The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-25
THE MOST APPALLING MYSTERY
OF THE AGE.
The Burde11 Murder.
Synopsis Of the Proceedings and Amaly-
SIS of the Evidence at the Inquest.

Synopsis of the Proceedings and Analy-
SIS of the Evidence at the Inquest.
The inquest was commenced with the
empanDeling of the Coroner's Jury, on
Saturday afternoon, the 5lst of Janua-
ry, the day after the murder. It con-
tinued, with the omission of a single day,
Qast Friday,) until Saturday afternoon,
the 18th of February, when it terminn-
ted in the rendition of a verdict of muir.
der against John J. Eckel and Emma
Augusta Cunningham, with the inculpa-
tion of George Vail Snodgrass as acces
sorry before the fact. The inquiry has
assumed the utmost latitude. Much of
the evidence has been wholly irrelevant,
and has been elected with so little skill
and method, as to leave m~ultitudinous
points, that might easily have been
cleared up, involved in perfect %obscurity.
Nevertheless, from this vast chaos of
question, answer, commentary, buffoon-
cry, explanation, vanity, a~bsurdity and
trash, a consistent story of events, pre-
ceeding and cotemporaneous with the
death of Mr.. Burdell, may, we think. be
extracted and all the more intelligibly
if we classify the points with reference
to the several actors in the drama
With that end let US pursue the natural
course of investigation. from the moment
the fact is discovered.
DISCOVER OF THE DEAD BODY.
At 8 O'Clock in the morning of Janu-
Ary 2lst, the body of DIR. Burdell is
found in his office, lying face downward,
with the head towards the door. 1t is
surrounded with blood, and already cold.
Upon turning it over and examining it
more carefully, seven wounds, any Of
which might have been mortal, are found
in the body, six upon the shoulders and
arms. and two upon the neck and head.
That upon the neck bad severed the ca
rotid artery and juguIar vein, producing,
necessarily, instant death. 1t must have
been inflicted close to the outer door of
the room, as tie blood from the artery
had spirited upon the wall and closet
door in that corner. The clothes Of the
deceased we're so rumpled and torn as to
indicate a severe struggle with the muir
derer. The key was found on the out
side of the door. The gas was burn
ing. In front of the fire were the Doc
tors gum shoes; on the sofa his shawl.
The wounds in the trunk had penetrated
his clothes, and had been Inflicted with
a dirk or knife, at least one inch wide
across the broadcast part of the blade
Hero were some indications that the
weapon was what is called a three cor
nered dagger. The arm that welded it
must have been a powerful one, as the
blade was driven in to the hilt. There
we're marks on the throat, as if the vic
tim had been held and %strangled while
stabbed. Marks and stains of blood
we're not only found abundantly in the
room, but on the outside of the door 4;
down the staircase; on the jamb beside
the front door, and at the head of the
basement stairs.
The witr esses to these facts were Doc
tors Main. Roberts, Francis, Knight,
Messsrs. Staples, Snodgrass, the boy,
and Hannah Conlan, the cook.
THE MURDER
necessarily took pace in the course OF
the night. The inmates of the house.
with the exception of Mr.. Daniel Ull-
man, had all retired to rest before III
on Friday evening. Mr. Ullman came
in at l24; CROPPED his way to his room
on the third floor; went to bed lay
awake for some time; sleeps lightly,
heard no noise whatever. All the rest
of the persons in the house disclaim
hearing any noise in the course of the
night; not even Snodgrass, whose room
door stood open.
Charles G. Brooks, living opposite at
No. SO Bond street, did hear a cry as CT
murder, by a male voice, the last sylla-
Bile g1tteral and suppressed, as if the ut
teraDce had been suddenly choked. This
was shortly before IL o'clock. At ten
minutes before IL o'clock a strange man
passed, and when a few steps beyond No.
81, heard a shrek or cry. Saw no per-
son in the street, though there might
have been some one on the lower side.
as be could not see distinctly there.
Mr.. William Ross swears to going
from Broadway through Bond at the
same time, following DR.. Rurdell. whom
he saw go up the steps of No. 81, enter
with a latch key and disappear. He had
gene but eight or ten yards further when
he heard q cry of murder-as if from
No. 81 the latter syllable inaudible.
Looked around and saw no one in the
.treet.
John Farrell sat down on the door
step Of No. 81 a few minutes before IL,
to adjust the string in his shoe. While
there, a gentleman coming from the
Bowery, with a shawl about him, went
up the steps, and entered with a latch
key. Within three minutes after he
heard the cry of murder distinctly from
the inside; and in another minute a per
son opened the door and asked him
what he was doing there. The one who
opened the door was in his shirt sleeves,
held the door half open with the right
hand, and leaned with his left against
the door jamb, where the marks of blood
had been noted. Farrell recognized Eek
ell unhesitatingly as the man who opened
the door and spoke to him.
d. G. Walker confirms the statement
of Farrell, having passed along Bond St.
shortly before l !; seen him OF the steps,
and seen a person holding the door open
and speaking to him.
DIR. and Mrs. Main, living opposite,
going home about 1 o'clock, smelt the
smoke of burning linen in the neighbor-
hood.
De Witt Baldwin and others leaving
the house No. I6 Bond street at III,
had remarked that somebody was burn.
ing wooden stuff or something of that
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