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diff --git a/old/64773-0.txt b/old/64773-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0529fb4..0000000 --- a/old/64773-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12008 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The history of the London Burkers, by -Anonymous - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: 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 - -Author: Anonymous - -Release Date: March 10, 2021 [eBook #64773] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Brian Coe, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF THE LONDON -BURKERS *** - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber's note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -[Illustration: _John Bishop_ _Thomas Head alias Williams_ _James May_] - - - - -THE HISTORY - -OF THE - -LONDON BURKERS; - -CONTAINING A - -FAITHFUL AND AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT - -OF THE - -Horrid Acts of the Noted Resurrectionists, - -BISHOP, WILLIAMS, MAY, - -_&c._, _&c._ - -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, - -_&c._, _&c._ - - -_Embellished with appropriate Engravings._ - - -LONDON: -PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS. -SOLD BY T. KELLY, 17, PATERNOSTER ROW, -_And all Booksellers in the British Empire_. - -1832. - - - - -LONDON: -PRINTED BY W. CLOWES, -Stamford Street. - - - - -_Directions to the Binder._ - - Page -Portraits of Bishop, Williams, and May, to face Title - -Bishop, &c. at Entrance of King's College 41 - -Carlo Ferrari 135 - -Bishop's Cottage 157 - -Eliza Ross 279 - -Elevation of Ross's House 291 - - - - -NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS - -PUBLISHED BY - -THOMAS KELLY, PATERNOSTER-ROW, - -_And sold by all Booksellers in the United Kingdom_. - - -THE BRIGHTON MURDER. - - An Authentic and Faithful History of the ATROCIOUS MURDER of - CELIA HOLLOWAY, with an accurate account of all the Mysterious - and Extraordinary Circumstances which led to the discovery of - her Mangled Body in the Copse, in the Lover's Walk, at Preston, - near Brighton; comprising other highly important particulars - relating to that Horrible Act, which have never yet been made - public; including also the TRIAL for the MURDER, and the - Extraordinary Confession of JOHN WILLIAM HOLLOWAY; together with - his LIFE, written by HIMSELF, and published by his own desire, - for the benefit of Young People. Also, the History and Trial of - ANN KENNETT, &c. The whole arranged from Authentic Documents, - and information supplied by the Family of Holloway, and other - individuals concerned in the Discovery of the Murder. Accompanied - by Portraits from Life, and Views, taken on the Spot, of the - local scenery connected with the Murder, drawn by Mr. PAREZ, and - engraved expressly to illustrate this Work. - -Published in Four Parts, at 2_s._, or Sixteen Numbers, at 6_d._ each. - - -THE POLSTEAD MURDER. - - An Authentic and Faithful History of the MYSTERIOUS MURDER of - MARIA MARTEN, with a Full Development of all the Extraordinary - Circumstances which led to the Discovery of her Body in the - RED BARN; including many very Interesting Particulars of the - village of Polstead and its neighbourhood, never before printed. - Together with the TRIAL AT LARGE of WILLIAM CORDER for the - MURDER; specially taken in short-hand by the Author of this - History, exclusively for the present Work; the whole being the - result of laborious personal inquiry and investigation, aided - by the Communications of the Family of MARIA MARTEN, and many - of the respectable inhabitants of Polstead and its vicinity. - Illustrated by Portraits drawn from Life, and other highly - interesting copperplate engravings of Plans, Views, &c. Published - in Twenty-four Numbers, price Sixpence each, and in Six Parts at - Two Shillings. - - -THURTELL, HUNT, AND PROBERT. - - An Authentic and Faithful History of the MURDER of W. WEARE, - with a Full Disclosure of all the Extraordinary Circumstances - connected therewith; the TRIAL at LARGE of the prisoners, taken - in short-hand by a Gentleman specially retained for this Edition. - To which is added, the GAMBLER'S SCOURGE; or, a Complete Exposé - of the whole system of Gambling in the Metropolis. Illustrated - by Portraits drawn from life, and other highly interesting - copperplate engravings of Plans, Views, &c. - -Published in Twenty-two Numbers, price Sixpence each. - - - The NEWGATE CALENDAR IMPROVED; being Interesting Memoirs of the - most Notorious Characters, who have been convicted of offences - against the laws of England during the Eighteenth Century; - and continued to the present time, chronologically arranged; - comprising Traitors, Murderers, Incendiaries, Ravishers, Pirates, - Mutineers, Coiners, Highwaymen, Footpads, House-breakers, - Rioters, Extortioners, Sharpers, Forgers, Pickpockets, - Fraudulent