The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-12
IT WAS NOT SUICIDE
TUMBLE INTO A QUARRY WAS AN
ACCIDENT.
MRS. PENNELL DIES OF HURTS.
SHE, AS WELL AS HER HUSBAND,
THE AUTOS VICTIM.

Investigations Made Mt Buffalo
show That MIR. PenneH Did All in
His Power to stop His Machine
when IL started Toward the Quar-
ry-This Is the Opinion of Experts
Who Examined All the Evidence.
Mrs. Penneu Did Not Regain Com
seriousness Before Her Death.
Buffalo, March 11.-Mrs. Arthur PEN
nell died at the Sisters of Charity
Hospital tonight at o'clock. For
hours to-day the surgeons worked
over the unconscious form of the in
iured woman. A faint twitching of
the eyelids or a murmur of pain were
the only signs of returning conscious
ness perceptible during the "a hours
the injured woman was in the hospi-
tai ward. Except for a few incoher-
rent words uttered when she was first
taken to the hospital. Mrs. Pennells
lips did not move.
Mrs. Abbey Y. Pennell. John PEN
nell, brother of the dead man. and
Henry W. Lamb, a brother of Mrs.
tlluGlis dlllN6u III lIlG Nllg Tins ilNGA
noon from New York. They were at
once driven to the Sisters Hospital.
They were admitted to the ward where
Mrs. Pencil lay unconscious and
stood beside her for fifteen minutes.
During the time the injured woman
did not move. They then left the
ward, and we're taken to the Pennell
home or Cleveland avenue.
Searched His Effects.
All callers at the Pennell house this
evening were denied admission. At 8
O'Clock ]. Fred Pencil, Mr. Lamb and
Thos. Penney eX-district attorney and
a former partner of Mr.. Pennell, went
to the Austin building and searched
tine desk of the dead man.
A policeman, who had been on guard
ever since the fatal accident occurred,
stood by while the search was hei1g
made. A number of important docu-
ments were found, including a file of
recent date.
The automobile which carried Mr..
Pennell and his wife in the plunge TO
the bottom of the stone quarry on
Kensington avenue last night, was
carefully examined to-day. The
brakes and levers were given particu-
larly close attention. Experts in the
construction and manufacture of au-
tomohia%n were called in.
The result of the examination left
no doubt In the minds of any of the
men present that Mr.. Pencil did ev-
efything in his power to regain con-
troll of the vehicle when it careened.
The brakes were tightly set, the POWER
indicator pointed to reverse" and the
track of the wheels In the soft earth
on the ridge between the street pave
ment and the quarry showed that the
wheels were turning backward when
the machine sped forward to destruc-
ton.
PennelI Was Correspondent.
Prior to the examination of the auto
mobile, which was made by employees
of the concern that sold the vehicle to
Pencil, Medical Examiner Danzser
visited the place where the accident
occurred. Afterwards he said: "Pen-
nell put on the brake of the automo-
bile in the effort to stop the fatal
plunge into the quarry last night. /
have examined the ground on the edge
of the quarry. The right wheels had
ploughed up the ground, while the left
made a smooth track. From these in
dications l should judge Pennell had
tried to- stop the machine"
Ever since the Burdick affair, Pen
nell had spent most of his time at
home. He was named as correspondent
in the divorce suit that had been in
stituted by Burdick, and the fact prey
ed upon his mind. He was cast down
by its revelation after the tragedy,
and the consequent references to him.
self in connection with the tragedy
caused him great anxiety and sub
jected him to a continuous nervous
strain. lie has spent every moment
of his time that he could in the COM
pany of Mrs. Pennell since the murder
1t was his custom to take a ride with
Mrs. Pennell in his automobile every
morning and afternoon. Nearly every
evening also he and Mrs. Pennell took
long walks.
Superintendent of Police Bull, when
asked if the death of Pennell would
affect the investigation of the police
in the Burdick case replied: think
not"
Assistant Chief Cusack said: 81 have
investigated the death of Pennell and
it is my belief that it was purely ac-
cidental.''