Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-08-18
EXTRAORDINARY SUPPLEMENT
TO THE BURDELL CASE.
MRS, cUNNINaHAMs SHAM AccouCHMENr

-
The New York papers of the 5th.
inst. say the following
Tae public were quite startled on
Tuesday last, by the announcement,
that Mrs. Cunningham, alias Bur
dell, had been re-arrested. On this
occasion she was not charged with
murder, but with feigning the birth
of a child under the following circum-
stances
''For some time, Mrs. Cunningham
has given out to. the world that early
in August she expected to be deliver
ed of a child, the fruit of her union
with the late Dr.. Harvey Burdell, -
To attend to her in that interesting
situation, she applied to DIR. Uhl, and,
after several, visits, the Doctor, enter
tanning suspicious as to her being
e'acaente, contided his doubts to the
District Attorney. The District At
torney, Mr. Hall, told him that, if
such a thing was contemplated by
Mrs. Cunningham, it was a very ser
I0Hs felony, and referred the doctor
to that section of the Revised Stat
utes, which says:
Every person who shall fraudulentlv
produce an infant, falsely pretend
ing TO have been born of parents
IL whose child would be entitled to
share o. any personal estate. or TO
Ith nrIt IL Il
4sa tent of lntercepting the Inheritance
ae- of any such real estate, or the dis
trlbution of any such personal prop
-eriy from any person lawfully en-
titled thereto, shall, upon conviction
be punished by imprisonment ia the
" State prison not exceeding l0years. y
s'Mr. Hall further argued with the
doctor that he might have it in his
power to prevent the crime accom-
plishing' its guilty fruits, or from be-
ing an undiscovered mystery that
under the strange circumstances sur
rounding this woman and her world
wide notoriety, and the unfortunate
results which might flow to the COM
munity if her crimes should battle de-
lection, 1t was the duty of every man
to do all in his power to thoroughly
expose her. DIR. Uhl said he would
reflect upon the matter. He did so,
and on the following day, told Mr..
Hall that he would place himself en-
tirely at his disposal, and at those of
the authorities, and engage in any
plan which Mr.. Hall might project.
The advice of the District Attorney
was that he should 90, and conceal
ing his doubts and suspicious, learn
from Mrs. Cunningham her full views
and arrangements. Upon another
interview Mrs. Cunningham admitted
to him that the approaching confine-
ment was a h1lmbug, and the sunborn
child" Of her counsel's eloquence, an
elegant myth, and offered him 81 900
if he would undertake the Job of find
ing a child and assisting at the sac
couchment." Whereupon DIR. Uhl
apparently assented, and returning
to the District Attorney, reported.
at was finally arranged that the
great event of producing an heir for
DR.. Burdell's property should take
pIoce some time this week, and to
Dr. Uhl was intrusted tue task of
hunting up the ''little stranger" :
Things having advanced thus far,
DR.. Uhl accompanied by DR.. De la
Montagnie, Ga brother-in-law Of the
District Attorney Immediately salli-
ed forth in quest of suitable apart
ments, of which they could obtain
temporary occupation. Rooms were
met with at No. 100 Elm street, and
there, it was represented to Mrs.
Cunningham, resided a married lady,
who, during the absence of her hus-
band in California, had been rather
easy in her manners. and was about
to give birth to a child, which she,
under the circumstances, would be
glad to dispose Of. The room was OF
once neatly furnished with furniture
from the house of the District At
torney. The rooms were taken pos
session of by DIR. Montagnie, under
the name of Karl L. Herring to cor
respond with the initials upon a trunk
purporting to belong to the California
widow.
"All things being ready for action
here, and the Bellevue Hospital furn-
ishing on Monday, a fine newborn
infant, it was resolved by those in
the secret to bring matters to crisis
at once. Mrs. Cunningham was ac-
cordingly notified that the heir had
been born. and could be obtained
that evening. Upon receiving this
information, Mrs. Cunningham said,
she would send a lady Whose name
she refused to give) to look at the
place SO as to know where to go at a
! later hour. DIR. Uhl returned to No.
40 Elm street, and kept watch for
I the lady who was to be sent to recon
noitre the premises, and in short
time a person made her appearance,
passed by and inspected the place.
| That lady, although in the disguise OF