Bankrupts, Money-droppers, Impostors, and Thieves - of every description; and containing a number of interesting - cases never before published. With Occasional Remarks on Crimes - and Punishments; Original Anecdotes; Moral Reflections and - Observations on particular cases; Explanations of the Criminal - Laws; the Speeches, Confessions, and last Exclamations of - Sufferers. To which is added, a Correct Account of the various - Modes of Punishment of Criminals in different parts of the World. - By GEORGE THEODORE WILKINSON, Esq. - -To be completed in about One Hundred and Fifty Numbers, price Sixpence -each, and embellished with numerous curious and appropriate Engravings. - - - GALLOWAY AND HEBERT'S History and Progress of the STEAM-ENGINE; - with a practical investigation of its Structure and Application; - containing also Minute Descriptions of all the various Improved - Boilers; the constituent parts of Steam-Engines; the Machinery - used in Steam Navigation; the New Plans for Steam Carriages; - and a variety of Engines for the application of other Motive - Powers; with an Experimental Dissertation on the Nature and - Properties of Steam, and other Elastic Vapours; the strength and - weight of materials, &c., &c. Illustrated by upwards of Three - Hundred Engravings. Published in Nine Parts, at Two Shillings, or - Thirty-six Numbers, at Sixpence each. - - - - -HISTORY - -OF THE - -NOTED RESURRECTIONISTS, - -BISHOP, WILLIAMS, MAY, - -_&c._ _&c._ - - -Whatever may be said of the great advantages arising to the community -at large from the march of intellect, which has almost become a -bye-word for derision, it cannot be disputed that daily experience -teaches us, that in regard to the atrocity of crime, in its most -appalling nature, instances have of late occurred of the most -unexampled extent and magnitude, and which cover us with confusion -and dismay. It would appear, in fact, that with the growth of the -illumination of the mind, the degeneracy of the heart has increased, -and that fresh sources of guilt have opened themselves, in proportion -as the endeavours of the schoolmaster have been directed to their -extinction. It is true, indeed, that murder is a crime which has -been committed in all ages, and in all countries. It was, in fact, -the first crime by which the human race exhibited their natural -depravity. But the idea of reducing murder to a system was reserved -as the distinguishing feature of the present century; indeed, blots -more deep and foul appear to be attached to this era, than to any -that have preceded it; and although we may boast, with some degree of -justice, that in some instances it has its brighter spots, yet it is -nevertheless a truth too melancholy to be questioned, that it has also -its darker shades and its more appalling obscurations. - -It is a trite axiom in politics, that private benefit must yield -to public good; but it is not therefore a natural corollary, that -private feelings are to be outraged, and the entire happiness of the -social circle to be destroyed by the desperate acts of a gang of -miscreants, who make a trade of human life, and murder the defenceless -and unprotected, on the mere ground that it is contributary and -indispensable to the interests and advancement of a particular -science. Weak and imbecile must that government be, which, with the -knowledge of the laws and customs of other countries in regard to the -procuring of an adequate supply of human corpses for the purpose of -instruction to the anatomical student, conjoined with the advice and -experience of native talent, cannot devise some effectual measures -for the remedy of an evil, which has of late years grown to such an -alarming magnitude, as actually to alter the relations of society, and -to establish a system of terror, at once inconsistent with individual -happiness. The meritorious endeavours of Mr. Warburton during the last -session of parliament were directed to this subject; but, with a most -contradictory spirit of opposition, it was urged that the feelings -of the inmates of a work-house, having no relations nor friends -belonging to them, and who, at their death, would be huddled into a -grave like so many dogs, were not to be harassed nor wounded; whilst, -at the same time, the sanctity of the grave was to be violated,--the -unprotected stranger in our land, perambulating our streets to earn his -sorry pittance,--the wretched prostitute, discarded from her parents' -house,--and, finally, the helpless decrepitude of age, were to be -sacrificed by the inhuman butchery of the systematic murderers; and -the legislature of the most enlightened nation of the earth (that is, -which is boasted to be such) was to look dispassionately on, and wink -at the enormity of the crime, on the plea that the interests of science -demanded it. The detection of the atrocities of Burke, confessing, as -he did, to nineteen murders, ought to have been sufficient to arouse -the