1939-12-02 — Page 15

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 2, 1939

TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE

BURDELL

MURDER

MYSTERY

By VINCENT TOWNE Harvey Burdell was born on a farm near Herkimer, N.Y., in 1811. Turned adrift by his parents when just entering his teens, he became a typesetter on a country weekly. Then he wandered to New York City, where he studied dentistry. in the office of his brother, John. To com- plete his dental education. he also took a course in medicine.

He was a large, handsome man of powerful frame with expressive eyes and a fully dark beard. Quarreling with his brother, he set up practice for himself, acquiring many patients and grew very rich. After a few years, he became engaged to a rich young woman, who, in 1835, dismissed him because in a fit of anger he had struck her father. Thereupon the dentist Cries of murder uttered by the cook became engaged to the adopted caused the house to swarm with peo- towel. daughter of a wealthy New Yorker, ple. The coroner's but after appearing for the wedding dicted that the stab wounds had been investigation in- in the presence of the clergyman made by a left-handed person and, as and guests he flew into a passion be- Mrs. Cunningham was left-handed, she cause the father of his bride-elect | was arrested, as were Snodgrass and would not make a settlement ot Eckel. In the attic, they found a blood- $20,000 upon him. The result of the dispute was the bride's marrying the best man.

Stepping Out Into The Rain He Was Never Again Seen Alive.

Another woman figuring in Bur- dell's life was the widow of George C. Cunningham, who had died leav- ing her an insurance of $10,000. After she had spent this in extra- vagant living she became Burdell's housekeeper. She brought to his house two sons and two daughters, all under age. She held the premises under normal lease and Burdell ostensibly sublet from her the front parlor on the street floor also the front and rear bedrooms on the second floor.

The second story front chamber he used as an operating room and he slept in the rear bedroom. He kept one servant, a lad, who served as office boy and valet and who slept outside. Mrs. Cunningham kept two other lodgers-John J. Eckel, a manu- facturer, and George V. Snodgrass, the son of a clergyman. Dr. Burdell took his meals at a nearby hotel.

Friday, January 30, 1857, was dark and rainy. During the afternoon, Dr. Burdell received several patients un- til 5 o'clock, when he put on his long coat and hat, threw 'a heavy shawl about his shoulders and stepped out upon the front steps. Raising his um- brella, he descended to the pavement and started leisurely toward Broad- way.

That was the last scen of him alive. About 8 the next morning, the office boy, entering the operating room with a scuttle of coal, had difficulty in opening the door. Pushing against some object that obstructed it, he Jooked behind it and was terrified to find the body of Dr. Burdell, upon the floor. He was covered with blood from many wounds. He was fully dressed. There was blood everywhere on the floor, the walls, furniture, in the hall and upon the upper stairways. The .furniture was upset and there were evidences of a desperate struggle. The gas was still burning at full head.

Burdell's features were almost unTM recognisable. About the throat a great welt bore evidence that he had been strangled, and distributed over his body were 15 stab wounds, narrow and deep, as if made by a slender dagger. The position of the bloodstains upon the floor indicated that he had been seated in a chair by his instru- ment case when attacked, also that he had been assaulted very soon after entering the room. One murderer had apparently thrown about his neck the cord that had strangled him, while another had delivered the dagger thrusts.

The office boy ran to the dining room, where he found Mrs, Cunning- ham, her family and Snodgrass at breakfast. The housekeeper burst into tears when told of the murder and ran to the death chamber, followed by Snodgrass. Eckel, according to his daily custom, had breakfasted early and gone to his factory,

stained sheet, a man's nightshirt and There were bloodstains in upon the pages of a book of poems the bedroom of Snodgrass, and even found upon the piano in the parlour. In the fireplace of the murder cham- ber were evidences leather had been burned, the fire hav- that paper and

THREE SPARKLING

ACTS

ing been suddenly extinguished by water. The dentist's gold watch and pocketbook were found upon his body and none of his property was missing. Mrs, Cunningham was tried the first week in May. After three days she was acquitted and her alleged accom- plices were never brought to trial. The strangest chapter in the mystery was how to follow. Mrs. Cunningham put in a claim for the murdered dentist's estate stating that she was his widow and, when his heirs contested the claim more than 150 witnesses were called to substantiate her evidence that she had married to Burdell on October 28, 1856, by Dr. Marvine of the Dutch Reformed Church on Bleecker Street. But, according to the Burdell claimants, she had carried out the marriage with a man made up to personate Burdell. Mrs. Cunningham brought forward a child which she claimed to have been hers by the murdered man, but when confronted with evidence that it was. not hers, she confessed, and the prosecution was dropped. However, the murder my- stery was never cleared up.

Tragedy followed in its wake.

asylum and Eckel died in the Albany Burdell's brother died in an insane

Penitentiary, where he had been im- ningham, after surviving the tragedy prisoned for whisky frauds. Mrs. Cun- 30 years, died of a brain malady while living in poverty and under an as-

flat. sumed name in an obscure Harlem

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