Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-02-06
MRS. OBENCHA|N
GOES ON TRIAL FOR
KENNEDY MURDER
FAIR COED ACCUSED OF HAVING
LURED FORMER SWEETHEART
TO SPOT WHERE HE MET
DEATH TAKEN INTO COURT
TODAY.

TO-DAY.
Los Angeles, Feb. 6.-Madlynn c.
%Obenchain, the woman who, according
10 the prosecutors portrayal made
q fool of her husband, corpse Of j.
Bolton Kennedy and a murderer of
@Arthur C.. Burch" went on trial today
in this, the so-called City OF Intrigue
y It has been announced that the for
.mer coed beauty of Northwestern
.will take the stand and frankly tell
the dramatic story of events in Bev-
erly Glen at the bungalow of Ken
NEEDY, her loved one on the night
OF August >, last, when he was shot
hfown from ambush.
. Judge Sidney Reeve, who heard
the case OF Burch, which resulted in
disagreement Of the jury, will preside
at the trial OF Madlynn. In anticipa'
astfun OF the task he has been on vaca-
fttion for three weeks.
- From the hour of her arrest Mrs.
Obenthan has asserted her anxiety TO
tell I'm detail of her relation with
Kennedy, her attitude toward Burch
and her conduct on the night when
Kennedy went with her to his death.
During The trial Of Burch the close
relation Of the cases brought about
almost constant discussion Of Mrs.
Obelchair before the Burch jury and
even in the deliberation Of the jury
there was heated controversy about
the character Of the beautiful woman
vine win begin tomorrow the fight for
life. The women on the Burch jury
were divided evenly regarding the
character and caliber of Mrs. Oben-
chain. bur those who were convinced
OF her gul, and her influence upon
Brr.a attacked her continually and
recorded the summing up Of the
prosecution with its attack upon Mrs.
Oba1chain as entirely justified
One of the women jurors. in her
argument for Burch. pictured Mad
lynn as a ."worldly-wise woman Turing
-Burch to commit murder to avenge
betrayal
ls Two women jurors believed Mrs.
Obenchin entirely euiltless of iniuenc-
a ing Burch to his disadvantage, but
every one Of the Jurors who voted for
Burchs conviction believed Mrs.
Ubenehaia had urged Burch to come
e 10 her assistance, had selected the
d Hotel Russell as a fine place for spy
ieg upon Nh Kennedy and had made
IN plans preliminary to the murder.
Hgt none was certain she actually had
+ h.l him to kill.
= From the outset there has been in
tsreet i'm the relation of Burch and
S Mrs Obenchainy An insight to this
= relationship came in the progress OF
fhe purch trial. Burch, discouraged
bv the trend of events, found oppor-
Il traitv to speak to Mrs. Obenchain
~ and what he said caused her to run
wildly from him and swoon.
She afterward explained that ne
he'd tolA her that lie loved her and
y Inferred that she must have known
if IA the time Further, she quoted
him as saving: Before | will lose
s''a you to Ralph Obenchain, Madlynn'
VII take you to San Quentin Prison
80 with me-
Mrs. Obenchain asserted that Burch
ssv In the entire time of their acquain
lance. never had spoken of love before
81 and that his statement proved ire
% meadous shock to her.
Il was too dumbfounded to utter
as sound she said at was as if this
hey had struck me in the face. II
49, was insane talk, for | have never fol-
moment loved this boy and never
49, in NV life have so much as held his
~ hand. He knows this; he knows that
he has been my friend only and have
~ been every bit as much friend to
him"
Ma There were immediate efforts or
both the Obenchain and Burch sides
.z.. to patch UP this situation and to les
OK sen any tension that might have de
yeloped through the encounter.
M5 At about the same time Ralph
Obauchain, "the man in a Million
AKA VINO went to the defense of his divorc
ed wife, Immediately proposed to hel
sfs again
The fact of the proposal became
$50 known and when Mrs. Obenchain was
TsR# asked regarding it she said; Il tOlC
Ralph | would not talk of marriage
E94 until I had been cleared Of this ter
n rible charge | will be. Perhaps
sssa said, after it is all over we will forge
the past and live happily in the fu
sss. ture but let us not exchange pledge
vs. until have had opportunity to tel
all and clear myself before the world
Aaa look forward with all my heart tC
that opportunity"
49, And that opportunity with its at
tendant difficulties, soon will follow
Il the opening OF the trial.
s-t
LA