The history of the London Burkers: Containing a faithful and authentic account of the horrid acts of the noted Resurrectionists, Bishop, Williams, May, etc., etc., and their trial and condemnation at the Old Bailey for the wilful murder of Carlo Ferrari, with the criminals' confessions after trial. Including also the life, character, and behaviour of the atrocious Eliza Ross, the murderer of Mrs. Walsh, etc., etc.Anonymous
History
The history of the London Burkers: Containing a faithful and authentic account of the horrid acts of the noted Resurrectionists, Bishop, Williams, May, etc., etc., and their trial and condemnation at the Old Bailey for the wilful murder of Carlo Ferrari, with the criminals' confessions after trial. Including also the life, character, and behaviour of the atrocious Eliza Ross, the murderer of Mrs. Walsh, etc., etc.
Anonymous
Bishop, John, -1831; May, James, -1832; Ross, Eliza, 1793 or 1794-1832; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London; Williams, Thomas, -1831
Mr. RICHARD PARTRIDGE, of No. 8, Lancaster-place, Surgeon, sworn. I
am Demonstrator of Anatomy at the King's College. I know nothing of
the men now in custody; but on Saturday last, I saw two men, Bishop
and May, as I have since understood their names to be, at the College,
and I agreed to purchase of them the dead body of a youth aged about
fourteen years. The body of the deceased was brought to the College
that same afternoon, and in consequence of a message brought to me
by the witness Hill, I went and examined the body, and on a second
examination, the suspicious appearances which it presented struck me
forcibly. I then went to the secretary's office, and having strong
suspicions that all was not right, I procured some police-officers,
who in my presence apprehended May and Bishop, and the other two men
who were waiting outside. I delayed May and Bishop until the officers
arrived, by showing them a fifty-pound note, which I told them I wanted
the change of in order to pay them for the body.
The evidence of Mr. Beaman was here read over by the coroner, who
asked Mr. Partridge if he coincided with the testimony given by that
gentleman, with regard to the appearances of the body.
Mr. PARTRIDGE observed, that he perfectly agreed with all that Mr.
Beaman had said, with regard to the appearances described by him,
and considered that the cause of death had probably arisen from the
injuries described to have taken place at the back of the neck. Those
injuries might have occasioned death, certainly, but all the other
appearances, as described by Mr. Beaman, might have resulted from a
natural death.
THOMAS DAVIS examined.--I am porter at the dissecting-rooms, Guy's
Hospital. On Friday evening last, May and Bishop brought to the
hospital a sack, containing, as they said, a dead body, which they
offered to sell. I told them that it was not wanted, as the gentlemen
were already supplied. They then asked permission to leave it that
night in the hospital, which I allowed. The next morning (Saturday),
between, I think, eleven and twelve o'clock, I saw May and Bishop about
the hospital. I went out, and on my return found that the body had been
taken away, and that it had been removed at half-past twelve or one
o'clock. My assistant, James Wix, delivered the sack containing the
body to some persons, but to whom I cannot say.
By the CORONER.--I am persuaded that the body was never taken out of
the sack whilst in the hospital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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