The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-19
POLICE ARE
NOT so sure.
Show Reluctance to Lay Charge
of Burdick Murder
At the Door of the Dead Man,
Arthur Pennell.
EVIDENCE ANALYZED.
EVIDENCE ANALYZED
One Authority Reviews What
Facts Are Already Known.
Mrs. Burdick's Testimony Is
Expected to Shed Light.


y. Hartzen. Of counsel for Mrs. Huh
the mother of Mrs. Burdick. was seen
today with reference to reported injury
or Illness Of Mrs. Hull He said;
Mrs. Hui is in her usual health. She
has not been hurt or injured The story
Of hurt or injury is absolutely false.
The man Allen. at the house. is a clerk.
stationed with instructions to refuse in
formation"
The report concerning Mrs. Hull was
current last night Inquiries at the
Burdick home were met by young
man By the name of Allen who refused
10 confirm or deny the rumor further
than to say that Mrs Hull was weak~
ening under the nervous strain to which
she had been subjected since the mur-
der Of Mr. Burdick
Police Justice Murphy announced yes
terday that owing to the illness of Dis
trict Attorney Coatsworth the inquest
into the murder Of Burdick would not
ho resumed until next Monday afternoon
ut . o'clock. District Attorney Coatss
worth is suffering from a severe cold
which prevents him from speaking
above a whisper 1t is expected the in
quest viii be concluded next Monday
unless some new evidence of Importance
develops this week Mrs. Burdicks fur
mace man and the man who tended the
furnace for the Pencils win probably
De called Monday
It is stated on good authority thar
the district attorney viii also place IN
evidence a letter alleged to have been
written to Mrs. Burdick by Arthur Pen
nell some months ago. The letter was
found in the Burdick home when the
search Of the house was made by the
police In the letter the following oc-
curs- II feel that I must kill Ed Bur
dick Tt is learned today that Mr
Penneu left q viii in which Mrs Pen
nell is named as sole executrix in the
event Of her surviving. Three alter
mates are named to act should Mrs
PenneH die first. In view of the fact
that Mrs Pennel1 died so soon after her
husband was killed it is suggested that
The executors named in the win be
allowed to act. The matter has not
been definitely settled. and an admin
istratpr for the estate may be appointed
by the court
W hen Mrs. Burdfck comes to the
stand Monday she win probably be
called on to identify the letter mention
ed above She knew both the dead
men. Burdick and Pennell. probably
better than any one person i'm the world
ana her testimony promises to be the
most important and interesting of tire
entire proceedings The details of the
strained relations between the two dead
men were gathered Immediately after
The murder Of Burdick and before the
death of Pennell. Bennell stated frank
ly to the authorities that relations be
tween himself and Burdick were
strained, very strained" In fact after
the murder of Burdick PenneI spoke to
nI hers thau the authorities of the hos
tillties between him and Burdick on
the day he was first arranging TO give
cut q statement for publication he
spoke Of part of what he intended to
say.
TT deals with Burdick." said he re-
ferung TO this part of the proposed
statement some say that it comes
with Ill grace from me to abuse dead
man, but BurdlCk was no saint, and
when the time comes that I must make
statement in the newspapers in de-
fensa of myself from what other news
papers are writing about me ] intend
tO let people know just the kind Of man
he was, and then perhaps some Of them
VIII turn little of their time to him
that they are now devOting to prying
into my affairs. 7 did not like him and
he did not like me and we both knew
it and I have told the police frankly
that we were not on good terms His
death coming at this time was one of
the worst things that could have hap
nened to me.
Notwithstanding all the talk about
Pennen. however. the authorities are
not consenting calmly TO dump the
There are a number of points to be
considered before any such branding Of
q dead man becomes finality. or even
is accented as being a partial solution
Of the mystery. One of the criminal
authorities is quoted as sa ying. There
are several reasons to believe three
things First. that the murder was COM
1nifted by more than one person. second,
that at least one of the persons implica-
ted was entirely familiar with the in
terror Of the Burdick home and what
perhaps is most important of all is
Third. that the murderer or nurN erers
had no fear of interruption VIII We at
their work or Immediately afterward
ON the FIRST point I don't care to say
much
~As to the second point familiarity
with the interior of the house. I may
point TO the fact that after the work
was done the murderer washed his on
her hands and therefore must have
known whore WaShhasln was to be
found. That he or she washed his or
her hands is sure; for. although there
was blood on the inside knob of the
den door there was no blood on the
knob of the outer door to the house.
7thich had been purpOsely left open for
the purpose of creating the impression
that burglars had entered the house.
Familiarity with the house is also shown
by the fact that the lunch was not
brought to the den by Burdick. but by
some other person. The analyses of the
contents of BurdiCk's stomach show he
had NOT tasted of q particle of the
crac kers. cheese and tarts found on the
table i'm the den. deliberati0n and free
dom from fear of apprehension is shown
by the fact that the murderer took time
TO do many things which a person in
fear Of discovery would never have
donasn