New-York tribune., 1897-01-17
AN ANONYMOUS WARNING.
WHY W F. WOOD AND HIS MOTHER DIDN'T
GO TO FRANCE TO GET A FORTUNE.

GO TO FRANCE TO GET A FORTUNE.
william f Wood and his mother came to this city
some days ago their way France. where they in
tended to make arrangements for the reception of a
considerable fortune that had been left to Mrs Wood
by her father. DR.. James Fowler. who went away
from America many years ago. Recently Mr. Wood
Is said TO have received letter from unknown
person warning him against going to France and ad-
! iurlng him to remember DR.. Harvey Burdeil Now,
Dr. Harvey Burdell was the partner of DR.. Fowler
before he went abroad He was an eccentric but
cessfu dentist. and his murder in Bond-st. in is5,
has remained mystery
Dr. Fowler prospered In France and 50 became a
w al;hy man He vel known in French society
and took A prominent part in the Franco Prussian
War He always provided for the support Of his fam
| ly. whom he lett in this country. and when ne died
last July he left his fortune mis- son. James Fowler.
and to his daughter the mother of William F. Wood.
share and share alike
Young Wood and his mother were staying at No
2S West Twenty-thIrdst. until they should be ready
TO sail A few days ago this anonymous letter came
20 Mr. Wood 1t read as follows
=, Dear S,r n Don'i go to Bordeaux Remember Dr.
Harvey Burdeil Any old New-Yorker will remember
ne time that the good. kind doctor passed away
YOU OF course are left OUT. bui the time will come
Blseckefst, Yours' flaming. chicago. Ge liz III
This letter weighed on the young mans mind
that he and his mother abandoned for the present at
least, their trip abroad and returned on Thursday
% Chicago Just why the warning was written in he
iorm II took or what 1t meant was unknown 70 young
Wood. He had never heard c, the Rurieu murder
before. he said.
cal! al the New-York address Of Mr. Wood ves-
terday revealed nothing except the fact tha, the
young man and his mother had returned Z, Chicap,
lie Burdell murder. to which reference is made
~ the ie''er occurred about forty years ago D-
Harvey Burdel was wealthy out eccentric dem
'i7t VINO at that time occupied fine house at No
u bond-st.. which then was one OF the bes. resi-
dence streets in the city. DR. Burdel rented apart
merits TO Mrs. Emma Augusta Cunningham who
man named John J. Eckel One day the woman
announced that she had married DR. BtIrdeu This
statement doubted
IN the midst OF Il severe storm on January ~
ro'; sh'Ieks OF MURDER rang through Bond-st..
ana the next morning the boy who %. ne TO ake
the fires found the dentists BODY which was
Irightiuny slashed and mutilated. The
been Inflicted on Or Burdel There were Signs of
a hard struggle. The marks of a cord around the
neck showed that stranguaton had been tried
inc town was all agog the mystery. At the
coroner inques medical experts testified that the
dagger strokes had been delivered by left handed
person Mrs. Cunningham was left-handed The
verdict charged her and Eckel with murder and
they were taken 10 the Tombs The house In Bond
81. was visited BY sightssers from all over the
United States. 1t was pointed out for years after
as the scene Of the great Burdell murder mystery
Eckel was discharged but Mrs. Cunningham
placed trial in General Sessions. and after three
namc Of Rurdell. By dover right she entitled
10 one-third OF the murdered mans property but
she tried 10 palm off an Feged infant heir in
effort get II all. This plan. however was frus-
trated by District-Attorney 4. Oakley Hail. and
the arrested. Later she got her liberty.
abandoned the bogus heir and moved TO California.
Eckei died in the Albany peritentiary whore he
had been incarcerated for completely in some whs-
key frauds in Brooklyn.