The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-08
FINIH llt y II Evening FVhl
THE CUNNINGHAM AFFAIR.


The late developments as to Mrs Cunningham viii
present curious for the lawyers Surprising all the
allegations to be true how far person he legally
criminal when the government supplies all the and
much Of the ability for the commission of the crime
In Europe the question hardly he mooted The
police Of Paris have oontrived many plot and the
oonsprators and victims have supplied the guIlotine
and died in the swa1nps of Guiana without any legal
question being raised In England and Ireland too gov
eminent agents have mingled with political consrators
and earned blood money by denouncng their associates
In the Catostreet conspiracy when Thslewood and his
friends were seized in an overt act of treason man
named Edwards had been employed by the government
cooperate with and apparently aid their schemes
to which he afterwards testified in court The subject
discussed in Parliament, and the opposition leaders
of the day Brougham and Ponsonby considered the
ton of the government usfable when aTocous schemes
of murder treason Matching against the State
In this country the question has been raised,
Can the government convict person, for example of
passing counterfeit money knowing il to be counter
felt when the officers Of the government have supplied
the press, the paper, the ink; have put the notes
in the hands Of the accused and pointed out the time
and place for the fraudulent issue of the notes This is
something like the case in hand physician pro-
cured who fayors the plot California widow is
featured child is carefully picked OF the ashouse
this be the State prison for accepting
the child under such circumstances and saying it is her
This is grave question, which we leave to the
lawyers to moot and the judges to decide.
Our remarks have their application simply the Grim
nallaw bearings OF the As the affairs bear their
civil aspect the action Of the officers adroit STRAIT
agen, by which atrocious scheme crushed and
food OF light thrown the dark and horrible
tions of Bond street
No win be disposed to criticse too severely the
means by which bold bad is suddenly arrested
in her career and whatever may be the legal penalties
subjected TO awful retTibution
The law may be inadequate to this punishment Its
refinement and subtletiesits snail pace progress
interminable appeas-its encouragement of sophisry
and technicalities prevent ii from dealing with this
case but there in which terrible pun
ishment moe justly awaited unparalleled crime Few
doubt Of the Of the Bond-street tragedy but
the fruits Of that long process of dark cunning and
bloody yiIlany have turned TO dust and ashes
We do not wonder that crowds surround the house In
Bond street in which such Of complicated guilt
have occurred The guilty of Burdell for the
first six months Of the drama the attempt coerce him
into marriage and the Intellectual struggles of the doomed
to break the net which cast its internal flarnents
around him the pretended marriage and it's accompan-
ments the CHASTITY and mysterious murder the bold but
happily rutess attempt to produce fictitious heir
to render the spot accused while they develop
utve series Of subtle and daring crime which we seek
in vain parallel in English American annals and
which resemble what history fiction both have as
cribed TO the Borgias or the later Medid.