Arizona republican., 1914-02-08
. U G7ze U Great Trials
 %
 History
THE TRIAL OF
 MRS. CUNNINGHAM

No trial of a woman for murder in the United States created more excitement all over the country than that of Mrs. Cunningham for the murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell, a noted dentist of New York city. The murder occurred on the night of January 30, 1857, at the home of the dentist, on Bond street, at the time one of the Wealthiest and most fash icnable neighborhoods of the metro- polls.
 Dr. Burdell was found dead in his office the following morning by his errand boy The body, when discov cred, was lying on the floor, shock ingly mutilated and surrounded with clots of blood, and the door and walls of the room were also be- smeared with blood.
 The inmates of the house where the office was located being alarmed, Dr. John w. Francis, resident ill the immediate neighborhood, was called in to make an investigation. He found a large number of deep wounds almost any of which would cause death.
 The excitement was intense. Shortly it was learned that Doctor Burdelrs landlady, Mrs Cunning ham, sustained intimate relations with him and that she claimed to have been secretly married to him. Also that she was strong minded and unscrupulOus enough to engage in aE intrigue against his fortune, if not his person, and that though the house was respectable and aristo cratic externally, within there were continual bickerings, hostilities, jeal- ousies and schemes
 Though Doctor Burdell owned the touse. he only occupied the office the other part being occupied by Mrs. Cunningham and her children together with a few boarders and lodgers.
 Almost immediately suspicion fas- tened upon inmates of the house. It was shown at the trial that the doc tor had feared the Cunninghams and desired to get them out of his house; in fact had given them notice to quit. and had leased the house to an- other party. Finally d loaded re- volver and a safe-key were found in Mrs. Cunningham's possession which belonged to Dr. Burdell.
 This latter evidence was sufficient to commit Mrs. Cunningham to pri- son, as well as two of her boarders. Messrs. Eckel and Snodgrass. The trial created an intense excitement. Several witnesses testified to the great appl ehension for his personal safety expressed by Dr. Burdell shortly before his death. On the day previous to the murder Dr. Burdell | remarked to Ms. Stevens, a friend regarding Mrs. Cunningham: she l thinks I am an old bachelor worth about one hundred thousand dollars and do not know what l want my self. She is determined I shall marry her, and I am determined I shall not; out of the house she shall go." l At the trial the most important witness for the prosecution was Dr. l Uhl. He said that the wounds were inflicted by a tall person having a
 
 1 knowledge. That it was undoubtedly some one in the house from the way the blood marks were traced through the halls. There was considerable testimony elicited bearing upon the impression that the wounds were dealt by d left-handed person, and that Mrs Cunningham was left | ft-handed
 It was also brought in evidence that the doctor had accused Mrs Cunningham of having stolen some timportant papers. Mary Donahue. a domestic in the house. testified that Mrs Cunningham had keys with
 which she could go into the doctors room at any time. and that Mrs
 Cunningham told her that she had g
 halter about his neck and could fiA
 him at any time when he was cross chain of circumstantial evidence i'm plicating Mrs. Cunningham, she was acquitted by the jury for want oi
 legal proof. Nothing more would
 have come of the case no doubt, had she not tried to secure the estate oi Dr. Burdell, claiming to have beer married to him. In order to faster still further her right to the money she entered into conspiracy through a doctor as an accomplce of having a child born to her, the father of which she claimed was pr | Burdell. but the doctor had secured a baby to aid in the deception at a foundling hospital
 But the law was too slick for the widow, for detectives had followed Il every step of her way in this later crime, and breaking into her apart ments where she was in bed with the infant, they took the child away from her and returned it to its mother. a lyingin patient at Bellevue hospital. Dr. Catlin turned states Il evidence, and Mrs. Cunningham es- capped the penalty attached to sc II fragrant 6 crime. because of the ir- regular proceedings which had beer !, resorted to by the officers of the law in enabling her to consummate her ] plans. She failed. however. to es- tablish her claim to having beer married to Dr. Burdell, and thus the whole amazing and abhorrent scheme by which she was to obtain posses sion of the doctors property. ut 'l tunate in escaping with her life.