The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-08
SHERLOCK HOLMES
MADE A MlSCUE.
Thought He Had the Woman Who
Murdered Burdick, But Didn't.


.agerness TO solve the mystery sur
rounding the assassination of Edwin L.
Burdick, the police to-day made false
move. They Immediately retraced their
steps when it was found that the dis
trict attorney considered their case to
be entirely too fiimsy.
Marion w. Hutchinson. a young
woman formerly employed in Burdick's
office, was taken to police headquarters
by detectives at an early hour. She
was not under arrest, the police say.
Her attorney says she was. :, After be-
ing detained for five hours she was re-
leased because the police could find alb
solutely nothing against her.
The result of the days work brings
the authorities no nearer solution of
the mystery than they were a week
ago.. Miss Hutchinson, who is very at
tractive i'll appearance, came here
about & year ago in company with her
mother and sister, Florence from Lon
don, Ont. Soon after arriving in this
city. Miss Hutchinson secured POSI-
ton on a monthly paper printed by Ed
win L. Burdick at his envelope factory
Last January she left his employ.
Since then She has been singing in a
church choir, hut has not been employ
ed at any kind of work.
Philip V. Fennelly, the attorney who
is acting for Seth! T. Paine set about
to secure Miss Hutchinson's release,
obtaining from Justice White of the
Supreme Court a writ of habeas cor
pus, directing the police to bring Mar
ion w. Hutchinson before that court.
After serving the writ the attorney,
accompanied by Miss Florence Hutch
inson, returned to Justice Whites
chamber, where the writ was to be
argued. Soon afterwards Marion
Hutchinson left headquarters, accom-
panied by detective. The detective
however, did not place any restraint
upon her movements. Mr.. Fennelly
telephoned to Justice White who was
at the Ellicott Club asking if THE girl
could be brought before him there.
is the young woman under arrest?''
asked Justice White.
The attorney informed Justice White
that the officers said the girl was not
under arrest
Tell them to release her at once"
said Justice White.
Then Mr.. Fennelly was told by the
police that the girl was not under ar
rest at all; that she never had been
under arrest, and that she was at lib
erty to go wherever she pleased. The
two sisters and their attorney then
left the building.
1t soon became evident that the po-
lice and the district attorneys office
mad not worked in conjunction in tax
ing Miss Hutchinson into custody La
ter the following statement was given
out:
What seemed to be reliable infor-
nation having reached the police de-
partment last evening that a certain
young woman living in the city might
have some valuable information re-
garding the murder of Edwin l.. Bur-
dick, we requested this woman to
come to police headquarters this morn
ing and give any information she
might have. She came and, made a
settlement. She was at no time under
arrest" t
3 The above statement was given out
by the district attorneys stenogra-
pheg: He. said the statement was from
me poEce department and not from
the district attorneys office. A.. y.
Mr.. Coatsworth also personally
stated that. the statement emanated
from the police department
Supt. Bull was then seen.
Did the police issue this state
ment?" he was asked.
THE statement was issued by the
district attorney" replied Gen. Bull.
The district attorney wrote the state
ment and gave it out"
And you did not issue the state
ment?"
mo, SIR replied Supt Bull in an
emphatic tone.
But the district attorney says the
police gave out the statement"
That does not make any difference.
The district attorney wrote the state
ment and gave it out 1t did not come
from me-"
Supt. Bull then issued the following
statement:
Miss Hutchinson was brought to po-
lice headquarters as a result of an iden-
tlhcation by hackman, whose name
l cannot recall, who said that the
woman was the one whom he took to
Summer street and Ashland avenue on
the Thursday night of the murder
That identification was positive The
further. reasons were that a woman
answering the description of this wom-
an was seen by Patrolman Meyer at
about ITO o'clock Friday morning at
Bryant and Ashland avenue, also near
the Burdick home. A further state
ment made to the authorities was that
young woman, answering Miss
Hutchinsons description, was seen in
the upper part of the city by a we'll
known citizen, who says that the wom-
an told him she had lost her way and
that she wanted to get to Main and
Upper streets. Miss Hutchinson lives
on Topper street near Main street"
"And why was the woman released?"
Supt. Bull was asked.
I was not present when the woman