Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-11
MADAL YNNE Did
NOT LOVE BURCH
SAYS ON STAND
Mrs. 0benchain, On Trial
Charged With Numbering
Kennedy, Matches Wits
With Prosecutor Keys.
(By The Associated Press

Los Angeles, Calf, March TO-
Mrs. Madalynne Obenchain, on
trial charged with numbering j,
Bolton Kennedy the man she
swore she loved, matched wits to-
day with Deputy District Attorney
Asa Keyes in an all-day cross ex-
animation. The young defendant
was called upon to tell of her rela-
tons with three men who had to
do with circumstances leading up
to her present situation.
These men were Kennedy, Ar
thur c. Burch, jointly indicted with
her on the charge of numbering
Kennedy, and Ralph r. Obenchain,
her divorced husband, now one of
her attorneys. ,er
Kennedy, Mrs. Obenchain re-
piled to Keyes, was the one who
commanded her love. She said she
never loved Burch and believed he
never loved her. She declared that
Kennedy induced her to leave Mr..
Ohenchain within month of her
marriage, which took place Janu-
airy /. 1919.
Mr.. Keyes led up to the last dec
laration by reading from letter
dated in January, 1919, sent by
which the following passage oc-
Cured:
my love is yours. 1t wont be
long until we can be together"
what did you mean by that?"
Keyes demanded.
II meant he had induced me to
leave my husband" replied the de-
PENDANT. she said that Kennedy
had besought her to have her mar
riage annulled, but that later 1t was
decided she would seek a divorce.
The deputy district attorney
sprung the principal surprise of the
day when he asked Mrs. Obenchain
if she had ever been married to
Kennedy con the high seas; after
a long pause she replied mo" This
was the first intimation OF anything
of the kind in the case, and Mr..
Reyes did not indicate what, if
anything, was behind the question.
Questioned concerning Burch,
Mrs. Obenchain repeated he was
simply a friend she had known
since they had attended college to-
gether, and that she never had
any agreement with him to take
the life of Kennedy
The cross examination had not
been completed when court ad-
iourned until Monday morning.
Mr.. Keyes said he then would ques-
ton Mrs. Obenchain about the
shooting of Kennedy in Beverly
Glen on the night of August 5, last
Hcsitates Frequently.
As Mrs. Obenchain stepped from
the witness stand at the adjourn
ment of court her appearance gave
evidence of the strain under which
she had been all day. In answer
ing the questions put to her she
hesitated frequently, which was
the more noticeable on account of
the ready answers which she gave
in her direct examination yester-
day
The prosecution opened its
cross examination at the time she
first met Kennedy in 1917 in Los
Angeles. She testified to his men
tioning love to her early In their
acquaintance, and said that while
he cared for her, he was under OBJ
legations to another girl. Their en-
gagement was made on August 81,
1918, she said. and they were fire.
quently together. She reiterated
her testimony of yesterday that
her former husband, Ralph R.
Obenchafn arrived in Los Angeles
on December "a, 1918. Her en-
gagement to Kennedy, she said,
was broken on Christmas day in a
telephone conversation.
Parents Opposed Marriage.
When asked the reason, she re-
piled that it was apparently inn
possible to reconcile Kennedy's
parents to the marriage and that