Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-01
BURCH FACES TRIAL
AS RIVALS SLAYER
Mrs. obenchain, Jointly Ac-
cused Of Fiance's Murder,
Expected in Court
LOVE TRAGEDY INVOLVED

Reeve at 10 o'clock here today on
charge Of murder in connection wifi
me saying Of !. Bc,top Kennedy.
broker. at his bungalow in Brvrrl,
1len' near here, ON the night o. Au
Both prosecution and defense ar,
Sonhdcnt OF victory in tho forth omni
icgal battle. according - statcmcnt
issued last night from the offices Of Nh,
District Attorney and Burrh's counsel
Paul W. SchenCk. Richard Kittroll,
and John J. sullivan arc the attorney.
who will constitute the defense. whil,
me states case will be upheld BY Dis
trlct Attorney Thomas Leo Woo'win
veteran Prosecutor. and his assistant
Denuty District Attorney Asa Nc,rs
Mrs. Madnlynnc e. Ob"nchaiu
former wifi" Of Ralph Obpnchain. Chi.
"ago attorney, and who. it is said
ovowHd she loved Kennedy, will also
Rppear in Judge Reeves court this
morning. Mrs. Obenchain il charged
Jointly with Burch with the murder Of
Kennedy, and as vet no date has been
scr FOR her tripl on that charge.
Attorneys In Conf,ict
1t is thought Mrs. Obcnrhaln will
be granted contiuuHuco today in order
10 give tho Grievance Com-littoo Of the
..N"s'i'N Np'uNN t'SE -NNSlH'lHllNl
suthcient time 10 consider charges
against Charlie T.. Erbstcin Chicago
attorney and prosperity" m"mber or
Mrs. Obcnchain'S $ counsel. made bv tho
District Attorney that Mr.. Erbstpin
was a person "who,ly unfit TO practice
law 1T this bar" Judge Reeve has
signified he will take the decision Of
The Grievance Committee in determin.
ing where Mr.. Erbstein will nc per-
10
Court.
The acquaintsnc" of Burch Kennedy
and Mrs. ObenChain began when she
was coed at Northwestern l'nvpr-
slty. Chicago, being known as the most
beautiful girl at the college.
Burch. according TO the States tho.
ory. murdered Kennedy after lying in
wait for him following his refusal 10
marry Mrs. Obcnchaiu. who is charged
with having onticed her lover to lis
secluded Beverly Glen cabin in order
that he might be killed.
Burch's motive, according 70 the
prosecution, was to remove rival
from his path and to open the way
10 winning the love Of Madalynuc.
She, according TO the same theory.
was aCtuated by the desire TO test out
one lovers devotion and in so doing
to svengc herself for the growing in
difference Of the other. A. the time
Of the killing Of Kennedy. Gurch HAD
wife, thr daughter of Bishop Quuyle.
Of the Methodist Church. and a three
year-Uld son.
Mrs. Obenchain admits that she was
infatuated with Kennedy and came here
from Chicago expecting 10 marry him. /
She also acknowledges that sh2 sub. ,
sequently wired Burch that all was not
going as she had expected and that he .
then rushed to this city 10 her aid. I
Doubt Woman's Story /
Immediately after the murder Mrs. +
Obenchain was found by passing motor
lists sobbing over the body of Kennedy.
The back of whose head had been blown .
away by the discharge from sawed. of .
shotgun She said that her lover Ind
been killed by two rough looking men
who had brushed past her in the semi
darkness Immediately after the trag-
edy. Kennedy, she reiterated. had sim.
ply said Good night. MadaIvnpe'"
rnd had expired in her arms. Ii was
this statement quoting Kennedy which
caused her to be arrested Immediately
and placed in jail on suspicion Of com.
pllcity in the crime, il being claimed
by Investigators that the organs con.
rolling speech had been shot away the
luomcnt that the assassins fired unon
him and that it was a physical impog-
sibility for him thereafter to hsro uI.
tered a word.
Burch weS brought into The case
when II was learned that he had como
here on Mrs. ObenCtain's 8 request, that
lie had taken room in a Lotel 20 10.
Gated as TO make 1t possible for its oc-
rupant TO spy upon Kennedy's Offices
across the street that he had acted sug-
piclousiy there and VAS identified By
III least one witness as having gone in
and out Of the hotel several times win
long object believed 10 have been a
shotgun, wrapped in newspapers. II
was also proved 10 the satisfaction of
Inc Investigators that he was the man
who had rented and had used a. about
mo time OF the Staying an automobile.
the tircs OF which were said to have
"orrespondcd with the tracks left nv
the car believed 10 have been used br
The Murderer or murdercrs and 20 bayn
been parked during the Staying in an
untrequehtcd spot near the scene Of tho
crime.
Burch Caught on Train
l'aving for Chicago on the first train
after Kennedy had been murdcreJ
Burch, using a round trip ttcket pp,.
Chased in the Illinois city, was ar.
"ested at Las Vegas, y. NJ, SATURDAY,
afternoon, August u, on suspicion OF
murder, and brought back to Los An.
geles. lie and Mrs Obcnchatn, bo,l
refusing to testify, were indicted for
murder few days later by the Grand
Jury.
Burch, whose father is II prominent
Methodist minister in Evanston. III.
has recently been visited in urison here
by Billy Sunday, WEl0 said that he has
for years been a close friend ~ lnn &c.
"used man, BurCh and the evangelism
posed together for their pictures. Mr.
Sunday later saying in reply to q qYcs.
ton: AS TO my friends guilt or IN
noc'ncr have formeu no opinion,
Chandler SpsOgue, Il newspaper 70.
porter gave out signel ststemcrr
several days after the TWO mad been in.
dicted setting forth that Burch had
confessed 10 him that he had killed
Kennedy bt"ausr il was the only wav
in which he could free the woman lie
loved from the blighting influence Of
the unworthy man who hnd gained nos
session Of her, lie killed him. accord
ing to the confession, with the consent
and assistance Of Mrs. Obcnchum.