Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-07
Some Famous Crimes Recall.
ed by the PrelIer-MaX well
Affair.
The Tragic End of DIR. RurdeII-The
Nathan Case.
An Old PrOYerb Proved False.
DIR. BURDELL.

case from Inc outset mas never D6en
dispelled. Saturday, July 81, 1857,
n office boy IN lodging house, No.
/ Bond street, went as usual to the
itting room of DR.. Harvey Burdell,
q surgeon dentist, to light tie fire.
Receiving no response to his knocks,
he entered the room and found the
doctor lying on the floor near the
table in a pool of blood. He at once
gave the alarm, and several of the in
mates hastened to the spot. The body
was cold, showing he had been dead
some hours, and a physicians exam
nation disclosed the fact that he had
been murdered, there being no less
than fifteen stabs IN his neck and
breast, inficted with some narrow
5laded. sharp instrument. Que of the
cuts severed the jugular vein, and two
entered the heart. One of the SER
wants Informed Mrs. Cunningham,
the landlady of the house, q widow
with i've children, two girls and three
boys. She was about 40, her eldest
daughter Is, the other 16, the sons
several years younger. Mrs. Gun
ningham at once proceeded to go into
~ to rush into the room, and throwing
herself on the body OF the deceased,
cried out: Dear, dear husband!"
Some of the bystanders asked her
eldest daughter what this meant, and
she replied that she was q witness to
the marriage, which had been solemn
ICED by Rev. Uriah Marvin, of the
Dutch Reformed church on Blocker
street. She understood that the mars
Tiage was to be kept secret for Gers
tain period of time, at the request of
DIR, Burdell, but for what reason she
pretended not to know. Tho coroner
held an inquest, which lasted fourteen
days, and vast amount of relevant
and irrelevant testimony was admit
ted. This much was proved: DR..
Harvey Burdell was reputed bach
elor, and had accumulated about $780,
900 In the practice of his profession.
He owned the house he lived in, rent
ing the upper portion to Mrs. Gun
bingham, who having been left in
straitened circumstances.by the death
Of her husband. added to her income
by taking dodgers.
On The night of the murder there
were twelve inmates in the house
DR.. Burdell, occupying, the first floor,
which consisted of three rooms; on the
second, Mrs. Cunningham had the
front room; Mr.. Eckel. a ledger, a
hide and tallow merchant, small
chamber adjoining; Mr.. UIlman, an
other gentleman, the rear apartment.
On the third floor were four rooms.
One was occupied by Mr.. Snodgrass,
a distant relative Of the widow, and
She little boys, the second by the two
young ladies, the third by the two
housemaids, the fourth being vacant.
BY IL Is all had retired to their rooms
except DR.. Burdell and Mr.. UlIman
Iho latter gentleman q prominent
lawyer and candidate of the native
American party for governor of the
state, stated that he came in at IL 80
o'clock, found the hall lamp out, and
vent to his room in the dark.
He heard no unusual sound, though
he slept over the doctors bedroom.
Evidently the deed must have been
before Ullman reached
home or a considerable period after.
The doctor supped at the Lafrage
hotel, but 1t was impossible to find
out where he spent the evening,
though it was surmiSed with a mar
RED woman with whom he was known
10 be carrying on an intrigue. DR.
Bnrdelps apartments consisted of two
large rooms, front and rear, and a
bathroom. The rear apartment was
fitted up as an operating room, and
communicated through a corridor
with the front chamber, which was
occupied by the dentist as q bedroom.
The body was discovered in the sur
gery, where undoubtedly the crime
was committed; for, although the
doors of communication between the
WO rooms were open, no blood was
found in the bed-chamber, and it did
not appear that the doctor hao entered
there after returning home. The
furniture of the operating-room con-
sisted of q sofa, operating chair, book
case, safe, and comfortable. The
stable stood between the windows,
and over it a large mirror, with gas
burners on each side, SO that no per-
son could enter the room without
being instantly perceived. It was
also impossible for any persons to
hide themselves in the room, so close
was the furniture packed to the walls.
The gas, which was still burning
when the office-boy entered the room,
had been lighted some few minutes
before the attack on the doctor, for he
had removed his hat and cloak and
lad them on the sofa, had opened the
safe and sat writing at the desk. It
was thought from marks on the throat
of the deceased that an attempt had
been made to strangle him, as he was
Of apoplectic build. Being a powerful
man, he had struggled desperately,
for there was blood-marks on the
furniture and downs stairs to the street
door, so that. the party must have
been literally covered with blood.
The theory adopted was that there
being no place for coneealment IN the
room, and the mirror rejecting every
person who should enter the room,
The crime was commltted by some