The Washington times., 1901-12-01
WOMEN DEFENDANTS
In MURDER TRIALS
Their Chances for Acquittal Are
Generally Good.
REVIEW OF FAMOUS CASES
In Long List of Trials in Which
women Were Accused of Murder,
Most of the Verdicts Were "Not
= Guilty.


Guilty.
In the cases Of women tried for murder
in this country the verdict appears. al
most invariably. to have been not
guilty" The accused seem to have dis
played their fascinations in the court
room to remarkable advantage, and an in
stance is on record in this DistrrU5 in
which the leading counsel for defence be-
came so enamOred of his fair client that,
after her acguittal. he married her. Sew
eral cases in point, emphasizing the ef-
fcacy of feminine charms against the
dreadful contingency of the gallOws. may
be cited and are all doubtless well re-
membered by the mature generation.
The BurdelI murder case created i'm
mense excitement in the year 1891, not
only in New York, where the crime was
committed. but throughout the country
DR.. Harvey BurdelI, a weIl-known dem
tist-a man of fine personal appearance
and about forty-six years of age-was
found dead in his Office at 81 Bond Street,
New York city, on Saturday morning, jan
uary 81.
The discovery of the body Of DR.. Bur
dell was made by his errand boy, who,
on opening the door of the office, found
his employer lying on his face close TO
the door surrounded by a pool of blood.
The neck bore traces of strangulation,
while fften deeply incised wounds were
found on the body. made evidently by a
large dagger. The inmates OF the house
nc ire O.
ham, claiming to be the widow of the
murdered man; her two daughters, and
two sons; young man, visiting or board
ing at the house name Snodgrass; John
! Eckel, a boarGer, and Hon. Daniel u
mann, also a boarder.
The coToner's jury. after an investiga-
tion which lasted fourteen days, rendered
a verdict that Emma Augusta Cunning
ham and John J. EckeI were principals
in the commission of the murder. and
thai George Vail Snodgrass either as
sisted them or was accessory before the
fact.
What the Inquest Showed
Mrs. Cunningham produced. at the cor
oner's inquest, marriage certificate to
show that she had been married to the de-
ceased. A patient of the unfortunate den-
lists called to see him the Monday before
he had let his house to a lady and that
she was the most horrible woman he had
ever met. He told me-" said the wit
ness, that he suspected foul play and
that he did not like the way they were
prowling about lhe house at night, and
that he had lost papers, the keys of his
safe, and that nothing was private with
him. He seemed very mitch annoyed and
troubled. and said he would never make
he was not married; that he was further
from it than ever; he did NOS mention any
person particularly in the house. but said
they He said he suspected foul play,
but was prepared for them and that he
was on the alert.
He said. Thank heaven. will get rid
OF them all on the list Of May"
Il appeared on the testimony of several
Witnesses that Mrs Cunningham had
threatened to kill Dr. Burdell on divers
occasions. and that he had felt himself to
be in danger of his life. 1t would seem,
from an impartial sitting of the evidence,
that the cause of the continual quarrel
ing which was shown to have taken place
between the murdered man and Mrs Cum
nlnsham was his refusal to acknowledge
her as his wife. owing TO his disSatisfac-
ton at her conduct. A prevailing theory
at the time. however, to account for the
had got Eckel to disguise himself with
false whiskers. TO personate Dr.. BurdeH.
The officiating clergyman testified that he
had said at the time he believed the man
he married had on false whiskers. 1t ap-
peared from the testimony of the women
witnesses at the trial who had called on
DR.. BurGell that they had been met on
their way in or out and narrowly OBJ
served by Mrs. Cunningham. Expressions
81
among the accused occupants of the house.
as was elected from the testimony of
servants. One Of the latter on hearisg of
the death of DR.. BurdeII, exclaimed,
"They have butchered him"
Mrs. Cunningham's demeanor in court
was emotional. weeping frequently. The
evidence was purely circumsrantial and
the verdict WAS acQuittal.
The Wharton Trial.
The trial Of Mrs Wharton for the mur-
der of Gen. ". S. Ketchum, United States
Army, excited much interest in this city
where the victim was well known. Cen
eral Ketehum was a man somewhat past
the prime Of life, but strong. sound, and
vigorous to an unusual degree. Mrs.
Wharton was the widow of an army Off
Ger and was upward OF fifty years Of age.
The two were intimate friends. They
had had some money dealings together,
in which the general, who had led a frU-
gal life and amassed q modest compe-
tence. had lent sums amounting to s. 500
10 Mrs. Wharton. She was generally be-
lieyed to be poor, though boasting OF
property and expectations which the de-
fence did not even seek to establish upon
the trial, though the evidence would have
been plainly pertinent and important. II
WAS shown that she was preparing to go
to Europe. though here again, it was said,
she was short Of funds and unable to pro-
cure her letter OF credit.
On June p. 1871. General Ketchum left
Washington for Mrs Wharton's boarding
house, in Baltimore. to bid her farewell.
and also. as he stated. to collect the
amount Of her indebtedness to him of
$1,000 He was in good health when he
left Washington. and in the same con-
dition when he took up his abode In Mrs.
Wharton's house. Soon afterward he was
taken i'll. He rallied. but again relapsed
and on June Is he died. There was moth