The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-03-28

- oNiNh~N OldifNS onc NEVER saw
Or Heard From Pennell Since the
Murder, Except = Note of Sympathy.
5urdiok Children On stand.
buffalo. y. l.. March 25.-"Have you
received any information as to who
killed your husband?' No sir"
You swear you have no knowledge
or Information as 10 who killed him p"
Il do"
These questions were addressed to
Mrs. Alice Huh Burdick yesterday ar
ternOOn by District Attorney Coats
worth at the inquest into the death of
he. 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 informal ton
about her relations with Arthur r.
Pencil. She had denied that Pennell
took her key To the front door of the
Burdici, home while they We're in New
York together and had duplicates
made OF il.
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 rcspecf.sciy - anS 10 years. The
children displayed no mOIv sign OF
emotion than did their grandmother or
'.:oChcr OF older sister while talking
about the terrible death of their fathef
Their recollection OF the happenings
al the time of the tragedy was rather
hazy. and Il don't remember was
usually the answer they gave when
the district attorney pressed ,hem
closely on any point
Mrs. Burlick trusted Pennell i'm
plicitly in everything The district at
torney read a number of letters writ
ten TO Mrs Burdick by Pennen. 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
posit vault bonding Pencil TO pay
her s25 600 in the event of his being
unable to marry her. Although IL was
among Mrs. Burdicll's private papers
IN the vault she claimed 10 have been
ignorant OF its existence.
Mrs. Burdick admitted that Pencil
had promised to marry her after her
divorce from Burdick. their intention
being. she said. Pencil had declared.
Ito 20 ont west and get divorce from
Mrs. Ponnoll." after which marriage
would be easy.
Mrs. Burdick declared that the last
time she saw Pencil 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 FASTENED 10 Buff
ialO. \ brief note of sympathy from
pennoll came to the house Saturday
She never heard from him or saw him.
she said, between that time and the
day he Vas killed by his automobile
plunging into the stone quarry.
Mr.. Coatesworth showed Mrs Bur
dick letter written from New York
TO Mr.. purdick by Mrs. Pennen on
December %. 1909. In it Mrs. Pencil
asked Mr.. BurdiclS ir he was absolutely
crazy in taking the burden OF pressing
the divorce proceedings She called
attention 10 the fact that PenneI did
not value life too highly. and init
mated that he might commit suicide
and take Mrs. Burdick with him.
what did she mean by that?" ask
cd Mr.. Coatsworth.
81 don't know" replied Mrs Burdick
:. a letter written December %.
| 1902, by Mrs. BurdiclI to Mr.. Burdick.
I oh f,1
Atlantic City. The letter also con-
tanned a yelled threat at suicide. She
had never talked TO Pencil about put
ting himself out of the way or about
committing suicide herself.
Mr.. Coatsworth read another letter
written by Pencil to Mrs. Burdick
| from Boston, in which he said:
| Dearest Love-This is also a very
hasty note. ! got your letter. was
not surprised that your note was I'M
happy. We seem to be powerless
against our fate. but we had our OPP
portunity and failed to take advantage
of it."
What did he mean by We had our
opportunity and failed to take advan-
tage Of it?'
Il don't know, unless he was re-
ferring to the time we'went to Allan
tic City and came back again"
When she went TO Niagara Falls on
December she had with her a key
to the outer door of their house, and
she carried that key to New York and
Atlantic City.
And Mr.. Pennell also had key to
the door,"
mot that | know Of"
Where is that key now?"
"At home"
'Will you swear that Pennell did moi
have that key in his possession while
you were in New York;"
81 will"
She said she did not have duplicate
or the key made. nor did Penneil. and
she had never let Pennell take II. Her
mother had never seen the letters she
received from Pennell. Neither did she
/ know she was receiving them