The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-14
The BURDICK
INQUEST BEGINS
DR.. Marcy, There First, Wanted DR..
Rowland to Make Out a
Suicide Case.
Nothing Brought Out to Give Sub.
" stance to the Lone Woman
Hypothesis.
Detective Holmlund Tells of Find.
ing Revolver and Lei, rs in
Rurdick's Clothes.

Buffalo. March 14.-The inquest into
the murder of Edwin I. Burdick was be-
gun in the police court here to-day before
Judge Murphy
Among the first witnesses to appear
were Mrs. Seth T. Paine, Miss Barrett.
the stenographer who boards with Mrs.
Paine. and A. Carlson, another boarder
1.-THE Paine residence. Mrs. Paine was
accompanied by counsel. Only one wit
ness at a time admitted
The inquest began with the calling OF
DR.. Rowland, assistant medical examiner
who handed to Judge Murphy the report
Of the medical examiner on the death Of
Burdick.
Under the law we are compelled to
hold this inquest" said Judge Murphy.
1--WE charge no one with this crime. The
purpose of this investigation is to lay
this crime, if possible, at the door of some
one
DR. Howland. examined by District At
torney Coatsworth. said he had been sum-
moned to the Burdick home by telephone
on Feb. - shortly after q. DR.. w. II.
Marcy met him at the door and told him
that something had been going on there
and that Mr.. Burdick was dead
II am not sure continued Dr. How
land, ''but I think he told me that he was
not certain whether it was murder or sui
eide. He asked me to make 1t out a
case of suicide If possible, as there had
ben good deal of gossip in the neigh
borhood respecting the relations existing
between Mr.. and Mrs. Burdick.'
The witness said he then examined the
body and told DR.. Marcy that it was i'm
possible to entertain the suicide theory
for a minute. Asked as to what further
conversation he had with DR.. Marcy, the
witness said the former told him of the
divorce proceedings in the Burdick fam
lily.
DR.. Howand repeated the converse ton
he had with Mrs. Hull as to the finding
OF the body of Burdick. the finding of a
window open the fact that there were no
tracks in the snow outside the window,
and the finding of the open drawer.
Another thing the witness said DR..
Marcy told him, was that he found the
window curtains in the den drawn, and,
being unable to raise them, tore them
down. He also told me that a quilt lla d
been wrapped three times about the head
of the murdered man., said DR.. Rowland,
@"and that he had found pool Of blood
on the floor. y .ss~ss s.s=4s. ..s-s. a.> -
Mr.. Goa atsworth2 brought out the fact
that Burdick's body had been moved by
the murderer after the crime had been
commmitted "a -ssg,zz-<f-.s-. c.a.. r.. =
Mr. Howland described the clothing
found in the room, the finding Of the
luncheon, a siX-ounce druggist bottle con-
tanning whisky and cocktail glass. He
could not say whether the glass had beer
used. He had seen Detective HolmlunC
take letter from Burdick's pocket.
Mrs. Hull Was Prompted
II heard DR.. Marcy say continued the
witness. that Mrs. Hull was subject tc
heart failure While Mrs Hull was giv!'
ing her statement she occasionally hest
tated and at such times DR.. Marcy
prompted her"
Witness saw no weapon in the room.
What was your conclusion as te
whether Burdick was killed in the den?'
he was asked
II think he was
DO you think he was killed on thu
couch?'
II think he was on the couch
when he was killed, was he lying OF
the couch in the position in which yol
found the body?'
Judging from the location of tn
wounds he must have been lying in SOM
other position at the time he was struck.
The Lone Woman Hypothesis.
Dr. Howland found a tuft of hair OF
the couch. He thought it longer thai
Burdick's hair. From the condition of tn
body he was of the opinion that Burdic
was killed about O'Clock. This is re
garded as important. as it would tend t
nullify the statements made to Distr1c
Attorney by Officers Meyer and Reid re
gardng the '1one woman"
In reply to another question as t
whether he thought woman had been i
the room, the doctor gave a negativ
reply.
Replying to question by one Of the al
torneys representing the Burdick famil!
the witness said 1t was his opinion the
the blood found on the door was throw
from the instrument used in committin
the murder. E.. -.. ...--
Detective HoImIund's Findings. -t
Detective John w. Holmlund describe
the scenes in the den and related the cor
versatiou he had with one of the maid
He found some letters and a revolvt
in Burdicks coat. The trousers, he sal
were lying on the couch and looked as
they had been placed there carefully ar
folded over. Two of the letters wei
from a Mr.. Cleveland. of Cleveland.
gave them to Superintendent Bull. I'll
witness had talk with Dr. Marcy. I'll
DOCTOR he said. gave him the impressic
that he wanted the matter kept quie
He did not want the affair made ar
more public than was necessary.