Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-03-28
IRVIILE CALIFORNIA SATURDAY, MARCH %, 1857.
THE BURDELL MURDER.
THE lNOUEs S T.

The murder of DR.. Harvey Burdell, in New
York, on the night of 30th OF January last, is
perhaps without a parallel in the calendar Of
crime. The evidence adduced on the Coroner's
Inquest filled fifty columns of the New York
Tribune, Dr. Burdell occupied Il prominent po-
stion as distinguished Dentist in the city of
New York for years.
There is little doubt that his murder was caused
through the vicious art and device of the do
PRAYED woman whose hopes he cherished through
vulgar passion aud misery condescension. lie
pandered to a mistress he found mistress and
murderess The New York Herald of the 10th
of February gives the following summary Of the
facts from the investigation of the Coroner's In
quest The deed was a dark and bloody one
but the moral to be drawn from it, will live when
the record Of the crime will have been forgotten
1T is finished The inquest in the matter of
the death of Harvey Burdell is over, After four
teen days Of Investigation the evidence has been
completed, the Coroner has summed up the jury
has rendered its verdict Mrs. Cunningham, Mr..
Eckel and Mr. Snodgrass are held as having been
implicated in the murder. They will now he
held in custody to await the action of the Grand
jury
The evidence OF Saturday was important in one
or two particulars. Madame Alviset who keeps a
shop for the sale of cutlery in broadway testified
that at or about the day OF the murder she sold to
! Mr.. Snodgrass a dagger. She produced fellow
to the weapon and it appears that the wounds
were made with such an instrument Mr.. Snod-
grass sworc positively that he bought no dagger,
but he was positively identified by the saeswo-
man. immediately after she had given her testi-
mony he was committed to prison.
The Coroner also received dispatches proving
that the man Evans, who had threatened DR.. Bur
dell's ljfc, is now in the Maryland penitenary.
The Coroner's summing up is especially muddy
where he attempted to analyse the evidence and
explain his theory of the crime. which was that
of a majority Of the of public aud the journals
that the murder was committed by some persons
within the house. lie succeeded, however in
giving to the jury the points of the testimony,
and the verdict is in accordance with the senii-
ment OF The community.
A great deal has been written about the philos-
ophy, but the real point of the matter has never
been touched Without entering into the qucs-
ton as to the guilt or the innocence Of the parties
accused, very valuable moral is to be deduced
from the revelations in regard to n certain class
Of New York society, which have been given by
this investigation We have had house uu-
rooted before our eyes. We have seen n woman
and her daughters absolutely becoming brgand8
of society. The mother was at the same time the
mistress Of two mcn-eaCh OF whom had another
misrcss-all the women occupying scmi-rcspcc-
table positions way between heaven and
earth. The resident mistress visits in tho Fifth
avenue gives a sOiriee dIJSaHie without cent in
/ her pocket is strict member Of the church and
has clergyman 5 son as cdpaiicr ScrUicHte to her
daughters in order to give an odor Of sanctity to
her establishment. These parties visit each others
sleeping apartments live on the Mormon prnci-
pie generally. and have u nice time Of it, until
one fine morning the person who finds the funds
to carry on the rcyalry is found with his carotid
artery severed and three wounds piercing his
heart. A direct personal benefit is to accrue to
the parties who have been sheltered in his house,
and the public voice accuses them OF the deep
damnaton Of his taking olT1
What picture Of metropolitan life does this
case present The initiated full we'll aware
that we have many women in our midst who live
spendidly by forced leYios from wealthy bache-
lors, and whose hold upon fat bank account has
the tenaciy Of death itself The victims bleed,
and bleed. and bleed, aud say nothing. The vic
timizer holds up her heard in the drawing room
has the best box ut the Opera the finest sables
on the promenade the soltest cushion in the
fashionable church. She is oftcner in society
than society imagincs for her work il done Sc
cretly, and she enjoys almost entire immunity
! Generally the victim is tractabc when he re-
bells we'll we have seen how nsurrectiouists are
! treated in Bond street. II is the thirst for gold
the desire to outshino your neighbor-tO aston
ish people with your magnfcence, that leads to
such crimes as the murder of Doctor Burdell.--
Moreover, it teaches the oft repeated lesson to
the youth Of this community Beware Of strange
women--thcir feet lead down to the pit their
steps take hold on hell.''