The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-22
THE KILLING OF
J. b. KENNEDY
A Conspiracy Between Mrs
Obenchain and Burch

IoS \-tti.' = -. - w -
.Madelynnc Obenchain OF Chicago
ard Evanston. H.. conspired with
Arthur {. Burth. a former college
acquaintance. TO Kill j. Hcltofi
:>.enncdy. I; young Los Angeles real
estate broker according TO the in
(,iclmcnt in which Mrs. Obcnchain
and Eurch were jointly charged
with murder. Burch was placed on
+rial November % last and on jan
"a,,:: lG the jury was discharged
;r1cl. ballotinG for three days with
out reaching q verdict. The final
ballot stood ten to two Tor conv!c-
ton.
Mrs. Obtnchain. the prosecution
commended in the Burch trial. was
the inStiGator of the alleged plot.
her motive being revenge because
Kennedy had refused 10 marry her.
';f!c relations between the weman
and Kennedy were established by
ncans of letters identified as being
IN Mrs. Obenchain' handwriting
and found in kennedy's room and a
safe deposit box after his death on
August ) last. From these it de-
reloped that they became acquaint-
eo in Los Angeles about five years
ago For two years a correspond
cnce continued. and letters written
during this lime contained express
sinns of warm affection. and tWc
were signed Mrs. j. Bolton Ken
nedy'
In spite Of the apparent intimacy
The Young woman. who UP 10 that
time was Miss Madalynne Conner
was married early in January. 1919.
in Los Angeles. TO Ralp f. Oben-
chain. young Chicago attorney
who had just returned from over
seas army service. \ month later.
however. she renewed the CORE
spondence with kennedy. After
;.bour year she obtained divorce
in Chicago and wrote TO Kennedy
she wanted him 70 go 10 Chicago
20 marry her. kennedy did not go
aud the subsequent correspondence
indicated his parents were opposed
to the match.
Mrs. Obenchain started last June
and wrote Kennedy TO meet her in
San Francisco He was not there
when she arrived. and she came to
Los Angeles. There were severa:
interviews. according 10 testimony
in the Burch case, and Mrs Open
chain on one occasion took Ken
nedv to a fortune teller for advice
rs 10 whether they would wed.
About the same time. another wit
ness declared. she said "Eelton has
not long TO live. l can almost put
NV hand on the spot where it will
happen.
On July /. Mrs. Obenchain wired
10 Burch, who was in Evanston TO
come TO Los Angeles, adding Il
need you and the friend | mad last
summer" Burch arrived here on
July "a bringing with him, accord- :
ing to the porter of his car, shot
gun case. Bureh took a room IN
hotel commanding a view OF Ken
nedy's office. and watched the OF
flee windows for long periods, ac-
cording TO hotel employees. At
ether times he rented an automo-
bile under an assumed name, ana
took extended trips. ii was also
testified.
Mrs. Obenchain and Kennedy
wen, driving the night of August
:, and about nine o'clock went to a
small cottage owned by Kennedy
in Beverly Glen. fifteen miles from
Los Angeles. AS Kennedy WIS
mounting flight Of steps on
,,ank in front OF the cottage Two
shotgun shots were fired. One
struck Kennedy in the back Of the
neck. causing instant death. an
autopsy surgeon sworr.
Mrs. Obenchain told officers she
saw Two rough looking men disap-
pear in bushes from which the
shots were fired. and that Kennedy.
after he was shot exclaimed good
night. Madelynne. A woman liv-
ing near the Kennedy place. test-
fled. however, she heard man say
eve got him after the second
shot and then a mans and a Wo-
mans voice mingiing in converse
ton she could not distinguish.
Burch, it developed. was out !:
q rented car that night. and two
persons sworc they saw him in P"v-
crlv Glen. He left Los Angeles the
next morning for Chicago. but was
arrested at Las Vegas. Nev.. and
brought back TO Los Angeles. he
refused to discuss the case, and hls
attorneys besides denying he had
anything to do with the tragedy
made a dcferse Of insanity. one
of the TWO jurors who stood out
for the acouittal declared she be-
lieved Burch was insane. the other
that the prosecution had not con-
WINGED her Burch was in Beverly
Glen at the time Of the shooting.
Mrs. Obenchain's former hus-
band was retained by her as on" OF
her attorneys. and they secured q
marriage license some time ago and
announced they would be remar-
ricd if Mrs Obenchain is released
The prosecution contended that
Burch. who was divorced last year
by Mrs. Allie Quayle Burch. dauSh-
ter Of Bishop Matthew. Of ST. LOUIS,
Mo-. was in love with Mrs. Obcn-
chain and subject TO her will N
the alleged conspiracy.