The New York herald., 1921-08-09
MOTOR TREAD CLUE
IN BROKERS' MURDER
Burch, Taken to Los Ange-
les, Makes Admissions
Thought Damaging.
SHOTGUN is SOUGHT
Mrs. Obenchain, Identified
by Hotel Man as Cousin
Is Sent Back to Jail.
ACCUSED Is SUED BY WIFE
Divorce Asked by Daughter Of
Bishop on Ground Of Ex-
treme Cruelty.
ACCUSED is SUED BY WIFE

Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD.
Los ANGELES, Aug. 8.-Two big
strides toward the solution Of the niys-
terious murder OF j. Bolton Kennedy
young Los Angeles broker, killed at
his Beverly Glen cottage Friday mid
night, were taken by Deputy District
Attorney Keyes and Deputy Sheriff
Nolan this afternoon.
Arthur G. Burch, son of an Evans
ton, ILL.,, minister. arrested as the sus-
pected slayer, was identified positively
by a garage man who rented an auto
mobile to him Friday night. The
peculiar tread OF the automobile tires
found in the dust near the cabin fitted
those on the wheels Of the car rented
to Burch.
Mrs. Madalynne Obenchain, Kennedys
beautiful sweetheart. was identified by
T. NJ. Haley. proprietor of a rooming
house at Third and Broadway. as the
woman known as Burch's cousin, who
visited Burch at the hotel room while
he kept constant watch on Kennedys
office across the street.
In renting the car Burch gave the
name of J. L. Jones of 5o2 South Mat
theys street 1t was declared. The
Matthews street address Is that of a
house formerly occupied by Burch's
uncle and aunt Three of the tires on
the automobile have different treads.
which matched perfectly with those Of
the car used by the slayer.
Hotel Man Identifies Woman.
The hotel proprietor identified Mrs.
Obenchain at the county Jail and made
complete statement to Keyes. Mrs Oben-
chain failed to mention in her first
statement to officers that she visited
Burch in his room, and when informed
that Burch had admitted she was the
woman who had visited him she said
she could not believe Burch had made
the statement.
Retreating behind legal barriers.
Burch. who arrived in Los Angeles to-
day in custody of Deputy Sheriff Nolan
from Las Vegas, where he was arrested
Saturday, and Mrs. Obenchain. held as a
material witness, to-day lodged being
grilled at the District Attorneys office
on the discrepancies of their stories.
for me. but ! can absolutely esta blish
my innocence." Burch said as he stepped
from the train in Los Angeles this morn
ing.
Search continued unsuccessfully for
the shotgun with which Kennedy was
shot down while at his summer cottage
searching for lucky penny" with Mrs.
obenchain. who had obtained divorce.
she said, in order to marry him. She
had at first told the police that she
had asked Kennedy to go to the cottage
to look for this penny. which she had
buried a year ago. but later said that
Kennedy was the one who suggested the
trip.
Mrs Obenchain has admitted receiv-
ing sS5 from Burch. but said that It was
IN payment for loans made by her while
they were both students in Evanston.
She wrote to-day to her former husband.
Ralph Obenchain of Chicago. who had
allowed her a divorce, she said, In order
that she might be happy with the man
she loved, aeking that he come to her as
sistance. Obenchain. when he heard of
the trouble his divorced wife was In,
said he would do all he could for her. al
though she had abandoned him for love
of Kennedy.
Verses found among the effects Of
Mrs. Obenchain were being examdned
by investigators to-day. They said
Mrs. Obenchain had admitted authority
for the lines. One poem began:
I'VE win go 20 the glen in the twilight.
And watch the darkness come"
The closing stanza read:
AT last II all is over. your life on earth is
done:
will go TO the glen In twilight,
And watch the darkness come"
Mrs. Obenchain. the investigators said.
declared the lines had no significance.
and she had penned them in idle mo-
ments.