Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-23

4 my..sry O rIwsl.. Esar. Solved {.

THE BURDELL MURDER.
A Mystery OF twelve Years Solved Al
Last. q 49,. ~
I The New York World claims to
have cleared up the Burdell muir
der mystery by discovering the real
assassin. It claims that Charles
Jeferds, an intimate friend Of Mrs.
Cunningham, and the murderer of
Walton and Matthews, was guilty
of that horrible crime. Its evidence
is the statement of a police officer
(now deceased), of a confession
made to him three years after the
murder of DIR. BurdeIl, when he
was about to arrest Jefferds for the
double murder of Walton and Mat
thews. This is the. Worlds state
ment in brief:
Jefferds stated to she detective
that on the fatal night he was visit
ing at the Burdell house, and was
in the parlor with the young girls,
and was playing the banjo for their
amusement. The banjo, he said,
belonged to him, and not to Snod-
grass, as had before been stated,
Snodgrass being only able to thumb
on it a little. DIR. Burdell came in
and met Mrs. Cunningham, with
whom he had a violent quarrel, af-
ter which he proceeded at once to
his room. Jefferds then went at
once TO the room of Mrs. Cunning
ham, and hearing from her the par
ticulars of the quarrel, he became
much incensed against Burdell, and
volunteered to Ego upstairs and
do for the old rascal" In this
proposition he was encouraged
by Mrs. Cunningham, and he re-
solved he would do it. Accord
inglY, drawing two edged, slena
der dagger, which he habitually
carried, and being informed by her
Of the exact position of the doe
tors room, proceeded stealthily up |
stairs. The doctor was seated at
HIS desk, looking over some papers
by a single gas light. So engaged
was he that he did not hear the |
step Of his murderer, and the first |
intimation he had of danger was a
sudden blow, struck from behind, |
over his shoulder, and aimed at his
heart. The blow was instantly re-
peated, and again reiterated as
rapidly as the nervous energy. of
the assassin could WELD the knife.
With a single cry of murder" the
doomed man sprang from his chair
and grappled with Jefferds; they |
struggled from side to side of the |
room, Overthrowing the chairs and
dragging the table out of place,
the doctor striving to seize the dirk
or to hold the murderous arm, the
every blow of which was cutting
away his life. "At one time" said.
Jefferds, "the old fellow caught my
arm and twisted me against the
wall, and for a minute l thought
he'd be too many for me; but | put
my hand against the wall and saved
myself from going down, and with
the other L reached under and hit
him in the kidneys, and that
fetched him, 1t was our fight
ing about the room that made the
blood fly so all about on the walls.
The old fellow was stronger than |
gave him credit for, and we had a
mighty tough tumble Of it; but
you see L had the knife, and kept |
all the time jobbing him with that,
and he bled great deal, and that
weakened him l suppose. Yes, sir,
l did that little job myself" Then
musing a minute, as if to recall the
scene more clearly to his mind, he
"Yes, l did for him
but he fought like the devil; | once
thought he'd got the best o me,
but the punch IN the ribs fetched
him" Here he sat a minute still |
thinking, then continued: did you
60 into the room? well, you re-
member the map that hung on the
wall-well, they could have found !
the marks of my hand on that map
if they'd looked once when be
nearly turned me, | threw my hand
back, and it struck fiat against the |
wall on the map; that's the time /
thought he'd be too many for me
but the blood weakened him, |
s'pose, for soon got him under
again, and that's when l hit him in
the ribs and fetched him
The murder accomplished, JEFF
ferds left the room, and was let out
of the house by one of the inmates,
by whom all necessary precautions
were taken afterward to cover up
the tracks of the real murderer and
cast suspicion in other directions.