Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-05-14
TRIAL OF MRS, CUNNINGHAM FOR
THE BuRDELL MURDER.

The two daughters of Mrs. Cunningham ties
Tiled to the fact OF their having slept with
their mother the night of the murder, Of their
having been engaged in conversation for some
time affer they retired, of their having heard
no noise, noticed no disagreeable smell, and
naVing had no knowledge Of their mother
leaving them during the night. The truth Of
their story was virtually conceded by e fsct
oil their not having been subjected to cross
exaaination. Young Snodgriss and little
george Cunningham also spoke Of their hav-
ing noticed nothing particular about the house
That night, although their bedroom door in
the attic was open. Snodgrass denied that he
had heard threats uttered against Dir. Burdell
by any Of the family.
DR.. Roberts, dentist in Bond street, was
intimate with the family, and testified to the
apparently amicable relations that existed be.
tween Mrs. Cunningham and DIR. Burdell. He
had seen them together several times in pri-
Vate 0u5es, often in the street, and once in u
place OF amusement. He was one of the first
sent for on the discovery Of the murder, aad
he found the defendant so agitated and nelp-
less that he ana Others had to lift her idto he'd.
He had often noticed the street door of 81
TBohd street unlntched, AFTER the new latch had
been put on. He was asked as to his knOwl-
edge ofthe fact that other pc sons, not Inmates
Of the house, had night keys OF il; and the
| prosecution admitted that such was the case
| in respect to two persons.
DR.. Catlin's testimony is Of great moral
weight in reference to the question whether
Mrs. Cunningham herself could have parpetra-
ted the act. All the medical gentlemen ex-
amned agree on the point that some OF the
wounds inflicted, required great eXcrton of
physical force. This gentem IN has been Mrs.
Cunningham's family physician for long
| time, and proves that for the last two years she
| has been affected rheumatism TO such degree
as to weaken very much the joints Of he arms
and hands, more particularly her right.
1t will b. r5cUliected that witness OF whom
| the prosecution rcste most in regard to the
origin of the disagreeable odor in Bond Street
on the night Of the murder was DR.. PArmley.
This gentleman'a nephew, Errick Parmey,
was examined for the defense, and proved that
| his uncle told him he a lOticed the smell
between and 10 o clock that night.
The odor itself was accounted for pretty
| satisfactorily by DR.. Daniel b. Smith, resid ng
at 5) Bond street. lie had been engaged for
a length Of time in making chemical expert
ments, and had been accustomed to use wool
| en- rags, pieces of leather, and other odds and
| ends in his laboratory. On this particular
night he had gathered up all that were about
and put Them in stove where there was fire
of anthracite coal. So that 6 strange peculiar
odor " disappears from among the mysteries OF
TINS mysts rious case.
|
eNamlned-sume in respect to the friendly ard
sometimes l. wing terms which apl cared to ex-
Isl between the murdered IMAM and her who is
on trial for his murder, and some in respect to
matters Of trivial Importance in themselves, bst
tending TO dissirate many OF the shadows OF
suspicion that darkened the case. Another
Mr. Snith-the fifth of that name examined
yesterday-gave some evidence AZ to the IA
cllity with which the house 81 Bond street
could have been entered from the rear. There
was little or no rGss-exImination OF the wit
nesses for the defels4.
The defense rested their case on tie close OF
this last named witness examination, and the
court adjourned for the day.
When the court re-aSsembled on Saturday,
the courtroom was crowded to sutlOcatiUn,
and all the passages leading to it jaDimcd up
with persons anxious to obtain an ingress into
the court. There was quite a large number OF
lddies-perhaps a couple OF hundred-whO
were fortunate enough to obtain ad mission
Some OF them had come down as early as s
O'Clock, so as to secure seats. The most in
tense interest p2rvaded the immense audience
and perfect stiffness prevailed. Mrs Cunning
nam and her two daughters were carly in court
evidently elated at tile prospect of affairs. So
were Eckel and Snodgrass, and other friends.
The court and jury on Friday evening &C.
cofdlng TO the private arrangements, visited
the scene OF the murder. Nothing worthy Of
note transpired. 1t was observed, however,
that one could with great facility obtain in-
gress into the house by the rear.
The space Of four hour, was assigned to the
counsel on each side to sum up. Mr. Edwards,
iOr the prosecution, having stated their points
OF law, the CONSUL for the defense (Judgt
Dean made his opening address to the jury.
AZ. % me general remarks he Droccedsd as
came here tn. 4-u-r-ot TO ask of you amaze
hquittdl CAME to ask, as the representative
Ot that woman, and the representative OF
the whole community, which has been outraged
ana violated in her ptrsOn--more than that
demand not an acqIittal but Il yiudication by
thiSJury giving verdict before leaving their
seats. A crime has been committed Or, Bur-
dell has been killed. But a greatel crime has
been committed Since hi, -death--a crime not
by the midnight assassin; not by the man who
steals Stealthly in the darkness OF the night
and plrnSes his dagger into the heart of his
| victims bur greater crime has been commit
TED III the name uf the law 10y its sworn Off
GERS. came here to-day to rebuke officially
their corruption or Incompetence. A homi.
eide has been committed in one of the popu-
lous thOroughflrus Of the city-at what hour
and under what circumstances you are left in
the dark, although the whole police force Of
the city. were, within a lew hours of its perpe-
| tration, III the power and under the control of
| tn prosecuting officer. | shall make no allu-
sion whatever to the ribald jests or the br tai
| conduct of the man who presided over the in
quest at u Bond street; | shall let it pass; but
| shall ask those who appear here ia the name
| OF the State to explain why ii is that this wo-
| man is on trial more than any other ono of th q
| million VINO reside within the sound of the bell
on that city HALT | shall ask them to explain
| why it is that from the day after the murder
! was committed She has been confined within
the walls OF your city prison q and why the
| nII
TEEN with abuse, untounded and false, and
heaped caluny not only Oh hername, Lutnnthe
names OF her daughters, her innocent children
| and her buried husband2 l shall ask them 10
explain, too, why il is that all tho Witnesses
who were brought before the coroner to fasten
| guilt on her, have not been called on Ills
| trial, and why you have not been permitted ty
see their faces
The fact that scandal was furnished to the
| press, and the fIcts connected with the case
show that while there was midnight assassin,
| while there was hand which aimed these
blows, and while that hand is probably known
| to none, still the same Invisible hund has been
| outside directing the prosecution, fIbricatinr
| the evidence and MAJ aging to direct attention;
and say that that hand, invisible to us, should
not, at any rate, be invisible to the prosecutor
| We have right, you have a right, the public
have right to sec These men ON the stand
and let them tell Of their whereabouts on the
night OF the murder. return to my first pro-
position. Although wrong has been com
Initted in the homicide OF DR., Burlell, gre T.
| er wrong has been committed upon the family
ofthe accused, OH the ass SSH that night
after having blthed his dagger, hungry for the
blood Of one victim, had in the DARKNESS crept
up stairs and had wGttcd it in the blood Of
John j. &c eel, and ii he had gone to the attic
and had used 1t for the same purpose on the
person OF SnodgFass and the other two boys
I had
thirst Tor blood by pointing it, one alter anoth.
or, at the hearts vi this woman and her two
innocent daughters, the crime would have
been nothing like that which has now been