The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-06
|'WOman Under Surveillance
 Awaiting Further Proof
HER ESCAPE IS IMPOSSIBLE
Police Believe That Burdick Was Killed By a Woman Who Had Been Neglected and Who Was In
 Need of Money.

Buffalo. N. Y., March 5.--"Our case has not been weakened in any way while it has not been strengthened. That 1 regard as a good sign"
 These words. uttered by Attorney Gen. eral Coatsworth when he left his office this afternoon after another day of prob- Ing in the Burdick murder mystery. sum- marlzes the situation tonight. The woman suspected to have knowledge of the kill ing of BurdiclS Is under surveillance and cannot escape. When the authorities are satisfied that they have sufficient eyi- dence to convict she will be placed under arrest.
 Several persons called at the district attorneys office today, but nothing new was learned by the police.
 Suspicion now attaches, the police say. to woman who was in straitened cir cumstances. She had been closely related financially with Burdick. She had to make payment on furniture with which she furnished her home. The payment was made after Burdick's murder.
 She Was Neglected.
 The open drawer suggests that this woman, being neglected by Burdlck for another woman, killed him to secure money and to avenge her jealousy. This woman is also under surveillance.
 District Attorney Coatsworth reiterated today his statement of last night that he was "satisfied as to who committed the crime He declined to say whether or not the murderer lived in the Elmwood district. but said Il was his belief that only one person was in the den" when the crime was committed
 There will be no arrest" he added, "until we have sufficient evidence to con vict, if we succeed in obtaining that evi- dence."
 Rigid Review First.
 Before final action is taken" he con tilued, there will be a thorough. com pr hensive, panstaking, rigid review of the entire case from beginning to end. The entire situation will be gone over carefully. After that action will be taken.
 And that action will be an arrest It will be an arrest in which we will stake all to win or lose. l am hopeful of win hing In my own mind I am thoroughly convinced to who committed the crime but as 1 have said. our evidence thus far Is simply circumstantial No. 1 will not say yet whether the person whomAI suspect is a man or woman" \.
 Mrs. Seth T. Payne of 492 Elmwood avenue, whose picture was found in Bur dicks den. declared in an interview to- day that she knew nothing about the tragedy, and that she at home all the night of the murder. This fact, she said she could prove by her servants.
 Mrs. Payne's Statement.
 Mrs. Seth T. Payne of 492 Elmwood avenue, whose picture was found in Burdick's den. has made statement Her name has frequently been used in connection with the investigation into f1... and she has been questioned by the police While in Mrs. Coatsworths of flee the cabman who met an unaccompan- fed woman on Ashland avenue on the night of the murder was taken into the room.
 Mrs. Payne said: q know absolutely nothing of the murder. l have no the ory to who did how it done.
 Both Thy husband and I knew the Burdicks. Yes we also knew the Pen nells and the Warrens. My husband and l have visited or called on the Burdicks and they have called on us. My name has not appeared as a correspondent in any action for divorce by Mrs. Burdick against MT. Burdick. l have never called alone on MT. Burdick at his house.
 "The last time I talked with Mir. Bur dick was last Thursday the day before the murder). It was over the telephone and he asked me about matter that was purely social and did not relate in any way to an appointment. I told him would let him know the next day and on Thursday 1 did call him tip on the telephone aud that was the last time 1 talked with him.
 "On Thursday evening I had dinner as usual between and o'clock. l did not go out of the house after dinner. Some people live in the house with us One of them is Mrs. Mary Cunningham. She is employed down town She knows that did not go out after dinner"
 All of Mrs. Payne's statements regard ing her movements have been corrobora- ted by Mrs. Cunningham.