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. MINSHULL then, addressing the prisoners, told them that they would
be remanded to that day week, when they would again be brought forward
for further examination. He deemed it right to apprise them that other
evidence would be produced against them, and said, if they wished to
say anything, he was willing to hear them.
The prisoners declined saying anything, and were removed from the bar
to the lock-up room at the back of the office, strongly guarded, and in
custody of Dodd, the jailer.
The wife of Bishop, and Rhoda Head, alias Williams, wife of the
prisoner Williams, were then brought forward, and remanded until the
following Tuesday. Mrs. Bishop had been the wife of Bishop's father by
a second marriage; so that his wife is also his mother-in-law. Rhoda
Williams alias Head is Bishop's sister.
When the prisoners left Bow-street in the prison van, they were
assailed by the groans of a large concourse of persons, who had been
waiting for several hours to see them.
On the evening of the same day that the prisoners had been examined
at Bow-street, an Italian, named Augustine Bruen, or Brin, the master
of the ill-fated boy, arrived in town from Birmingham, with the view
of identifying the body, for which purpose it was disinterred early
on Saturday morning, the 19th. Although it was, of course, difficult
to swear positively to a body which had undergone the operations of
the surgeons, and was partially decomposed, the master appeared to
entertain no doubt of its being the remains of the boy whom he had
brought from Sardinia, and whose name, he said, was Carlo Ferrair,
or Ferrari. He spoke positively to the colour of the hair and eyes,
and also as to the height of the body, which particulars corresponded
exactly with the description of the boy, who had left his service
about a year ago, and had since been wandering about town, exhibiting
his cage of white mice. The master having satisfied himself as to the
identity of the body, it was once more interred.
We understand that this Bruen, or Brin, is the master of a juvenile
crew of poor, ragged, half-starved little urchins, who are brought
to this country as matters of speculation; and the following curious
particulars connected with this tribe of travelling mendicants to which
Carlo Ferrari belonged, will, we have no doubt, prove interesting to
our readers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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