Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-26

the murder of Edwin i. Burdick was
resumed in the police court at 10
O'Clock this morning. The widow of the
dead man, continued her testimony,
which began yesterday.
Woman Looked Pale.
When Mrs Burdick took the witness
chair she looked pale and worn. In
reply the the questions by District At
torney Coatsworth she denied that dur
ing the alteration between Burdick
and herself two years ago, she had
struck Burdick over the head with a
chair, making it necessary for him to
wear piece of court plaster on his
head.
Letter From Husband.
She acknowledged receiving a letter
from her husband from Indianapolis
in January last which said: Received
your letter today from A. R. p, the
contents of which are familiar to you.
Declines to Return Home.
81 shall decline to have any inter
he didn't intendt to come home again.
Sends Plea to Burdick.
Mrs. Burdick wrote letter in reply
pleading with her husband not to per-
sist in his determination to sue for di-
vorce She made an appeal on behalf
of the children, declaring that divorce
proceedings would crush them, and
asking Burdick to be as generous as
he had been.
Had Interview.
Later she had an interview with her
husband. She said that she asked him
to return home and he said that he in
tended to.
Meets PennelI.
Clandestine meetings with Pencil
were resumed shortly afterward. The
witness said that after she jumped
from window on Seventh street or
December 2, she went to church. Up.
on returning home Burdick told her
that she must leave the house and adj
vised her to communicate with Pen
nell which she did that night accom-
panied by her husband.
Notice OF Divorce Sent.
The complaint in the divorce suit
was served on her December 8. That
day she went to Niagara Falls taking
all her clothes. Pennell she said &C
companied her. She said that Pennel
visited her at the Falls. but denied thai
he stayed over night with her. Mrs
Burdick said that she came to Buffalo
on day during her stay at the Fall:
and saw her mother
Had Told Mother.
She said that her mother knew VIII.
she went to the Falls, Mr.. Burdick hav
ing told her. He told her." Mrs. Bun
Il o1r l,o
in position which he could not over
look and that | would have to leav
him. He said that he did not blam
me as much as he did Pencil and tina
Pencil was more to blame than
was"
Went to New York.
When she left the Falls finally, tn
witness averred that she came to But
falo and that Pennell met her at tn
station and they left for New York
reaching there the next morning. Sh
went to boarding house and theme
to a hotel and Pencil remained il
New York seven days. Mrs. Burdic
then went to Atlantic City, remainin
there until January l.
Mrs. Pennell's Letter.
Coatsworth here introduced two le
tiers written by Mrs. Pencil to Bul
dick in which she warned him, plead
ing with him to take Mrs. Burdic
home and drop the divorce suit an
not blast the lives of his children.
Pennell Managed Suit.
Regarding the divorce action Mr.
Burdick said that Pencil had ma
aged everything for her in relation
it. She denied that she had engage
detectives to follow Burdick, sayin
that Pennell did all that.
"On December IL" said Coatswort
"you wrote letter to your husbar
from New York. in which you said yo'
going back home would make I
difference for the reason TIL
Pencil said that you had no defen'
and that the divorce was to be granite
by agreement. Why was this chanl
made with regard to making the d
fense?"
"Burdick told me that If I made /
defense could have the children hs
of the time. But afterwards thong
would make defense and save n
honor"
your honor?"
Eyes, my honor"
What was Pennell going to do wi
you after you were divorced?"
"He said that he would go out we