New-York tribune., 1903-03-25
HE HINTED AT SUICIDE.
PENNELLiS MAD DESPAIR.
Mrs. Bmdick Tells of His Letters
and Their Secret Meetings.

NO. sir
You swear you have no knowledge or in
formation to who killed him?''
Il do
These questions were asked Mrs. Alice Hull
Rurdick this afternoon at the inquest into the
death Of her husband by District Attorney
Coatsworth The answers were returned by
Mrs. Burdick in a calm. clear voice. The ques-
tions came abruptly. while the District At
torney drawing from the witness inforTna-
tion about her relations with Arthur R. PEN
nell. She had denied that Pennell took her
key to the front door OF the Burdick homo
while they were in New-York together and
had several duplicates made OF it.
Mrs. Burdck's testimony covered the week in
which Burdick was murdered, and the name OF
Arthur r. Pennell was constantly upon her
lips. She trusted him implicitly in everything
The public prosecutor read number OF let
ters written to Mrs. Burdick by Pennell. in
which he said life not worth living without
her and that death would not be unwelcome.
PENNELL THREATENED SUICIDE
The District Attorney also read a letter from
Mrs PenneH to Burdick in which she pleaded
with him to take Mrs. Burdick back, and hint
ing that Pennell might commit suicide and take
Mrs Burdick with him Mrs Burdck said she
did not know what she meant by It.
The witness said she had received letters from
Pennen written in a melancholy vein. He did
not care whether he lived or not. He said he
would rather be dead than crippled or manned:
but he had never said anything definite to her
about ending his existence
In letter written December 2S. 1902, By
Mrs. Burdick to Mr. Burdick, she told him she
intended to go to Atlantic City The letter also
contained a veiIed threat at suicide
PENNEII, TO PAY HER $4,000.
Mrs. Burdick said she knew nothing Of a
n
bonding Pennen to pay her $4,000 in the event
OF his being unable to marry her. Although it
was among Mrs. Burdick's private papers IN
the vault. she claimed to have been ignorant OF
its existence She declared that the last time
she saw Penneu was on the Tuesday before tha
murder. He left her that night in Atlantic Citys
arriving in Buffalo Wednesday She was m
formed Of MI Burdick's death by a message
from her noths- on the following Friday and
hastened to Bui-lo- She reached her nome
Saturday morning A brief note Of sympathy
from PenneI came to the house that day She
never heard from him or saw him between that
time and the day he killed by his autono-
bile pIunging into the stone quarry
Several other letters written by Pennen in
which he fntimated suicide were read by the
District Attorney. The tone OF all the letters
was the same which were expressive or extreme
unhappIness because Of his separation from Mrs
living, and that he would welcome death as
relief.
Mrs Rurdick also took occasion to say in re-
n1,, to questions from her attorney that nothing
improper or immoral had occurred between her
and Pennel. At the same time she sald ner NUS
hand was fond Of the society OF other "OIhe'''
and in answer to questions from her dIloll7S
she said that Mrs. Pennel was quite IanllllaI
with the dining room and den in the BurdicN
home.
MRS PENNELL FAMILIAR WITH DEN
A sensation was created when Mrs Burdick
was asked if her husband would nave aunll''e1
Mrs PenneIl to his house at any t'Ile-
Yes sir" she answered.
Mrs Pennell had been in your house many
times?"
And she was familiar with the dining room
and the den?'
The door Of the den faced the front door. I'D
it not?"
Yes. sir"
And nersnn could tap on the window Of tho
,,,+ door and attract the attention Of any on9
=, +b., ,7o,, without ringing the door hell:
Yes. sir
Here the court interrupted hy asking
..ntd,,t vou know that Mrs PenneH loved
her husband"
she may have once
Did YOU and Mrs P"nn"H ever nave any
conversation on the subject: did she feel thaE
YOU had wrOnged ner.
mo. | don't think she did. She kne" II was
Arthur's fault"
TRIES TO IMPLICATE MRS PENNE'l'I'
.r,on.t YOU know that Mrs. Pennen was at
,r- Burdicks home the night Of the murder
NO sir
DO YOU know that Pennen was there that
night"
NO, sir"
This ended the cross examination
r. cor,nIate the examination OF svery one
- - known to have been in the BurdicS
,or,e on the night Of February 10 when MI
r,45c. WAS murdered the District Attorney
ID. also called TO the stand the two young
-. p,,rdicx children Carol and Alice. aged re-
snectfvely thirteen and ten years Ihe us
,r,ct Attorney spoke kindly to the chlIdren'
but questioned them closely about the events
that occurred at their home on the night before
and tne morning after the murder OF thslF
ratber The children displayed no more SiSA
oP emotion than did their grandmother notheF
or older sister while talking about the teFFlOie
death of their father. Il don't rehe'iloeI'
WAS usually the answer they gave Wheh 'n'
District Attorney pressed them closely on any
point ,,-
II was 1920 o'clock when Justice murphy
took his seat on the bench DlStrltt AI'oFHTE
Coatsworth arrived at the same time \ II"
minutes later Mrs. Burdck walked into court
She appeared quite pale and worn as II the o.
leaI of Yesterday had told upon her. and dark
rings under her eyes told of a sleepiess night
After she had taken the stand the District At