Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-06
MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN NEW YORK
dissemination Of DR.. Burdsu IN has oHce.

ASSASSINATION Of DR.. Burdsu IN has o1:ce.
1t was stated under our Geographic head Tuesday,
that DR.. Harvey Burdell, 4 wealthy dentist, had been
found trutally murdered in his office in New York
Oh Saturday morning. The deceased ii appears had
his office in a boarding house, No. 81 Bond street
When his servant boy went 10 his room at the Usual
hour in The morning, he found the doctor living dead
Oh the floor, covered with blood flowing from fifteen
wounds he had received, in addition to which il was
evident from marks on his neck that be had been sui.
located by strangulaticn. The boy Immediately gave
the alarm, and the coroner was sent for. The Times
says:
DR.. Burdell was a man OF fine personals appearance,
aud about 10 years Of age, though be looked much
younger. He was one of the most successful of his
profession. lie had accumulated Il fortune, estimated
at SsO, QUO, nearly sill Of which wGs invested in stocks
and real estate.
Hs had been married, bu. his wife obtained a di.
vovce from him some few years ago. Ii was not
known that he had married again, until, upon the
evidence before the coroner, il app .arei that quite
recently he vas secretly welded TO Mrs. Cunningham,
q widow, and the landlady Of the house Wherein lie had
his office and was murdered.
Robbery appears not ~ have been the incentive 10
the murder, az none of the Doctors papers were dis.
turbed. II must have been done by come one well
acquainted with the house. A shirt marked ~.
ketcbum,' and a sheet and towel Skinned with blood
We're found secreted in an antc-room, which, with
every other part OF the building, Was thoroughly
searched by order of the coroner, with a view 10 find
some clue to the guilty party. a dirk stained with
blood was also found. This was evidently the iustru.
ment used, and it may be the means OF fastening the
guilt upon the murderer.
The particular manner of the murder is, however.
chiefly of interest from its tendency to furnish some
clue to the person by whom the act was committed.
The facts developed as TO the personal relations Of the
parties resident IN the house are ut a kind 10 turn at
ten,ivn in that direction. II appears that The house
belonged 10 DR.. Burdell, and that he used the pariors
in his business as a dentist, also the room over the
bscS pa.laT as en- onersting room, in which room he
was found deAd, and The IRON, room communicating
with i. rs E. sleeping room. Previous 10 May or June
last. a Mrs. Jones acted as hcusek c.p-r, at which
time she was succeeded by Mrs. Cunningham. IL
appears from Mrs. Jones testimony that Mrs. Gun.
ningbam came from Saratoga the autumn previous.
On the strength o. a previous acquaintance with DR..
Burdell, she obtained temporary accommodations in
the house, which led to her remaining there as a per-
manent boarder; and afterwards. when Mirs. Jones
was led to take another house, She took charge for
DR.. Burdsll, but On what terms or under wha. ar.
rangement does not appear. While sill Il boarder in
the house, as We understand the testimony, Il wear
ago last Thanksgiving, che suffered q miscarriage,
stating to the servants in the bou-e. who ASSERTED her
on that occasion, that the paternity Of the child be-
!onyed to DR.. Burdeli.
At the time of the murder The inmates Of the house
were this lady, who occupied the room over that in
which the Doctor was found dead; q MI. John ]
Eckel, who occupied the hail room on the game floor,
| two grown UP daughters of Mrs. Cunningham, who
occupied the front room. a young Mr. SIoGgra. s, I'm.
ler.t0od TO be engaged to one Of the Daughters. who
occupied a room in the attic, and a cook. A Second
servant Girl had left on the Tuesday previous, and
her place seems to have remained unsuppli.d d. When
Ms. Cunningham fret took charge. DR.. Burdell had
been accustomed 10 take his meals in the house. bur
by September difficulties arose between himself and
Mrs. Cunningham, and since that time he had eaten
elsewhere. These difficulties are described by her
and others az having originated in a charge made by
him against her of purluining a note or notes, which
note, as che explains it. she had made at HE request
by way Of offset 10 a Judgment oGa:aat u brother Of
his which the Doctor had purchased. but which he
desired TO have stand in her name. +, this cbnroe
she replied, as she states, 10y reproachss for la. NOT
having fulfilled o promise of marriage which he had
made her, and for his having improper women in the
house. which latter charge he denied. The --eson no
gave for not fulfilling his promise of msrriay. sh.
preferred not to state. Subsequently, however, DC.
corGing to q certificate which she produced. the
were masried on the 18th Of October last. II dose
not appear, however, that the existence OF such a
marriage was inside known TO anybody.
DR.. Burdell had a written agrse,Gent with Mrs
Cunningham TO give up the house On the fret OF May
next, (when made does not appear.) The very day
before his death he expressed gone anxiety about the
safety Of this paper, evinclug an alarrl lsst, iihs con
tiDued 10 keep II in the house, it might b. purloined
from bin. Mrs. Cunningham was full Identified, by
testimony, as tine female party to the marriage cele-
brat.i by the clergyman who signed the certificate.
The Identification of DIR. Burdeli d having been the
male party was not so complete. The Mr.. Eckel,
above mentioned as an inmate of the house, would
seem to nave become so about the time of the frs:
Misunderstanding between DR.. Burde!l and Mrs.
Cunningham. He appears from TIE evidence to have
been al osject Of jealousy on the part .: DIR. Burdell.
Mr.. Snodgrass appears TO lave been an inmate in
the house for some two months past.
From the bloody clothes found in q closet in the
attic, and from marks of blood about the door of an
empty room there, used al a sort Of wash room, the
person committing the murder would seem to have
ascended to that story-s thing not likely 10 have
been done except by g person familiar with the To-
ealilis. OF the house. The finding Of dagger said
10 have marks Of blood on it, and of a loaded reyol.
yer in one OF Mrs. CunniDgham's bureau drawers, are
fact. which carry a certain degree of suspicion with
them, aud which, along with other circumstances
disclosed in evidence, will justify thc detention in
custody of ali the inmates Of the house till the inquest
shah have been concluded.
From the testimony Of the inmates of the house, it
appears that they retired TO bed abou; II O'clock
We suppose that the house then became quiet, and
they must have all fallen suddenly into e deep sleep
so deep that the terrible death struggle on the floor
below, in q room directly under ons witness who
testi6es to sleeping not Very soundly. did not rouse
them. Ii is not to be expected that they would hear
the assassin enter; and even should be come in boldly
they might suppose il was the Doctor; but after the
deed was done, it might reasonably be supposed that
be would go down stairs h~urriedly, and make an exit
with less regard TO noise than at bis entrance.
The heuse, it will be well to recollect, is on the
south side Of an east and west q trset. The entreooei ID