The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-11
PENNELL INQUEST
BEGUN AND DONE
Conclusion Is Unsatisfactory
and Throws No Light on
Burdick Murder.

BUFFALO, n. Y, April 10.-The ev-
idence given today at the inquest into
the deaths of Arthur r. Pennell and
Mrs. Pennell before Justice Murphy
will not help the authorities in any way
to solution of the Burdick murder
mystery. Whether the tragedy at
Genres stone quarry, on March 10, in
which Pennell was killed and Mrs.
Pennell was fatally injured, was due to
accident or design, was not proved
Thomas Penney, who acted as attor-
ney for the Pennell family since Arthur
Pencils death, declared that, SO far
as he was aware, nothing in the papers
left by Mr.. Pennell would throw any
light upon the murder Of Edwin Bur-
dick. When questioned regarding the
alleged defalcations by PenneIl, Mr..
Penney declined to answer. J. Fred
erick Pennell, brother of the dead law
yer and administrator of his estate,
who has possession of most Of the pa
pers, was out of the city, and Mr.. Pen
ney Informed the court that he did not
know where he was or when he would
return.
Evidence that would show defaIca-
ton would simply be accumulative,"
said Justice Murphy, after the evidence
was all in. NO stronger motive could
be proved than has already been
brought out here in the Burdick in
quest. But proving a motive does not
establish suicide. The court is pre-
pared to announce it's findings"
Judge Murphy then delivered his
verdict as follows:
L find and certify that Arthur r.
Pennell came to his death on the 10th
day of March, 1903, as a result of in
Juries received while riding in an au-
tomobile, the said automobile plungine
from an embankment into the Genres
stone quarry. That 1 cannot deter
mine from the evidence submitted
whether such plunge was accidental or
designed. That Carrie Lamb Pennell
came to her death as a result of the
said plunge of the automobile into the
quarry"
w. c. Omphelius, PennelPs stenog-
rapher, produced typewriter COPY of
the first draft of a statement prepared
for publication by Pennell before his
death. Mr.. Coatsworth read 1t. It
was prepared on the Saturday follow
Ing the murder and was addressed to
the public.
In the statement Pennell stated that
ne had satisfied the district attorney
and the police that he had nothing to
do with the Burdick murder. With
reference to his connection to the di-
vorce proceeding, he said that the liv-
Ing have their lives to live and have
greater rights than the dead He de-
clared that there was no truth in the
charges brought against Mrs. Burdick
or himself in the complaint. He de-
clared that there was no reason WHY
she should have been driven from
home by Burdick; that Burdick had
been Intimate with a woman whom he
intended to marry and that it was not
until Burdick learned that Mrs. Bur-
dick was to sue him for divorce that
Burdick himself decided to sue his wife
for a divorce. Pennell declared that
Burdick learned Of his wife's intention
to sue for divorce when he secured her
papers from the safe deposit vault, by
forging an order on the deposit com
pany. Pennell declared Burdick was
killed by an unknown woman whom he
had invited to his house at midnight.