Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-18
Charles S. Parke, Burdick $
Partner, Makes Bold State
ment at Inquest
HAD MOTIVE FOR THE MURDER
Declares That Pennelrs Desire to Hush
Up Investigation of His Connection
With Hurdick Divorce Suit Led Him
to Seek the Latter's Death-valu.
able Witness for Prosecution.

of Arthur r. Pencil who was named
as correspondent in the Burdick di-
vorce proceedings, and who met a ter
rible death in Genres stone quarry two
weeks after Edwin l.. Burdick was
murdered constantly came to the sur
face in the inquest before Judge Muir
ply yesterday, Charles S. Parke, Bur-
dicks former business partner and
Iclose friend, while on the witness stand
gave it as his opinion, based upon IN
formation and superstition. that Pennell
or a hired assassin, killed Burdick.
Fear of disclosures growing out of the
divorce proceedings instituted by Mr.
Burdick against his wife. Mr.. Parke
firmly believed, was the motive for
the crime.
Mr.. Parke told Of conversations he
had with Burdick relative to trouble
With Pencil. On one occasion Burdtck
told Parke that Pencil had threatened
suicide If the suit was not stopped.
Pencil had also threatened to XIII Doth
himself and Mrs. Burdick.
Mrs. Gertrude b. Paine, the Wife OF
DIR. Seth Z. Paine, an intimate friend of
the Pencils and the Burdicks was
closely questioned regarding the rela-
tons between the two families and es-
pecially of the feeling displayed by the
men toward each other. Mrs. Paine's
house was searched by the police on the
Sunday following the murder. Yesterday
the states attorney touched only cas-
ually on her Whereabouts on the night
of the murder, deyoting most of the
time to questions relating to her re-
lations with Burdick and her knowl-
edge of the feeling between Pencil
and Burdick. Mrs Paine denied hav-
ing been at Burdick's house at any
time when not accompanied by DR..
Paine.
DIR. Paine was examined. He was on
the stand for only a few minutes. He
was in Bataxia on the night of the muir
der
Mrs. Paine Met Burdiek.
Mrs. Paine when asked if she had met
Burdick since his wife Went away. re-
piled that she had seen him several
times at different places; twice or three
times by appointment made by tele-
phone.
witness, were kept once at Lang
candy store, once at the GeneSsee and
once at Main and Summer streets, six
weeks or two months ago. on the
last occasion Burdick talked about
his wife. He said that the gossip that
had been going on about his wife was
true. and that he had the necessary
evidence to secure divorce. He did
&1,o 10 hol hal
away, but that was what was gathered
by the witness.
Burdick told Mrs. Paine that he felt
very badly about Pencil. his friend,
coming into his family that way. He
said he had had a talk with Pencil and
that Pencil had agreed to leave the
city. Once before Pencil had prom
ised to leave home but had not done
So Mr.. Burdick never asked the wit
ness to fix UP an appointment with
Pencil. Mrs. Paine said she met Bur-
dick down town several times by ap-
pointment, but did not remember what
they talked about or Why the appoint
ments were made.
The last talk she had with him was
by telephone the day before his death.
He had requested her the day previous
to ascertain if the Pencils were going
to the Elmwood dance, as he did not
want to meet them. Mrs. Paine
learned they were not going, and tele-
phoned Burdick to that effect.
Burdick had called en- her several
times while Mrs. Warren. of Cleveland,
was there and had taken them to the
theater and, she thought, TO the dancing
club.
while he was talking to you at Main
ard Summer streets did he tell you
that Mrs. Warren was getting divorce
from her husbands"
Yes, SIR
"Burdick thought good deal of Mrs.
Warren, didn't he?'
Yes; he admired her very much"
Did he say there was any arrange
nent by which he and Mrs. Warren
we're to be married When she got d
ldivorce?"
mo, SIR
When asked if Mrs. Pennell had saii
she was going to get divorce from
lher husband, Mrs. Paine replied: No;
she said she had heard the story that
she was getting divorce, but She said
she had no intention of doing anything
| Of the kind. She said she had spoken
| to Burdick about taking his wife back.
Before that Burdiek had told her that
Mrs. Pencil wanted him to take Mrs.
Rurdick back. He said that Mrs. Pen
Inell had caused all the trouble in the
first place and that it was too late for
| her to intercede.
Il believe it was Mrs. Pennell who
| first told Mr.. Burdick about Mr.. Pennell
and Mrs. Burdick," declared Mrs. Paine.
Speaking further about her CONVEX
sations with MI Burdick, Mrs. Paine
said:
HE said one time that he would for
give Pencil for all that he had done If
he would only marry Mrs. Burdick. He
said he would permit her to have the
children six months of the year.
Did he ever say anything about muir
derine Pennell?"
He said once: Who would there be
10 take care of my children il l had a
murder on my hands?'''
Burdick also told her he had been
warned to look out for pennell but he
believed Pencil to be a physical cow
ard and had no fear of kim. Speaking
of Burdick's talk as to conference
with Pencil in lawyers Office. Mrs.
Paine said:
He said Pennell had threatened to
iccmmit suicide if the suit was not
stopped. He threatened to kill both
himself and Mrs Burdick IL the di-
vorce proceedings were continued. Bur-
dick told me he thought the threat was
| 81 hluff Ha said both Mr.. and Mrs,