Nebraska advertiser., 1869-12-23
The, BurdeII Murder Left in
Mysterious Darkness.


The Death OF John =. EekeI-Hfs Re-
markabl0 CRreer-Hts Connection
with the Cunningham BuFdeu Case
John J. Eckel, a prisoner, confined
In the Albany penetentiary for parti-
cipation in whiskey frauds, died of
drOpsy combined with disease of the
heart, in that institution at 5 O'Clock.
on Saturday morning.
AN UNEXPLAINED MYSTERY.
The death of this man recalls to
public attention one ofthe most tragic
and mysterious murders of modern
Enthusiastically assassination com
mitted upward of thirteen years ago,
and to this day, an unexplained mys-
terry.
THE BURDEIL MURDER.
On the morning of Saturday, Janu-
airy, LIST, 1851, DIR. Harvey Burfell, a
dentist, was found dead and horribly
mangled in his reception room, which
is on tie ground floor of his residence
81, Bond street, in this city. The
body was found lying upon the floor,
covered and surrounded with blood.
The doctor had been strangled and
stabbed, no less than fifteen wounds
of a dirk appearing upon his body.
had always been supposed to be a
bachelor. but on the discovery of his
death, Mrs. Cunningham, the house
keeper, q supposed widow, set up
claim as his wife, which was, after a
prolonged litigation disallowed by the
courts.
WHO WAS THE MURDERoR?
The only boarders in the house be-
sides Mr.. Burdell, were George Y.
SnOdgrass, a young man of twenty
years, and John j. Eckel, both of
whom with Mrs. Cunningham, were.
taken into custody. In the course of
the inquest it was shown that EckeI
sustained a more intimate relation
with Mrs. Cunningham than q mere
bOarder, and hence, and from other
circumstances, the theory was set up
by the prosecution that he committed
the murder, at the instigatiOn of Mrs.
Cunningham, in order that the latter
might claim the deceased's property,
as bis widow, to be then shared by her
AVID Eckel. The inquest eXOnered
but Eckel and Mrs. Cum
ningham were held for trial. Durink
the tendency of the case, Mrs. Gun
ningham improved al opportunity to
absent herself from public view for a
time, and then reappeared with q new
born infant, to which she claimed to.
have given birth-Dr. Burdell being
the father. This baby scheme was
afterward shown to be a fraud, or o
mere rus to aid in getting the proper
ty.
JOHN J ECKEL THIRTEEN YEARS AGO.
Eckel was then a dealer in tallow,
III, Stanton street. He was of a pow
ful frame, about 5 feet s or 8 inches
high, dark eyes, and soft, curly, brown
hair. He wore full whiskers. He
was about 35 or SO years of age, at the
small bald spot on the to of his head,
over which he wore a scratch. The
evidence on the inquest showed that
the relations between him and Mrs.
Eckel, were inconsistent with lir-
tuOus principles. 1t was shown that
Mr.. Burdell, was very jealous of Mr..
Eckel, and that the latter and Mrs.
Cunningham were in the bedroom to-
gether for an hour or two, on the
night Of the murder.
THE TRIAL.
Mrs. Cunningham was tried separ-
ate from Eckel, and acquitted of the
murder. Eikel'was then released from
Jail, on S., 900 bail to appear for trial.
On the 18th day of May, 1857, the in.
dicttment against him was taken up,
when on motion of District Attorney,
Hall. the trial was postponed until
the October term of court, the District
Attorney promising then to proceed
with the trial or enter a nOUe prOSeQai.
The case was never taken up again.
~ Y Sim