TRAGEDY ON TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7720, 1 June 1903, Page 2

TRAGEDY ON TRAGEDY.

RICH AMERICAN'S MYSTERI-

OUS MURDER.

DEATH INTERRUPTS SENBA-

TIONAL DtVOUCE.

The United States is seldom without its sensation in the way of crime. Its latest is the mystery of. the murder of Mr Edwin L. Burdick, of Buffalo. And this has been followed by the tragio death, as the result .of a motor-car accident, of a Mr A. D. Pennell, and serious injury to Mr Burdiok's wife, frpnv whom iho was claiming divorce. . . ' .

The following is the story of the murder., so far as it has come to light:.— Mr Burdick, a wealthy manufacturer, was found murdered in the study or " don " of his house on tFridajr morning, Feb. 27. The body was clpthbd only in a shirt, and there were half a doze© ghastly wounds in his head. The bqdy had been, covered wjth ft Turkish rug, and. a number of sofa-pillows were thrown on top. Mr Burdick' s mother-in-law, Mrs Hull, who found the Body, sent for the polioe. On the table was a bottle partly full of whisky, and the remains of v. light repast. There was no signs of a struggle, but cjutchedl tightly in the fingers of the left hand was found a tuft of a woman's reddish-brown hair. Neither Mrs Hull nor the three children who slept on the second floor heard any disturbance during the night. Mr Burdick had' been separated from his wife for some montta, and had begun a "^tition for divorce, naming Mr Pennell as co-xespondent. Mrs Burdick contemplated bringing a crosspetition, naming a certain woman as corespondent. Two golf clubs were found in the "den." It was at first thought that the murder was committed with one of these, but the theory wo* afterwards abandoned. The front* floor was open/and the murderer apparently escaped that way. Mrs Burdick, who was absent from Buffalo, immediately returned and gave the police all the information in 'her power. In the " den " the police found a marked cbpy of a Cleveland 'newspaper containing an. account of a Cleveland woman's divorce. Some people believe she was tha co-respon-dent Mrs Burdick intended naming, but the dead ntan'p lawyers inflated that his acquaintance' with, her was very slight. 'The general thepry is that soon© woman prominenj> in Buffalo society had beeia dragged into the divorca proceedings brought by Mrs Burdick against her husband, and, feeling in danger, went to Mr Burdick's house by appointment to get him to have her name Itept secret, and, failing in her purpose, flew into a rage and killed him.' In the " den " was also discovered a photograph of Mrs Paine, the wife of a leading dentist. The poljce visited the Raines' house, made a thorough «search, and found several letters from Mr Burdick to Mts Paine. Mr flurdiok's 4esk ja the "den" had apparently bee© ransacked, as the papers thero were seemingly disturbed. At first? the police said nothing had been stolen, but later they learned that dfecea,»fwi's watch? was missing, and a search for it is being made. The watch had been in Mr Burdiok's waistoßat in the bedroom pp the second floor, where most of his , clothes were found. • The money' and otl>er valuables had no* been, disturbed. From the belated discovery of the disap* pearance of the watch the police supposed that it was taken Wy the murderw ia order tp give a false clue and make them think the crime ww committed by a burglar who was scared away. The police ape still at work, but ifc is generally believed that 1&e secret of the most mysterious mur-: der ever, committed in Buffalo will remain a sealed book. ,

To return to Mr Pennell. For years he had, been Mr Burdick's most intimate .friend, but recently their friendship had turned to hatred. The aotioa for divorce was filed in December, but the fact did, not become public until after Mr Burdick's death. It was known that the latter, fearing m attack, toad, carried a pistol, though he never named tihe person h» fear* cd. Mr Burdick's attorney, Mr Millar, asserted that at a conf&rence in bis office after hi? client's separation from Mrs Burdick, Mr Pennejl had urged his former friend to be reconciled to- his wife. >fo Burdick replied 1 , however, that he had taken her back three times for the children:'* sake, but would not do so again. Mr Miller said that Mr Pennell then threatened to kill "'Alice," as he called Mm Burdick, and himself, making »P threat, however, against Mr Burdiek, Mi 4 Pennell, who was Mrs Burdick's attorney, denied that thei? relations were improper, though admitting that 'he had visited 1 her in- Atlantia; City a.ffcer the separation fmjn her husband. It ii also reported that he met hep in. New York the Tuesday 'before Mr Burdick was murdered* bub this is *tdll unconfirmed. After Mr Burdiok, was murdered one of the first houses searched by the police was Mr Pennell'Sj but nothing incriminating was found. Tragedy was quickly followed by tragedy. For while yet the news of Mr Bufrdjok's murder was the sensation of the hour, death overtook Mr Pennell while riding ij* an automobile with a lady, whom the correspondents yariously desoriba as. Mr« Burdick and M« Pepnell. The pftia? had gone out for a m b|»b/' The round they took passed by an embankment, into which, according to tw£ '%s» who witnessed the affair, the automobile was accidentally driven by a false papY^eni} resulting frpro Mr PenneH's hat being btowji off, and bis making an effort to catch it. The motorcar dropped a distance of JJOft, turning over in its fall and pinning Mr PenneU under it. Hia head was crushed terribly, and Mrs PenfteU W«w very seriously iftims- ■>-. ■-.:.-.■■:,;■■ ' . , .: ;■■■-■■; ■