Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-05
THE BURDELL MURDER.
A New Phase Of the Case-Mrs. Cunningham
has q Sham Birth.

Al
has Sham Birth.
Mrs. Cunningham, her sister, and Dr. Catlin of
b rooklyn, have been arrested on a charge Of be-
iig concerned in the production Of child fslsely
supporting To- be the offspring Of Dr. Bdrdell
The arrests were made early yesterday morning,
and produced no little Excitement
5 While Mrs. Cunningham was confined in the
ETombs, on the charge Of numbering DR. BurdelI.
she sent for Dr. uhl, her family physician to at.
tend her. DIR. Uhl, in reply, expressed his ina
biiity or unwillingness to attend without writ
ten order from Mr.. Hall, the District Attorney,
which he obtained On waiting upon Mrs Cum
ningham, he was asked to prescribe for symptoms
the family way Upon the strength Of this remark
DIR. Uhl asked her IL she was enciente, to which
she remarked, that was matter in which she
could not give any information at present: bat On
speaking with Mrs. Foster on the subject the
latter intma,ed to Dr. U. that she understood that
such was the case. ~ .--...- 4
After the discharge of Mrs Cunningham, from
prison, she informed Or. Uhl that she was preg.
nant, and wished him to attend her during her
confinement. The doctor said he was willing to
do so, on condition that other physicians might
; ssist him, as so much had been said Of her, that
he thought such pTecaution advisable. He fur
Their suggested the propriety of settling the fact
OF her pregnancy without delay. He said that he
would be willing to attend her professionally for
that purpose, i'm conjunction with two other ply
clans, whose names he mentioned.
She readily acquiesced, but from that time to
the present avoided all further allusion to the SUBJ
Ject This aroused the Doctors suspicious and
he spoke of it to one of the gentlemen whom he
designed to call in to assist him, and thought il
important to hasten the examination. if the fact
was as she stated. Uhl then consulted counsel,
apprizing him of the whole case, and asked what
G urse he ought to pursue -
The latter advised caution and delay for a few
days, when, if the matter did not appear right to
lay the whole matter before the District Attorney
DIR. hi at length did inform Mr. Hail. the Dis
trict Attorney, Of the case, made his affidavit and
wished to leave the case in his hands.
The District Attorney, however, said il was
duty he owed the public to continue in the case.
his friends counseling him 10 the same course.
he followed their advice, and placed himself
under MI Halls direction. Uhl cOntinued TO call
upon Mrs. Cunningham, and II was finally ar
ranged by Mrs. G that DIR. Catlin, Of BROOKLYN,
should attend her, and DR.. UhI should consult
with him during the fictitious child birth.
Catlin privately told Uhl that he had concocted
the whole scheme himself. The District Attor-
ney then hired room mo. 100 Elm street, in the
name OF Dr. MOntagnia, and furnished IL from his
own house. Dr. nj then gotta newborn infant
last night, and DIR. Uhl was sent for to 90 there
and assist in carrying the scheme through
Mrs Cunningham was then given to under.
stand that there woman going TO be taken
sick, and that the child could be obtained Sbc
then lntlmated that she would send a lady there
To look at the premises. Subsequently a lady
went there to look at the place. who proved to he
Mrs. T.. in disguise. About at night the same
lady called again, was asked to walk up stairs
did so, got the child in basket and took il away
The detectives on her track identified her in
the cars aS Mrs. Cunningham. She was traced
TO No. 81 Bond street
Soon after, she sent for DIR. Uhl, telling him TO
come immediately, AZ she was in labor He
went, was ushered into a dark room, and found
her In bed, apparently in great pain.
nurse was sent for from Second avenue to
take the child and wash and dress it, Dr. Caiiip
brought in a pail containing blood. smeared the
sheets, and performed other forms peculiar to
such cases
>, At this juncture the police came in and arrested
her ana all the parties implicated.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
The child was represented to Mrs Cunning
nam as that of a "California widow >. who found
meet her husband after considerable more than a
nine months absence.
The plan was given to Mrs Cunnin-h ham, who
was highly pleased with it, and became impa-
uent TO have the denouement. DIR. Uhl asked her
when II would he most convenient for her TO be-
come mother. Thursday, July ~. was the very
shortest time for the ''ordinary CESSATION az
spoken of by Judge Dean, under the theory of the
marriage before The Surrogate, and the first
week IN August, became the settled time
After the 'sbirth" Mrs. Cunning ham exclaimed
81 have put my trust in God, and he has favored
me; snail now be revenged upon my prosecu-
Upon the arrival of the police she undertook TO
be very saucy, and said the child was her legiti-
mate child. They took il from her after stTup.
gle. She screaming 'sDon't take nv dear lille
innocent baby, my darling little daughter
They persisted, however, and sent il to Belle
vue to its mother, who was anxiously waiting
for it.