The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-28
The Celebrated Burdell Murder,
SOLUTION OF THE GREAT MYSTERY,
TERRIBLE CAREER AND Death OF THE ASSASSIN.
Very Interesting Reproduction of the
Details Of the Burdell and Wal
ton. Matthews Murders.

We condense from long account In the New
York World of the 18th the following highly inter
estDg account of the final solution of the great
mystery of the celebrated Burdell murder:
On the morning of Saturday, January 81, 1857,
the city was thrilled and Mortified with the fearful
news that the night before well known and
highly respected citizen had been, in the social
privacy Of bis own room, in his own house, meroi.
lessly stabbed 10 death by more than score of
knife thrusts, which must have been inflicted
during the progress Of long and terrible struggle.
The appearance of the room, the disordered con.
dtion OF the furniture together with the marks on
the corpse itself told Enthusiastically that the strong
man had fought for his life with all the energy OF
desperation. The struggle must have been pro
trected one; It was no sudden single blow that
had paralysed the strength of the victim, leaving
him helpless and unresisting; il was a succession
OF stabs, no single one of which would have pro-
duced death of itself, save by protracted, un
checked bemerrhsge, which would have taken
considerable time. The carpets were saturated
and the walls stained with blood, and the bloody
finger marks along the stairway and on the outside
door sufficiently pointed out the course taken by
the murderer as be eisurely made bis way into the
street. The table and desk were .disarranged.
having been violently moved from their places
the chairs were overturned, and there was every
evidence that the assaulted man had grappled
with his assailant, and had fought as a man can
only fight but once, and that when his life "a for
feited, unless the fight be won. That ell this
fierce struggling of men and knocking about Of
furniture must have been attended with consider.
able noise ia sslf-evident.
The relations of the other occupants Of the
establishment to the slain man, and to each other,
were as follows: The house itself, No. 81 Bond
street, was the property OF DR.. Burdell. He let
the house TO a woman of advanced years, Mrs.
Emma Augusta Cunningham, who was a widow
with two grown daughters, neither of whom were
married, but both of whom were pretty and at
tractive, and constantly surrounded by throng
e 1~4sw@ t-1wxk .
boarding house, of style suited TO persons who
we're able and willing TO pay good prices for their
accommodations. Gentlemen only were enter
tanned. Ladies and children were neither desired
nor desirable. DIR. Burdell occupied sleeping
apartment on the third floor, and handsome Offices
on the first floor for business purposes he being q
dentist, with large practice. MIR. John ]. Eckel
occupied a room on the third floor, the hall bed.
room; and there were also other bosrders who
had rooms. On the evening of the murder, and
at the very time the deed was being perpetrated,
while the master of the house was figbtiDg for his
life, the psrlor was occupied by the daughters
and certain of their gallants, who we're amusing
themselves after the manner OF gallants the world
over, and notably were enjoying the performance
Of young gentleman named Snodgrass. also
boaTder in the house, who was entertaining the
company with his skillful manipulation of that
classic instrument the banjo.
Mrs. Cunningham, herself, was In her own room
on the second floor, over the parlor, and here she
was visited, as she swore, by Mr.. Eokel, who al.
ways had the entree to her private room, and who,
on this occasion, Is stated 10 have remained till
about IL O'Clock. Yet, notwithstanding the num-
Der of people In the house,and the nearness Of
certain ones of them TO the scene of thu direful
tragedy going on go near them, it Is solemnly as.
serted by them all that no one heard a sound
from the fatal room. 1t is, perhaps, not too much
to suppose that the pleasant party in the parlor,
occupied as they were with their snj0-playing
and their love. making, were so agreeably engaged
with each other, that they took no note Of time,
and thought Of nothing cave 10 extract the utter.
most enjoyment from the intoxicating moments as
they flew. But on the floor above, in a room alone
with each other, separated by but fight OF stairs
from the murder then in progress, sat Mrs. Gun.
ninPham and her favorite boarder, Mr.. John ].
Eckel. 1t was taxing human credulity too far to
ask the world to believe that neither Of these two
persons knew nothing of what was going on
near them. This, at any rate, was the view of the
coroner and the district attorney; and John ].
Eckel was arrested for the murder.
On the morning of the 9lst of January. a boy
named Burchell, who had been employed by Dr.
Burdell to sweep his Office and attend to similar
matters, came, as usual, 10 his work. Desiring,
for some reason, TO have an Interview with the
doctor himself the boy went up to the sleeping
room on the third floor, and was the hrst to give
the alarm. The body was found lying on the
hoor in pool Of blood. and an examination by
the coroner disclosed the fact that more than a
score of stabs had been inflicted on the dead man.
These repeated wounds, some of which were de-
inflicted after death, were said to indicate GER
tain sort of spiteful vindictiveness to be looked
for only in woman. Hence, the theory of those
experts most skilled in theories was that the doc.
tor had been slain BY woman, or weak strip.
ping of boy. They argued that man, having
resolved on such a crime, would 60 to his work
the direct way, and would STAY his victim with
single blow, or, at most, with as few as should
suffice TO make sure and certain work; whereas
a woman, they reasoned, would stab aud stab
breath Wal MT n.
gether. And this hypothesis gained strength,
until the general belief was that the stabbing was
done by woman, although perhaps a male &C.
complioe might have rendered effective assist
ance by holding the doctor, who was o strong,
well.built man, and, If tsken fairly, good match
for an assailant Of no mean power. II the doctor
had been seized, halfthrOtted, partially sufo.
Gated, and his attempted Outcries prevented by
the sudden onset Of a strong man, then the after
task Of the female accomplish had been. doubt
less an easy one. AT any rate, Mrs CUNNINGHAM
was tried for the murderj and though Acquired
by The courts, she left the country with the brand
of Cain upon her; for though the proof could not
be had, sbe Yves, in the eyes of the great mass of
the public, guilty woman.
From facts made known in the course Of the
various examinations and trials, the subjOined
statement Of affairs came 10 light. 1t was shown
that Mrs. Cunningham had been exceedingly
anxious to have Dr.. Burdel legitmize, by marry
ing her, connection which had beyond doubt
existed for many months without the sanction of
either the church or The law. Nhether the doc
tor did marry her is disputed questiOn-Ste says
he did, and, after bis death, produced marriage
certificate purpOrting 10 prove the ceremony.
There was, however, so much doubt thrown upon
the validity Of this document, during the trial of
Mrs. Cunningham, that the courts refused to re
cognze her as the widow Of d.. Burdel, and the
considerable properly left by him was adjudged
to belong TO other claimants.
IL was slso proved TO the satisfaction OF the
court and the public that. whether married TO Bur
dell or not, Mrs. Cunningham had for long time
been in the constant, or nconstGnt habit Of grant
ing to Mr.. John J. Eckel fsvors inconsistent with
a proper observance Of marriage VOWS paid to an
other man. AZ soon as this came TO be under.
stood, and taken in connection with the fact that
Dr.. Burdell was in possession Of quite large
amount of property; that Mrs. Cunningham was
Of grasping nature, and had often grumbled with
the doctor because he would not make such dis.
positiobs ss she desired Of certain " documents"
pertaining 10 some portions Of that property and
above all, when, in the face Of DR.. Burdel's per
sistent denial that he ever had married her, q
clergyman came forward and swore positively
that be had united Il marriage Mrs. Cunningham
and man whose name was given to him at the
time Of the ceremony as Burdell. and had given
certificate to that effect, II was q matter Of little
trouble tOsframe theory that should plausiby