The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-28


him. Then he walked down TO the hall door open.
ing into the street, to see il the noise had at.
tracted the attention of any one passing by
(Eckel was known TO have opened the door al
about this time, and to have roughly spoken to
man named Farrell, who had stopped on the
step to tie his shoe, and to have asked Farrell
what be was doing there y then, returning up
stairs he washed away all marks of blood upon
his person, burned his clothing that had been
stained, and then went quietly to his room where
he was shortly after met by Mrs. Cunningham.
who called ostensibly to deliver letter, but in
reality to ascertain II the murder had in reality
been contaminated according TO the plan of the
two coDsprators. So plausible did the theory
seem, and 60 convinced were the prosecuting
officers that they could adduce sufficient eyi.
dence to convict the suspected ones, that both
Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham were arrested
on the lst of February, and after long and
tedious examination by an Incompetent coroner
had kept the case before the public for two
weeks, they were finally, on the l4th of Feb.
ruary, formally charged By the coroner's jury
with the murder Of Or. Burdell. On February
p they were both indicted by the Grand Jury,
and were held in close confinement until the fol.
lowing spring. In May Mrs. Cunningham was
placed ct the bar, and, after one Of the most ex.
citing trials that ever occupied the attention of
an American court, she was acquitted. The trial
was remarkable not only for the pertinacity with
which the prosecution endeaVcred 70 maintain
their theory of the murder and convict the pris-
oners, but also for the pluck and ingenuity of
the counsel for the defense. In the case of Mrs.
Cunningham the lawyers had doab!e task to
perform. They were not alone to show their
client innocent Of the murder and of all com.
plcity herewith, but they had also to prove her
marriage with DR.. Burdell, in order TO establish
her claim, as having been hisi lawful wife, to in-
heiit as his widow her proper share of his large
property. Among other devices TO serve the in
terests of Mrs. Cunningham was the celebrated
Bogus Baby" ruse. by which sundry delays In
e ss sn Ss Dr. BRds
The imposture was carried out to the extent Of
pretending that child, the fruit of lawful wed
lock between the dead man and the woman who
was charged with his murder, had been actually
born during the tendency of the suit. Had this
been true Of course the mother and child would
have inherited the whole of the estate, while the
" widow" In the absence Of will could have
claimed only her right Of dover, or "thirds."
However, the notable scheme fell to the ground !;
and though finally Mrs. Cunningham was not con-
victed of the murder, the "bogus babyn impos-
ture was detected, and her marriage being de.
clared not proved, she took no portion Of the
property for which some one had doubtless COM
mitted one Of the highest crimes known to the
law.
The prosecution having failed to convict Mrs.
Cunningham the speedy discharge of Eckel natu-
rally followed. No proof could have been shown
of his guilt which would not naturally have impli-
Gated her, and, as no evidence turned up, Eckel
vas soon liberated on his own recognizances to
appear when called for, and his counsel shortly
after obtaining 4lope proseql1, the proceedings
against John ]. Ecke for completely in the Burdell
murder terminated. That the same man, for a
crime against the revenue laws, is now 10 prison,
doing " the State some service F" is matter Of re.
cent notorieiy; and that had Eckel been con.
victed of the former and more heinous crime, an
innocent man would have suffered will appear in
the sequel.
The foregoing sketch Of great crime, with the
circumstances attendant and succeeding, was ne
cesssry to the completeness of our story, as also
are the subOiDed references to still another crime
which was perhaps greater one, because in this
latter instance the homicide was double.
In the year 1850 the city was startled oae bright
morning 10 learn that two men had been shot dead
in the public streets, and by the same person the
one as be was just leaving his place of business
was deliberately and premedtatedy shot down by
some man from private motives of revenge or
spite las no robbery was attempted,) and the
other one, who had headed party of citizens in
pursuit Of the flying murderer, had been killed by
the same desperate that he might secure his own
escape. These were known as the Wslton-Mst-
thews murders.
Walton was a well.to.do citizen. ose of two
brothers, both OF whom were engaged in business
as whisky disters, though carrying on different
establishments. The elder Walton had married q
widow with several grown children By former
husband, and in due course Of time came many
serious engagements. In the quarrels between
Mr.. and Mrs. Walton, the two sons, whose name
was Jeferds. invariable took the side of their
mother. One these soHs, the younger, named
Charles, espoused his mothers cause with great
bitterness. The quarrels deepened in in.
tepsity. Mrs. Walton at, times bore bruised
and bloody marks of her husbands heavy
hand. Charles, who did not live at home,
was never an eyewitness Of these blows, or
doubtless they had never been inflicted second
time ; but when he visited his mother she used
al her powers to rnfame him against his step
father and TO induce him to take vengeance On
him. Walton was worth a large fortune, his
wife and step children were his bitter foes, and
In this, as in other respects, there was most
striking similarity between his domestic relations
end those Of Doctor Burdell. 1t was alleged,
too, that there was close intimacy between
the two ex widows, Mrs. BuTdel that claimed to
be. and Mrs. Walton that was. At all events
Charles Jefferds was intimate with the Canning
ham family, was constant visitor at the Bur-
dell house, and, by his own confession, had been
Tor months before the untimely taking off Of DR..
Burdell favored lover of Mrs. Cunningham,
who granted him Illicit favors many time and
oft.
One day Chales JeTerds cams on one of his
periodical visits to his mother as usual, she en-
tertained him with recital of her grievances,
and, as climax to her story, she tore open
her dress, and showed upon her bosom the pur-
pie marks of blows she bad that Fday received
from Walton. The boy cast single glance at
the evidence of brutal violence to his mother,
and then exelsimiDg, did he do that ~ and re.
ceiviDg still further assurance that his step father
and none 0ther had caused those marks, he said,
as be sprang up wild with rage, "Then that's
enough !" and, with no other word. he rushed
from the room.
at about an hour after the midnight or that day
Mr. Walton left his dstillery on the east side of
The city, and be stood on the curb stone of the
Third avenue and Eighteenth street, a man
stepped from the shadow of tree and shot him
dead. He fell and died on the stones of the street
without speaking g word. The man who fred the
shCt turned and ran, the pistol still in his hand
One CT two persons who heard the shot and saw
the murderer running, raised an alarm and pur.
sued him other citizens joined In the chase as
more and fresher runners kept continually swell
ing the number of the pUfsuers, the fleeing des-
perado saw that unless their advance was speedily
stopped be would inevitably be caught, and turn
ng, he took deliberate aim at the foremost man
Ind shot him dead. There CHANGED to be no one
near of nerve sufficient to continue on and capture
he fugitive, and he accordingly for the time es-
,aped.
The second victim of the assessin's pistol was
young man named John Matthews. q railroad con-
tractor, the support of a mother and sisters, and
much respected by all who knew him.
In day or two Charles Jeferds was arrested
'or the murder; and the state OF feeling existing
between him and the dead man becoming known,
suspicion was very strong against him. Suspicion,
however, never grew TO certainty; aud though