The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-07

his Office in Broadway and inirug, him of all the
facts In the case; told him tlist I wished to re-
tire from the case; that wished To have nothing
more to do with it; he thought differently, and
| thought il was my duty TO go and assist him In
| detecting and preventing the consummation of the
contemplated crime entered partially into the
| matter and took few DAYS for consideration and
| in the meantime consulted several physicians and
friends respecting the course / ought to pursue in
the matter, and they advised that should act uu-
der the directions of Mr. Hall; did So and visited
Mrs Burdell occasionally, and 1t was finally ar
ranged between Mrs. Burdell and myself that she
| must be sick confined from the LIST to the
10Th OF August; she given to understand
| hlat there was lady to be confined in the
| vicinity, IN Elm street, and whose child she
was TO receive as her own. and 1t was finally ar
ranged that she should be confin.d either on Nom
day or Tuesday night. then went to MIR Hall on
Monday, and 1t was arranged that DR.. De Ia Mon
tagne and myself should engage a room or rooms
| In Elm street, and we engaged rooms at No. I9O
Elm street, and they were furnished the same day
| and Dr. Ds la Montague went to Bellevue Hospital
as am informed, and obtained child and after
| birth which were taken to 1870 Elm street called
on Mrs Burdell during the afternoon and told her
the place; she said if the child was born before Q
| CLOCK the lady would call for it in the evening
and II late at night the lady would call for il at
10 O'Clock and remain until morning and take the
chid away early in the morning: she said she would
SEND tins lady around to see the place. then left
anu went immediately TO the place myself, and
waited, looking out of the front window and short
iy afterwards Mrs BurtieU or Cunnipgbar,
pass the house; she stopped and looked at the
noor about o'clock in the evening | called on
irs. buraeila again. and was shown up stairs to the
second story the room was very dark. there was
no light III the roOm Mrs. Bur,lell was in he'd and
pretended to be IN the pains of labor she said abe
wonld call the lady who was to 90 and whssa NAM,
she would not tell: she called her to the bedside
ana recognized the person who calls berseIf
Mrs. Burdclls sister as the lady sbe called IN
| the bedside Mrs. Burdel asked her if she was
ready to go, and she said yes" and asked wbare
.ie Dch dIeo' was, and then it was arranged be-
tween us that the lady should follow ME to No
lsO Elm street; that should wait in the front door
Tor her and that the lady should hold in her hand
white handkerchief, sohat could recognize her
"eht 20 40 I9o Elm street, and waited in front
| oi the door some time, and finally the lady came
dressed In black, having black hood over her heal
| partially Disgusting her features: | asked her II
| She was the person who came after the basket
Sht merely shook her handkerchief and walked nm
stairs TO the room, and took the basket and went off
WIN IL; her manner and form led me to believe
that 1t was Mrs Burdel herself who came aftar the
chu; she took the basket containing the child and
atterblrth. and left the house. in a short time
left and went to my own house: when 7 arrived I
| found that a man had been there and left word
that must call down and see Mrs Burtiell, that
sh" was about to be confined and wanted to aaa ,n
| INSTANTLY went down, and was admitted by
| man whom L did not know, and went nm stair,
anu Sa" hrs Burdell lying in her bed and her sis
Sei anu u o"tn were in the room; the child was
| lying IN one corner of the room: Mrs Rurdeu ,r.
| tended to have all the symptoms of severe Iabar
|
! anu aiter few moments DR.. Catlin brought on,
4 TN pail containing quantity of blood, which
lie mixed with water and spread over some sheets
ana lie wiped his hands i'll the blood In the mean
tlme lady was sent for from Second ayenue who
| was 10 personate a nurse. and who they pretended
WAS not Ill the secret at all; and after short time
the bell rang and was asked to go down and Oman
| the door. as that was the nurse: | went down and
opened the door, and the man who let me in in thr
early part of the evening was there and told me
'It nurse was ready to come whenever she wa
| inn Shn
he went after her. and in about half an bour r..
turned with her; let them in, and the nurse came
up stairs just as DR.. CatIin was removing thr
| bloody sheets from under Mrs Burder and hnr
sister was washing the child: the nurse as.istad
Mrs. Burdells sister to wash and dress the child
and assisted Mrs. Burdell, and performed ali tn.
| operations usually required of nurse; | re.
| manned until it was all concluded and laft IN
house, DIR. Catlin closing the door after me;
| did not assist in any of the operations: | mere
| iy observed what was going on; Mrs BurdelI
stated to me that DR.. Catlin could be trusted in
this matter, for she had him 10 completely in he,
power; that he did not dare disclose ANYTHING con
hected with the matter that he had adhered to her
interest during all her troubles with her first hus
nand, and she could rely upon him; | was advised
ny my counsel not to have any conference with Dir
Catlin until saw Mr. Hall: but one dav as ,xa.
gong up Broadway he stopped me in the street and
insisted upon conversng with me upon the suhiact
t0II INN supposed We understood each other
anu there was no necessity of our conf.rrinq. h.
SAID, no. We must arrange things togetLer., dnrin
the he said he had devised this matter
| Tor Nrs. Burdell or Cunningham while shn was In
the Iombs; that he considered il as n matter of ius
tIce TO p much abused woman; but that thav ba i
made up their minds that they must have another
doctor, and that certain parties had been .npie,I
to TO get ME into the plot; | told him wac in n
hurry. and ii he wished to see me further ON tb
subject, he could call on me at NV cffice. I tb.n
got into Il stage and went up town: / made no 60
cret OF the matter, but told number of persons
| about it.
The Revised Statutes Of New York afIix a pcnaIt,,
to the crime of which Mrs. Cunningham has been
guilty in the following words:
| Every person who shall fraudulentIy produca
an infant, falsely pretending it to have been born
OF parents whose child would have been entitled Ia
share OF any personal estate, or to inherit real
estate, with the intention of interCcptpg the inh.
rtance of any such real estate OF the dstributinn
| OF any such personal property, from anv person
lawfully entitled thereto. shall, upon c0nyiction
be punished by imprisonment in a State prison NOT
exceeding ten years"
There was partial examination of the matter.
before justice Davidson, Wednesday morning. Mrs.
Cunningham was not present, but Miss Helen WAS
closely questioned concerning her mothers alleged
sickness Nothing important was elected The
District Attorney stated that he had directed DR.
Barker to institute the necessary examination Of
the person of Mrs Cunningham to the fact of her
having been recently the subject of child birth 1t
was his impression that she would refuse TO submit
to such an examination.