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
JAMES WEEKS, examined.--I am assistant to Mr. Davis, porter at the
dissecting-room, Guy's Hospital. I know May and Bishop; and on Friday
the 4th instant, about five minutes past seven, I went to the hospital
and saw them there. They left a sack at the hospital, containing
something, and I saw projecting through a hole in the sack a portion
of a knee of a human being. I heard May say to Mr. Davis, 'The fact
is, the subject don't belong to me, but to Bishop.' Mr. Davis on
this request allowed them to leave the sack with its contents in
the hospital. They then went away, and came to the hospital the next
morning about one o'clock, with two other persons, and I delivered
the sack, with its contents to May and Bishop. The sack was locked up
in a room the whole of the night, and it was delivered just as it was
received the night before. The body could not have been changed. I do
not think the subject was a full-grown person. The parties brought a
hamper with them, into which they put the sack.
JAMES APPLETON, of No. 4, St. George's-road, near New Kent-road,
procurator to Mr. Grainger, Surgeon, sworn.--On Friday evening, about
half-past seven, May and Bishop came to Mr. Grainger's Theatre of
Anatomy, Webb-street, Southwark, where I was, and they asked if I
wanted a subject. I inquired the age and sex, and the reply was, a boy
about fourteen years old. I declined to purchase it. They told me it
was a very fresh subject. They then went away, and came again to me at
the theatre next morning (Saturday) about eleven o'clock, and inquired
again if I would purchase the body, but I again declined it.
Mr. THOMAS here produced a letter, in which it was stated that Mr.
Appleton had declared to a postman, that the body was warm when offered
for sale to him, and that he declined the purchase for that reason.
The CORONER asked if the fact were so?
The witness declared he never saw the body, and positively declared
that he never spoke a word to a postman on the subject.
Mr. CRIBB, the foreman of the jury, asked the witness whether he had
any particular reason for declining to purchase the body.
The witness replied that he had no other reason than that of not
wanting it, as the theatre was already supplied.
A JUROR.--What was your motive for asking the sex of the subject?
WITNESS.--Because many of the pupils prefer a male to a female subject.
After a long desultory conversation as to whether the inquiry should
proceed further,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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