New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-09

q MhrVin, Ce cefBJ UNIV 'Nff -
uopy Of the elder Miss Cunningham. Mrs. Gun
pipebsm has certainly prima faee evidence Of mar
,,ge. the clergyman does not swear positively tia.
Dr. B,rdeu was not the party married by hm;
Miss Cunningham testifes distinctly and with great
crcumstsntahty to being witness at the cere-
mopy. On the other hand however, there i, the
testimony Of Mr. Cba,hed snd Of Mr. Thayer. that
after the adjustment OF the suits, and month after
the date Of the asserted marriage, Mrs. Cunning
ham, who was their client, spoke Of renewing the
actions bec,use the Doctor had not kept bis en-
gsgements We have thus spoken ia detail Of this
matter Of the marriage, because, if there has been
perjury in relation TO It, it seems to open mp
scheme OF fraud truly dihbolicsl, and 10 throw sb
solute dscredt upon the testimony Of several Wit
nesses. Mrs Cunningham, it is true, hiss twice
called bersef his wife in the presence Of DR.. Bar
del without ecitiDg from him any contradiction;
but il is TO be noticed that both these claims were
made prior 10 the date Of the alleged Ger if safe
Admitting the marriage TO have taken place, We
are led next 10 the connection Of Mrs. Cunning
ham with Eckel. /. must be admitted that the
proof that it was an improper one is not cenclu-
sive The suspicious Of servants are always TO be
regarded with great doubt and nearly all the direct
evidence Of guilty completely between these parties
comes from servants. They were Ofte1 together,
and often sitting in her bedroom, which, however,
seems 70 have been used as q common sitting room
by all the family. Mr.. Eckel gave himself the Airs
of master in the house, but they nigh. have bern
only the airs Of confidential friend Of the family.
We consider this, however, TO be a point of the
greatest importance, because, if an improper con-
nectioa between Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham be
shown. il matters little whether or not she was
married to DR.. Burdell, since in either Gaze she
would have had motive, strong enough in the
mind Of an urprinciped person. for getting nd OF
bin, in pursuance of her designs against his prop
erty. We have thus briefly stetched the relation
of the prime pal inmates Of the house. We DO not
by any means say that they make up prima .faeie
case against these parties; but we do say, dec-
dedly, that they were scandalous and suspicious.
It is only fair to ward the persons who have been
most violently suspected 10 say that several circum-
s'ances have been for the present explained. The
blood discovered upon the clothes in the attic
room has been accounted for; Mr.. Eckel has
explained his Absence at breakfast We do not
attach much importance 10 the slight discrepancies
in the testimony Of the Cunnipgbsms and there
has been no weapon found in the house with which
the deed could have been perpetrated. A large
proportion Of the testimony which has been intro
duced we consider entirely irrelevant, aud any ref
erence 10 it here would only tend to confuse The
fact, however, that DR.. Burcel had mortal foe
bn boJ bnop 10 ba IA for
forgery upon lis testimony, and who had sworn
vengeance, must not be di.regsrded though, so far
as appears, this mar is not now at large. In this
connection il NAY be mentioned that several Of the
dooI-keys, of which there eight, are now
mil sing. But how murder like this cOu1 have
been committed at an hour when several of the in
mates were awake without their knowledge, it is
difficult to determine Sail greater is the diff
cuty, how an assassio, dripping with blood, could
have reached the front door without leaving fearful
evidence Of exit. Another circumstance yet to be
explained is the most entire absence of Mr.. EckeIs
wardrobe from the house.
Up to this time, after week of the most dscur
sve investigation after the utmost latitude allowed
in the examination of Witnesses, we are still with
out direct clue to the perpetrators of tbs san
culinary deed. All the public acumen, excited to
the utmost tension BY this frightful assassination,
has failed to detect the murderer or to frame
theory of the deed, which is not in some respects
unsatisfactory Whether or not the course pursued
has been the wis,st-whether more subtle inves-
tipation might not have brought more satisfactory
result it is not for us to say. But We beg leave to
rtpiod al engaged, whether publicly or privately,
in this examination, that moments are now more
precious than days Won d be under other circum-
stances. and that every hour which leaves the muir
derer undetecied infinitely mudples their chances
Of entire immunity.