Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-03-14
HURLED INTO ETERNITY
A. R. Pennell Killed and Wife Seri-
eusly Injured at Buffalo.
AUTO PLUNGED INTO DEEP ABYSS
Mr.. Pennell Was One of the Chief Fig
ures In the Investigation of the Bur.
dick Murder Mystery-Not Known
How Accident Happened,


dick Murder Mystery-Not Known
How Accident Happened.
Buffalo, N. Y. March 11.-More ter
rible almost than the death Of E. L.
Burdick was the tragedy that occurred
late yesterday afternoon, when Arthur
r. Pennell, one Of the chief figures in
the investigation OF the Burdick MUIR
der, was hurled headlong into eternity
Mr.. Pencil was riding in his electric
automobile with Mrs. Pennell. They
were on Kensi Dgton avenue, near Fill
more avenue, Swimming along the
edge Of the Genres stone quarry,
huge ribbed hole in the ground. Mr..
Pennell's hat blew off. The automo-
bile swerved, and in some inexplicable
manner 1t leaped over the curb into
the abyss below. Mr. Pennen was
killed instantly, his head being crush
cd to an unacceptable mass. Mrs.
Pencil was injured so severely that
the surgeons at the Sisters Hospital,
to which she was taken, say her
chances of recovery are very slight.
Two boys saw the tragedy. They
were too far away to know positively
Just how 1t happened. Mrs. Pencil
when found was unable to speak. She
was only semi-conscious when taken
fr ths hospital ard could sneak NO
coherent words. After The operations
performed Immediately by DR.. Eugene
Smith, in the hope Of saving her life,
she lapsed into Inconsistencies, and
No ~
precisely how the affair occurred.
Mr.. Pepnell left his Office in the
Austin building at 4.05 o'clock yester-
day afternoon. A friend who called
up Mr.. Pennell on the telephone was
Informed that Mr.. Pennell was in, but
that he was just going for drive. Mr..
Pennell himself answered the tele-
phone and said that he would be back
between $50 and z o'clock, making an
appointment with his friend for that
hour
Would o'clock do?" he was asked.
ooh, well, you might come at 6
o'clock, but you better make it later"
said Mr.. Pennell.
1t was learned last night that the
matter mentioned in the telephone talk
was something he considered most
serious, and which weighed heavily
upon him. 1t was in connection with
the Burdick murder.
Recently Mr.. Pennell made the fol-
lowing statement: About this case of
Burdick. l have told the authorities
j went away to New York before the
murder, and that / met Mrs. Burdick
while was away. In fact saw Mr.
Burdick near New York two or three
days before the murder OF Mr.. Bur-
dick. l came home again Wednesday,
the day before the murder. l have
told it frankly. and the meeting was a
proper one. But they seem determined
to drag all this business out in the
papers. would do anything to
stop it,"
- Pennell and his wife left their home
at $50 o'clock or one or two minutes
before that time. 1t was q gloomy
afternoon and rain was falling. 1t
seemed a strange day for a man to
take his wife out automobiling, in the
lonely northeast section Of the city,
at such an hour
Pennell was not a veteran at auto
handling the machine and was expert
1enced as to its management. So far
as could be learned, he never had any
accidents. Certainly he was not re-
garded as a green or incompetent
Chauffeur. What was unusual about
yesterdays proceeding, according to
the maid, was that Mrs. Pennell had
always before told her when they
would return. yesterday, however"
said the girl, when they went out it
Vas Mr.. Pencil who told me- Mrs.
Pennell went on ahead of him, and
he came back and called me and said:
Lizzie, we will be back between $50
and Z o'clock / said All right and
they went away. That was between
4.40 and 4.50 o'clock, just after Mr..
Pencil had talked over the tele-
nhonao