on the ride no one car
Tell in detail. Captain Gable and tbs
police were trying tonight to trace the
route OF the automobile.
Mrs. Pencil has been loyal to heI
husband throughout his trying expert,
ences during the last ten days. Sh:
frequently said that her faith in hin
was mistaken and that she would stick
TO him to the end.
PennellS body was received at the
morsue shortly after $50 o'clock. The
features of the dead man were distort.
ed and out of all Semblance to their
natural character. In tive pockets were
found some money and newspaper clip.
pings and Identification cards from two
life insurance companies.
Some OF the newspaper clippings were
time worn and stained and had the ap.
pearance Of having been carried in thi
case for months. They were interesting
as expressing various emotions, as pos
sible index of the character OF the mar
who preserved them. The titles OF som
of the verses were:
Until you come THAT which 4
lost The ~fates'', THE unlaid ghost
"Cndistinsuished dead" "a night Il
June" Opportunity"