The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-10

eagerness to solve the mystery sur
rounding the assassination of Edwin J.
Burdick the police today made a false
! move. They Immediately retraced their
steps when it was found that the dis
trict attorney considered their case to
be too f1msy.
Marion w. Hutchison, young wo-
man formerly employed in Burdick's S
Office, was taken to police headquarters
by detectives at an early hour. She
was not under arrest, the police say
being detained for five hours she was
released, because the police could find
absolutely nothing against her. The
| result of the days work brings the au-
thoritieS no nearer a solution of the
mystery than they were a week ago.
Miss Hutchison, who is very attractive
in appearance came here about a year
ago in company with her mother and
sister Florence, from London, Ont.
Soon after arriving in this city, Miss
| monthly paper printed by Edwin L..
| Burdick at his envelope factory. Last
, January she left his employ Since
then she has been singing in a church
choir but has not been employed at any
kind of work.
Philip H. Fennelly, the attorney who
| is acting for Seth T. Paine, set about
| to secure Miss Hutchison's release, OBJ
tanning from Justice White of the Su-
preme court a writ Of habeaS corpus
directing the police to bring Marion
w. Hutchison before that court. After
| serving the writ, the attorney accom-
panied by Miss Florence Hutchison re-
~,
where the writ was to be argued. Soon
afterwards Marion Hutchison left head
quarters, accompanied by a detective.
The detective, however, did not place
any restraint upon her movements. Mr..
Fennelly telephoned to Justice White
who was at the Ellicott Club, asking if
the girl could be brought before him
there.
rs the young woman under arrest?"
asked Justice White.
The attorney informed Justice White
that the officers said the girl was not
| under arrest.
Tell them to release her at once"
said Justice White.
Then Mr.. Fennelly was told by the
police that the girl was not under
arrest at all; that she never had been
under arrest and that she was at lib
erty to go wherever she pleased. The
two sisters and their attorney then left
the building.
1t soon became evident that the po-
lice and the district attorneys office
had not worked in conjunction in TAX
ing Miss Hutchison into custody.
Later the following statement was
given out: What seemed to be re-
liable information having reached the
police department last evening that a
certain young woman living in the city
| might have some valuable informa>
+I,a Inr~ Of z 6Ny-iY1 T.
Burdick, we requested this woman to
come to police headquarters this morn
| ing and give any information she might
have She came and made a statement.
| She was at no time under arrest"
The above statement was given out
| by the district attorneys stenogra pher.
He said the statement was from the
police department and not from the dis
| trict attorneys office. Mr.. Coatsworth
also personally stated that the state
ment emanated from the police depart
ment.
| Superintendent Bull was then seen.
| Did the police issue this statement?
| he was asked.
| The statement was issued by the
district Attorney replied General Bull.
The district attorney wrote the state
ment and gave it out"
And you did not issue the state
| ment?"
| No sir replied superintendent Bull
! in an emphatic tone.
But the district attorney says the
! police gave out the statement"
! That does not make any difference.
! The district attorney wrote the state
ment and gave it out. It did not come
| from me-
! Superintendent Bull then issued the
/ following statement: Miss Hutchison
was brought to police headquarters as
! a result of an Identification by hack
man whose name / cannot recall, who
/ said that the woman was one whom he
/ took to Summer street and Ashland
. avenue on the Thursday night of the
murder That identification was posi-
tive The further reasons are that a
woman answering the description OF
this woman was seen by Patrolman
Meyer at about ITO o'clock Friday
morning at Bryant and Ashland ave-
nue.. also near the Burdick home. A
further statement made to.the author
tiles was that young woman, answer
in Miss Hutchison's description, was
seen in the upper part of the city
by we'll known citizen, who