New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-14

W
been occupied By any ether natter 30 satisfactorily
TO our readers. In fact for the past fortnight this
mysterious murder has prsoccupied the public mind,
to The exclusion Of almost every other topic. We
especially reminded Of this fact BY noticing tie
careless manner in which the news of the DISASTROUS
fresbets around us-involving the destruction Of
property TO the amount Of millions Of dolars-has
been received in this city the public heart being
nterpenetrsted with the somber ferocities of tie
murder, that it had no room for the entertainment
Of any other calamity. But few months since,
the inundatons in France-not perhaps, exceeding
the terrors Of our own-caed forth abundant notice
and sympathy in this city but now, with such ca-
lamity at our own doors almost, we are so murder
magnetzed that for the present at least the wintry
deuge is overlooked.
The mystery Of secret and individual murder
has at all times fascinating interest not pertain
ing to open nultitudinous wrath on food or field.
But for the universal and protracted fxedness OF
public interest upon this particular crime, we must
look for some unusual cause, and this we find in
the excited general sentiment as to the insecurity
of life and property aroused by the recent numer-
ous highway robberes burgsres and mysterious
disappearance of respectable persons. Each one
began to ask himself if be might not be the next
victim, and the whole community became at once
a body of detective police, determined that the
murderer, or murdererS, of Burdell. should be dis
covered and brought to justice. The investigations
Of the Coroners Jury have led to the opinion gen.
orally expressed, that the guilty parties were in
and Of the house where the crime was committed;
and the two Of those parties, nowfn prison,
John J. Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham, will most
probably be designated by that Jury as the perpe-
traitors of the deed. In the mass of testimony thus
far adduced we believe it will be found that there
is no legal evidence which could convict either of
these parties of the crime, however much there may
be to fasten upon them ineradicable suspicion. We
may now briefly state what this evidence, tending
to crimina!e these parties, is.
The late DR.. Burdel, owner of the house No. 81
Bond street at the time of the murder, occupied the
entire second floor, the rest of the dwelling being
let to Mrs. Cunningham. The occupants of her por-
ton of the house were herself; her two daughters,
sixteen and eighteen years of age; her two sons,
nine and ten years of age; one boarder and lodger
Mr.. Eckel; friend of the family, Mr.. Snodgrass;
and ledger simply, Mr.. Daniel UIlmann; and, at
the time of the murder, one servant-wOman, q
second seryant-weman having left two days be-
fore. The murder was committed on the night of
Friday, the Both of January. The servant-woman
was ordered by Mrs. Cunningham about 10 O'Clock
to 20 to bed. That domestic, and the two little
boys and Mr.. SnOdgrass, slept in the attic, or on
the fourth floor. Mrs. Cunningham and her two
daughters slept, on the night in question, in room
on the third floor; Mr.. Eckel in another room on
the same floors and Mr.. Ulmann in the third room
on that floor. Between 10 and II O'Clock all these
persons, with the exception of Mr.. Uilmaun,
retired to their rooms for the night, and
they all testify that they were not dis.
.urbed by an unusual noise or any cry of muir
der. Four witnesses, three of whom were in the
street and one in q house opposite, state that at
about quarter to II o'clock, they heard q cry of
"murder." Two of theee witnesses testify to hsv-
ing seen person whose appearance corresponds
with that of DR.. Burdell, and wrapped in shawl
such as he wore, enter bis house only few minu-
ties before the cry was heard. One of these wit
nes.es, Farrell, was sitting the very steps when
the Doctor entered his house, heard the cry and
the fall of the body, and has identified Eckel as
man who Immediately afterward came to the door
and warned him off the step in menacing manner,
and whom he supposed to be sent for that purpose
BY the man (Dr. Burdel) who had just entered the
house. Several other witnesses in passing
through Bond street. between IL and o'clock
of that night, remarked peculiar smell as OF
the smoke of burning wooden and leather The at
mssphere of the night was damp and heavy, and
smoke accordingly held to the earth. Between
and O'Clock on the morning of Saturday, the next
day. DR.. Burdells Office boy discovered the dead
body. on the second floor, back room, near the
door lying in pool of blood The gas in the room
was yet burning; the key in the lock on the out
side of the door. Mrs. Cunninghams family, with
the exception of Mr.. Ecke had at that time all
breakfasted. Eckel on that morning had LETT the
house before breakfast to fulfill business engage
ment made the day before. Mr.. Ullman was only
a lodger, never had taken any meals in the house,
and had not yet risen. He had come into the house
on the night at 12i o'clock; and he testified that
during the night he heard no noise. The testimony
Of the four witnesses who heard the cry of murder
at iOs O'clock not alone fixes the time for the deed,
as the coldness and rigdity of the corpse and the
dryness of the blood with which its clothes had been
saturated, proved in the opinion of the medical men
then called in, that the murder had been committed
at about that time.
The time of the murder having been established
ss'that when the Cunninghams, Eckel and Snod-
grass testified that they just about retiring or
Ia mat raf;ra1 tha ninhf addad To fheir nnsi-