Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-02-18
The New York Murder,

Inc dtH HQrK AuIQeI.
The columns Of the New York papers
are still filed with accounts of the murder
Of DR.. Burdell. The circumstances as
far as Developed seem TO fasten suspicion
on Eckel and Hrs. Cunningham. She
was once the wife of a disiiller in Brook.
Ign, who suddenly died, when a policy
on his life OF ten thousand dollars in her
favor placed her in comfortable circum-
stances. Her family name was Hump
stead. In 1856 she became a boarder
in DR.. Burdell's house, of which a Mrs.
Jones was housekeeper, the DR.. interced-
ing for her with Mrs. Jones. and allow
her and her daughters To- occupy his sit
ting room. 1t is presumed that her po-
sition was that of the Doctors mistress
Some months after she commenced liv.
ing in the house she met with a ennis
cerriage." She continued a boarder I'M
Ill April last, when Mrs. Jones left the
house, and it was taken by Mrs. Gun
bingham as tenant. Some months since
a bitter animosity sprung up between
the woman and the Doctor. A Mr.. Ec-
kel lived in the house, and was exceed,
ingly intimate with Mrs. G. The lesti
mony as TO the relations of Burdell and
Hrs. Cunningham is thus condensed:
The Monday before his death the DIR.
congratulated himself to a friend that he
had finally got all his affairs with that
troublesome woman settled, aud hat he
should get rid of her forever.
A part of the difficulty that he con-
graduated himself uron having settled
and included in this final release, was a
suit she had commenced against him in
October for breach of promise of marri-
age, which he said. with a strong word
he never made. Moreover, he repeated
to several friends, that he would not
marry any woman, and last of all, Mrs.
Cunningham. He was equally bitter a.
gainst her daughters. against whom he
used words not TO be repeated here
He was asman of somewhat violent tenn
per, and apt 10 speak what lie thought.
Ofcourse his friends are very emphatic
in their declarations that he never could
have married Mrs. Cunningham, and
that the whole affair was a frard-a
plot, with some n to represent him
self as Dr.. Burdell, so as to enable her
to claim a portion Of his property as his
widow and that the suit for breach of
promise was a sham, touching this end.
if by it money could not be wrung from
him by way of settlement.
Ii is a little curious that neither the
minister nor the Witnesses can identify
the man to whom Mrs. Cunningham was
married as DR.. Burdell. On the other
hand, it is said that the minister has
identified Eckel as the man he married
TO Mrs. Cunningham /; and it is in evil
dence that about the same lime he dyed
his wbiskers and donned a scratch wig
TO cover his badness. Snodgrass is the
son of a respectable minister, and it is
evident that he is very much enamored
of n Of The Cunningham girls. and
scandal says if there is not a marriage
between them. there ought TO be. A
free supply Of her toilet articles, and
garments found in his bed room is tho't
10 afford evidence in this respect. The
young man is a clerk in a down town
store. He may probably have no knowl-
edge of some family secrets in the house;
it does appear singular he should
not, since he testified that the secret of
the marriage had been ccnfded to him.
The affair still remains a mystery.
The n. Y. Cour er d Enquirer of the
l4th says
Tie Bond Street Murder still absorbs
attention, although nine days
have passed since the news of it first
startled the public ear. The bloo1iness
and the secrecy Of the deed, and the
relations developed by the Cor
investigation between the inmates
Of the house in which it was perpetrated,
will account but in part for the general
and the sustained interest felt in the case.
is 10 the fact, that eight days Of in
vesiigation have developed absolutely
nothing which jusli6es more than sus
or, at most, but The vaguest sort
Of moral conviction" that we must at
tribute the continued sensiiiveness of
the community upon The subject. The
fruitlessness of the Coroner's labors is
undeniable proof, either hat his i%nvesii-
have been entirely misdirected,
Or thai the murderer has left no traces
which could have led to his detection.
Though we do No wish to assert the
after a visit to the scene of the
murder on Saturday, we are not prepar-
I'd TO admit the latter.