Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-06
The Borrowed Baby-The Bogus Burdell.

The sham birth affair in which Mrs Cunning
ham was detected on Tuesday, occupies the COL
unns of the New York papers, and seems to be
the absorbing topic in that city.
DIR. u hi, through whom the conspiracy was ex-
posed. says that for some time previous to Dr.
Burdells death he attended Kim professionally
He bad never had much to do with Mrs. Cum
ningham till after the Doctors death Augusta
had been very sick recently He was not called
TO attend her, although he attended other men,
hers of the family. He knew her to be sick in the
house at the time, heard her means &C., but was
not called in to attend her Helen Cunningham
was to be pitied. She was quite pretty She
used to be gay light hearted girl, but recently
she had become sad and down-hearted. He does
not believe she knew anything Of the present af-
lair, but from the change that had come over her
he thought she knew something of some of the
crimes that had been committed
Dr CatIln, be says, is weak man and had
probably been subjected to the strong will of Mrs
Cunningham, and was completely in her power
The house Of Mrs. Cunningham, No. 81 Bond
street, was surrounded on Tuesday by an excited
crowd Mrs T.. remained pretty comfortable in
the mean time. She kept up the delusion admit
ra6y, being restless at times, groaning occasion
her forehead cooled with ice water She was
visited in the forenoon by her counsel, Judge
Dean. Mr.. Clinton, another of her counsel did
not visit her, and il is said he has abandoned her
else. The rumor is, that the fees of Messrs cir.
ton and Dean were to be derived from the estate
OF DIR. Burdell, trhen Mrs. Cunningham entered
Mrs. Cunningham pleaded, at numerous inter-
walls, that her - dear baby" her legal baby. -
her poor murdered Doctors baby" might be
brought to her .'Why have they taken my baby
from me-" she demanded. Then she would half
raise herself in bed and protest that never was
woman so liberated b fore. She was anxious 10
see the newspapers, but none were allowed to he
brough t into the house.
The Herald gives the following amusing remi-
niscence:
TX Judge Dean made an application to the Sur
Iogate Yesterday morning, In the matter OF Mrs
Cunningham, which is curious to remember
. May II please the Court said this eloquent
couhsri, In substance, Z" events are comforting a
new Importance on the litigation before YOU
lou have now,' said he-his air. manner and
tone banning with the magnitude OF the disclo-
sure he had TO make you have now to decide
NOT only question OF marriage, but "a question Of
EsgiiiHGey!'' About an hour afterwards Mr.
Oakley Hall had taken the liberty of deciding
the question 0 leg itmaey by having Mrs Cum.
ningn nam quietly locked up on charge which
may send her for ten years to the State prison
The Revised Statutes OF New York afix pen
any 10 Ine crime OF which Mrs. Cunningham has
been guilty in the following words
Every person who shall fraudnrntIy produce
an infant falsely pretending IL to have been born
Of parents whose child would have been entitled
20 snare OF any personal estate OF TO inherit
any real estate, with the intent Of interceptinp
the Inheritance OF any such real estate or the dis
trlbution Of any such personal property from any
person lawfully entitled thereto, shall, upon con.
vietlon, be punished by imprisonment in a state
prison not exceeding ten years - =,
serious question arises whether the offence
was actually contaminated. The solution OF that
question depends upon the legal technical mean
ing OF the word produce Its literal meaning
OF bringing forth-bringing into being-does moi
apply In Tins case, of course; for the allegation
ano me iact Is that she did not bring the child
inlo being Its legal definition evidently has re-
ference TO the technical production In cont of
such child, and 10 the formulated claim on its
DehdiI IL II should be ruled IL will appear
that MI Hall has-to use a common expression
put his foot" in this matter, as lac did in the
murder trial ' 80 '-'
The New York Times thinks il is very clear
that THIS exposure does nothing towards clearing
up the elder mystery OF the murder In Bond street
lille IL proves, II proof had been needed, that
MIS- Cunning ham is by no means too scrupulons
person to have stlckled at the commission of
tnat great crime, IL proves, also, as the r me,
thinks, that she lacks the prudence and fore
thought essential TO the planning and perpetra-
ton OF an iniquity so skiIfully &C nceived and so
successfully executed "
The want Of caution exhibited by her i'm her
dealings with DIR. Chl, from first 10 last initiates
strongly against the theory that she could have
laid the subtle and mysterious train which led 10
The destruction of DIR. BuTdelI