Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-14
BURCH SAYS HE
KILLED KENNEDY
ACCORDING To A
PRESS REPORTER
Los Angeles Examiner EN-
pIoye Alleged to Have Said
That Accused Man Made
a Confession to Him,
CONFERENCE is HELD
IN LOS ANGELES JAIL
Detective Malcolm McLaren
Obtains a Record by Means
Of a Device for Recording
Conversations,
(By The Associated Press.)

Los Angeles, Calf, Sept. 13.-
Excerpts Of a conversation alleged
to have taken place last night in
the county Jail between Chandler
Sprague, reporter for the Los An
geles Examiner, and Arthur C.
Burch, indicted with Mrs. Mada-
lynne Obenchain for the murder of
j. Benton Kennedy, broker. were
made public here tonight by w. C.
Doran, chief deputy district attor-
ney.
The conversation, Mr.. Doran
stated, related to copyrighted
article published this morning in
the Los Angeles Examiner in which
Sprague asserted under his sigma
ture that Burch on August IA con-
fessed to him the Staying of Ken
nedy August 5.
Mr.. Doran said the conversation
between Sprague. who today was
called before the Los Angeles coun-
ty grand jury. and Burch, took
place in Burch's cell in the county
Jail, and was obtained through the
efforts of Malcolm McLaren a de-
tective, who has the investigation
of the Kennedy tragedy in charge
for the district attorneys office.
McLaren, Doran said, obtained a
record of the Burch-Sprague con-
ference last night by means of a
device for recording conversation,
and that. aided by stenographer,
he worked forty minutes in MAX
ing a seventeen page transcription
which already had become part of
the official records in the case.
The matter made public tonight
by Mr.. Doran follows:
Excerpts from 17-page tran
scription of conversation between
Chandler Sprague and Arthur
Burch, night of September IL, 1921.
at county jail. beginning at s.
o'clock. Malcolm McLaren and
stenographer also present.
Question. by Mr.. Sprague: Ar
thur, you and / understand each
other?
Answer, by Burch: We under
otoHu SdSH OlliSI.
Question: l know you told me
the truth. You know you told me
the truth.
Answer: Yes.
Question: l don't think, if I
am put in a position where l have
to give testimony, I don't think
you personally are going to have
any hard feelings against me-"
Answer: Not at all. Why, GER
tain facts that you know are true,
that you think are true"
Question: That 1 know are
true, so far as you are concerned.
| am the only person that does
know it."
Answer: Absolutely"
Question: What motives were
those you had for telling me?"
Answer: In the first place, It
gives a man a certain amount of
relief to express himself"
Question: You and 7, nobody
else in the world, know that you
have told me the truth"
Answer: You and L It is a
question of my life or Mrs. Oben-
chains"
"Question: You know, as man
to man, you told me the truth"
Answer: That is all right"
"Question: Is there any one else
In the world that knows the true
story of this but Chandler Sprague, |
anyone else?"
Answer: No, sir. 1t has nev-
er been told. That is Gods truth,
absolutely"
Question: You told me every
thlng?"
Answer: Yes, SIR"
Sprague. in his article published |
this morning, stated he had prom
ised not to make Burch's alleged |
confession public until he was
forced to do so under oath, and
that he regarded summons before
the grand jury today as releasing
him from the promise.
Burch and Mrs. Obenchain today |
denied allegations in Sprague's ar
ticle.
Reads an Article.
Sprague today read before the
grand jury copyrighted article
appearing in the Los Angeles Ex-
aminer this morning under his
name. which recited details of a
confession by Burch.
Burch today branded this article
rs a fabrication and untrue. This
article, several thousand words in
length, contained statements
Sprague declared Burch made, to
he effect that Mrs. Obenchain
sent for him by mail and wire, and
hat upon arrival here he pur-
chased shotgun, sawed off a por-
ion. and threw it away, and later
Mrs. Obenchain suggested that /
hey had better recover it and hide
t more effectively.
Details Statement.
This article further detailed II
itatements Sprague credited to
3urch that Mrs. Obenchain in
'ormed Burch that Kennedy was
o take her out on a certain night H
md that Burch went to Beverly Il
,len and lay in waiting, and shot
kennedy when he returned there
With Mrs. Obenchain.
Paul w. Scheneck, attorney for
3urch, when informed tonight of
he report by Deputy District At
orney Doran of an alleged record
II a conversation between Sprague
md Burch last night purporting to
leal with the alleged confession
;prague claimed to have obtained
rom Burch, said:
1T merely is an evidence Of the
desperate straits which they have
o go to attempt to trap a man, to
'olster up an article which, in the
anguage of Mr.. Burch, is con-
The excerpts of the re-
'orted conversation between Burch
nd Sprague as given out do not
ontain anything in the form of
ny admissions by Mr.. Burch."