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. — John Shaqi
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
My name is Michael Shields. I live at No. 6, Eagle Street, Red Lion
Square. I am a porter; and on Saturday last, the 5th instant, about ten
o'clock in the morning, I was hired by Bishop, whom I met in Covent
Garden. Bishop said, he had a little job to do, to go over London
Bridge. I said I would go. I then went with him to a public-house,
right opposite Guy's Hospital, where he left me, and returned in about
an hour, in company with May and Williams. We then went together into
Guy's Hospital, and, after waiting there half an hour, I saw a man
in a flannel jacket; that man and Bishop had a hamper, directed to
---- Hill, Esq., King's College. They then put the hamper on my knot,
telling me to be careful not to fall down. I went off with the hamper
over London Bridge, accompanied by May, Bishop, and Williams. Had never
been to the King's College before. They went first, and I followed
into the College. The door was opened by a man, and they (Bishop,
May, and Williams) took the hamper from me, leaving me outside. About
three-quarters of an hour after this I was apprehended by the police,
previously to which Bishop, Williams, and May, were apprehended also.
CORONER.--Is that all you have to say?
PRISONER.-That is all, your honour; if I was to speak my last words
I did not know what the hamper contained. I sometimes assist the
grave-digger of St. Giles's parish in digging graves, whenever he is
overrun.
CORONER.--How long have you known Bishop?
PRISONER.--About eight or nine months, I should think. I don't know,
in particular, how he got his livelihood. I don't know as he dealt in
dead bodies before now; I was never employed 'in this way' by Bishop
before. I was to be paid half-a-crown for this job. I can swear that
May and Williams never employed me to carry dead bodies. I can't say
that I never worked for a resurrectionist before. I had no reason to
suspect, prior to this event, that Bishop, May, and Williams were
resurrectionists. I do not know where they lived. It was on London
Bridge that I met Williams, who had an empty hamper, which I took from
him, and carried it to Guy's Hospital, and some person there took it
from me and brought it in, and I then went to the public-house. I have
carried hampers and boxes before to hospitals and dissecting-rooms.
Mr. CORDER.--Were you at the Fortune of War public-house on Friday last?
PRISONER.--I might have been.
Mr. CORDER.--Did you not see Bishop and May there?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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