The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-22
The BurdeM Case-True Bin against Eckel
and Mrs. Cunningham.

The BuKdeu Case-Truc Han against Eckel
and Mrs. Cunningham.
The Grand Jury have found true bill against
Mr.. Eckel and Mrs Cunningham for the murder
of DR.. Burdell, have held George v. Snedgrass
as a witness, and have released, altogether the
Cunningham girls This result will be received
Whatever suspicious may have been entertained
at various stages of the inquiry against the
Misses Cunningham, nothing has appeared in the
evidence to warrant their being deprived Of their
liberty. As for Mr.. Snodgrass, whatever he may
have done, and whatever he may know, it is far
better for the cause Of justice that he should be
in position to give the public prosecutor the
benefit of his evidence than that the accusation
against him should be prosecuted on such evil
dence as We now have. Finally, whatever be
the real history of the connection of Mrs. Gun
bingham and Eckel with the murder, the public
could not be satisfied at this stage of the affair
with anything short of full and thorough in
curry into their guilt according to the forms Of
justice.
The evidence has been so fully laid before the
public, and 50 carefully sifted that it will suffice,
at this stage to place on record the briefest sum-
mary Of the points to be remembered.
That John J. Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham were
in the house, in Bond street, at the time the muir
der was committed and in position to hear the
noise of such scufie as must have accompanied
the deed, and the cry of "Murder!'; that it
might have been committed by them, the dagger
made away with, and the stained clothes of the
murderer burnt; that, up to this moment there
is no evidence that any one else could have
killed DR.. Burdell; and that, 50 far as Mrs Gun.
niDgham was concerned, there was motive
which might have been adequate in the mind of
bad woman to induce the commission of
heinous crime these facts are made too clear to
admit Of doubt. Thei is other evidence bearing
on the culpabiity of tie indicted parties, which
the careful reader of the papers win undoubtedly
recollect The identf cation OF Snodgrass as the
purchaser oil dagger, identical in form to the
one with which at least some of the death
wounds were inflicted, is very important. Tie
evidence of the man Farrell, If unshaken, is of
great value as showing that Eckel was at the
door in his shirt sleeves, and apparently in stock
ing feet, at or about the time of the murder
These among other facts.
Some talk has arisen in relation to an affidavit
made by DR.. Spicer, tending TO show that DR..
Burdell was really married to Mrs Cunningham.
Without stopping to remalk upon this affidavit,
which presents many points that are worth no.
tice in proper time and place, we may observe
that the theory so generally adopted by the
public in relation to Mrs. Cunningham's culpa-
bility is by no means at variance with the story
told by DR.. spicer. 1t has indeed been supposed
that some one else personated DR.. Burdell at the
marriage; but there is no evidence of this, and
it s expressly contradicted by Mrs. and Miss Cum
niDgham. The marriage, In fact was quite pro-
baby celebrated with the Doctor himself; and
from the hour Of that marriage the motive for
the murder existed. Before Mrs Cunning
ham became Mrs. Burdell, she had no motive in
the world TO kill him; and if she employed q
third party to personate the Doctor, she went
out of her way to perpetrate preliminary and
seemingly unnecessary crime.