The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-10-21
SOUTH CHICAGO DENTIST
MENTIONED IN THE CASE
Key to Apartments Could Not be
Found and Detectives Now Seeking
to Place Ownership of Weapon
With Which Deed Was Committed;
No Powder Marks Visible.
Especial to Lake County Times.l


South Chicago. oct. 21-The death
OF =. r. Burch and his beautiful
young wife, both or whom We're found
dead in their home. 1851 Lawrence
avenue. Burnside. yesterday morning.
is still mystery and is growing deep
er as detectives are looking further
into the case
A missing key TO the room In which
the dead couple were found TO be
locked. has given the first clew 10 the
theory that a third person was in the
room when the crimes were perpe-
trated and is upsetting the first theory
that the husband. in a jealous rage.
killed his wife and then committed
suicide.
Then the police discovered that
there were no powder marks on the
mans face so that the weapon must
have been some distance away when
the shot was fired.
When the coroner's Inquest Is held
today the police may have a prisoner
held on charge Of double murder. or
else present such evidence that the
coroner will arrest q prominent man OF
Burnside, said TO be a dentist as the
slayer of Burch and his wife,
Seek Owner of Revolver.
All day yesterday the police were
at work on the theory that a third
person was in the Burch home when
the husband and wife were slain. The
two clews which they were following
/ involved a search for the missing key
to the locked bedroom where the trag-
edy occurred and for the purchaser OF
the revolver with which Bureh and his
wife were slain. The weapon was
found in the room, but Is not believed
4 to have been the property Of Burch.
! Another circumstance which the po-
lice believe to point TO double mur-
/ der is the condition OF the room IN
which the bodies were found. 1t gave
ample evidence of a desperate strug-
\ gle before the death of either one or
both the man and woman.
The nature OF the womans wound
indicates that death was almost in
Simultaneous and could hardly have
been inflicted while she was hgJting
for her life in the locked room.
Jealousy In New Theory.
The theory of the police that there
was a double murder is based on the
evidence collected yesterday.
Suspicion that there had been 3
tragic occurrence was first aroused by
the stiffness In the house.
Later the investigation began.
Chairs and tables in the room had been
overturned and the bed was disordered
and showed out Of place. The body Of
Mrs. Burch was lying on the bed,
bullet wound in her right temple.
There was a pool OF blood beneath her
head as though she had been shot as
she lay in the position in which the
body was found
Mans Wound Not Burned.
On the floor. a little distance from
the bed. was the body OF Burch. He
had also been shot in the right tenn
pie. This wound showed no powder
stains. while that Of Mrs. Burch was
powder stained, as though the revolv-
er had been held close 10 her head. On
the floor, lying a few inches from
Burch's outstretched hand. was a 81
baliber revolver with two empty shells
in its chamber.
WIfe's Killing an Afterthought.
The theory was gradually evolved
that the husband had been shot by a
third person in the house and that Mrs.
Burch. who had tainted when her hus-
band was shot down. had been killed
as she lay on the bed. that there might
be no accusing witness to the frgt
tragedy.
Acting Lieutenant Duggan searched
all day yesterday in vain effort to
discover the owner Of the revolver and
TO find the missing key. He promises
TO produce startling evidence at the
. inquest today in the Pearson under
/, taking establishment at 7s50 Cottage
Grove avenue. The police have also
communicated with the police OF Louis
: Vile 10 find the niece whom Burch
, took home to that city. lie had just
! returned from Louisville when he was
I killed or killed himself.