The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-29
MORE SCRAPS
OF EVIDENCE
Late Developments in Burdick
Murder Mystery.
PENHELL BOUGHT A PISTOL
BLOODY FINGER PRINTS ON
WINDOW CASING.

Buffalo, N. Y, March 2S.-When the
Burdick inquest is reopened on Monday
morning by Judge Murphy it is possible
that other witnesses besides the New
York hotel employees who say they
heard Arthur r. Penneu threaten TO Kill
some one, viii be called upon to testify.
The new evidence brought to light to-
day, like most Of the testimony given
during the inquest, has no direct bear
ing on the Burdick murder. Pennell
is the central figure in the episode
which has just been brought to the at
tention of the authorities and they re-
gard it as important rs throwing light
upon the condition of Pencils mind
on the morning following the murder.
In the interval between the time Pen
nell left the Ir0quOis hotel barber shop
that day and the time he took a trolley
car for Niagara Falls the authorities
learned today Pencil went to the store
Of O. +. Walbridge on Main street and
purchased a cheap bull dog revolver.
Three men saw Pencil in this store
that morning, saw him buy the revolver
and they say they noticed extreme agi-
ldLlOu IN MS manner.
Pennell Was Nervous.
z. W. Fox has charge Of the arms
department IN Walbudge's establish
ment and sold the weapon to Pennell,
with whom he was well acquainted. The
two clerks in that department who saw
Pencil and noted the strange behavior
We're w. S. Edwards and Louis B0eh-
ler
"Penneu entered the store about noon
on the morning after the murder" said
Mr. Edmunds today. He walked hur-
riedly up 10 the east end Of the store,
where the revolver case is located and
said TO Mr. Fox, who was behind the
counter. Give me a cheap revolver
His manner was nervous, abrupt and
strange. He did not exchange the usual
greetings with those Of us whom he
knew we'll PenneIl merely glanced at
the weapon without picking it up 10 eX-
anime 1T and said: That viii answer.
How much is it,? Mr. Fox told him
that the price was s.. He pulled this
amount out Of his pocket and paid
for IT,
Mr.. Pencil, while waiting for the
revolver to be wrapped up, paced up
and down in a highly nervous fashion
and Wrung his hands. When the re-
vOlver was delivered to him he took it
and hurried out Of the store.
Sent for His Wife.
tt was after purchasing the revolver
that Pennell went to the automobile
factory at the city line and from there
telephoned to his wife that he was go
ing 20 Niagara Falls and requested her
TO join him there. Mrs. Penneu got
ready at once and Joined her husband
at Niagara Falls late in the afternoon.
She took with her the Buffalo papers
containing accounts Of the Burdick
murder. IL was stated in the papers
that the police were moving on the
theory that the crime was committed
by a woman The woman theory In
fact seemed TO be universally accepted.
Penueu remained at the falls until
evening. when he returned to his home
in this city.
The Iateness in securing the eyi-
dence regarding the purchase Of the
/ revolver shows just what we have
been up against in this case" said a
police official tonight mo doubt the
clerks did not regard the sale of the
revolver to Pencil as important. But
taken in connection with other evil
dence in our hands three weeks ago
it might have put a different aspect on
this whole affair"
Important Discovery.
A scrap Of evidence, important as
/ tending TO show that the murderer OF
Burdick left the avenue door Of the
house after doing the CHASTITY deed
[ has been received within the last two
/ hours by the police and Chemist Hill
is now at work on it, This violence
1 is In the shape Of two spots believed 10
/ be marks Of bloody fingers on the cas-
ing on the outer front door Of the
Burdick house. The spots which are
about breast high, may have been
made, If they are finger prints. by the
/ assassin who, when leaving the house
ing TO steady himself while the other
was in excessive use in noiselessly
shutting the front door or pulling II
nearly closed
The marks which were inspected by
the police have been preserved by slit
/ ting away strips Of the door casing
with the stains upon them and the
chemist has them now in his posses
sion. He viii make microscopical and
chemical examinations Of them and re-
port to the district attorney on the
result of his Investigations.
Mr.. BurdiCk has been resting quietly
at her home since her trying ordeal
on the witness stand Her health is
improving.
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