vigilance of an enlightened legislature to the enactment of those -laws which would have put an effectual stop to a repetition of such -a horrid system of murder, and have rescued the country from the -_onus_ of that disgrace which now lies so heavily upon it. On this -point, however, the supineness of the government has been culpable in -the highest degree; for to question its knowledge of the existence -of the evil, were to suppose that it possesses no information of the -dangerous acts of certain individuals, or that it was utterly bereft -of the means of detecting them, and of bringing them to justice for -the enormity of their crimes. We do not hesitate to declare that an -organised system of murder has been and is still carrying on in the -metropolis, which makes humanity shudder, which cannot be paralleled -in any other civilized country of the globe, and which, unless the -legislature will rouse itself, and inflict _the same punishment upon -the receiver of the stolen property_ as upon the thief, will, in a -short time, go to undermine all the happiness of social life. It has -always appeared to us a strange anomaly in the distribution of the laws -of this country, why the purchaser or receiver of a dead body, which, -from its very nature and character, must be stolen property, should not -be subject to the same punishment as the individual who purchases a -stolen handkerchief or a watch. It is possible, and very probable, that -the purchaser of the latter articles does not know that it is stolen -property; but if a resurrectionist presents himself at the door of the -King's College, or any of the private dissecting rooms, bearing on his -head a hamper containing the corpse of a human being, the purchaser -then knows that the subject must be either murdered or stolen. If, -then, according to the spirit of the laws of England, the receiver -is equally guilty with the thief, where is the law that exempts the -receiver of a stolen body from the full penalty of its infliction? We -acknowledge that a difficulty may be here started, that it would not, -perhaps, be practicable to establish a right of property in a corpse, -and that, of course, it would not be possible for any individual to -prosecute for the felony. But if such difficulty does actually exist, -and we speak advisedly upon the subject, the legislature has it in -its power to obviate it altogether by making the mortal contents of -our cemeteries the property of the crown. Any person, therefore, -abstracting any part of that property might be indictable for felony, -and the receiver or purchaser of such property prosecuted as an -accessory. The anatomical student will then undoubtedly exclaim against -the government, and accuse it of having closed up the sources by which -he is to perfect himself in the knowledge of the science. It will then -become the aim of the legislature to discover other sources, which may -yield to the student the necessary materials for his tuition, without -inflicting so severe and incurable a wound upon the tenderest feelings -of our nature, and giving support and encouragement to the horrid crime -of murder. - -It is to the foreign travellers in this country that we are principally -indebted for a true and impartial history of our public and domestic -polity. The proverbial partiality of an Englishman to his own -country naturally renders him blind to its defects; but what must -be the opinion of a foreigner of the civilization of this country, -when he is informed that there are regularly established houses in -this metropolis[1], sanctioned by a licence from the magistrates as -public-houses, which are known as houses of call for the different -gangs of resurrectionists, and where, if a human corpse be wanted -by any of the colleges, hospitals, or private dissecting rooms, an -application is sure to meet with success. The offer of a good price is -held out--the chance is not to be lost--success is dubious, and perhaps -hopeless, by the regular process of exhumation; and then the first -wandering outcast, who appears to have nothing in the world nor on the -world belonging to him, is decoyed away to some obscure habitation, -where, as in the cases of Bishop and Williams, the darkness of night is -expected to cover the horrid crime of murder. - -Melancholy, however, and deplorable is the truth, that there is a -set of earthly fiends, bearing the human shape of women, who are -the secret panders of the resurrectionists, and who, for a trifling -share of the booty, will co-operate with them in their murderous -practices. We allude to the female keepers of the low brothels in -the different parts of the town, and especially in the immediate -neighbourhood of Wentworth Street, Spitalfields, the resort of the -lowest class of prostitutes, where, if one of them be suddenly missed -from her accustomed haunts, it is but the gossip of the moment; and, -in certain cases, it is apparently so satisfactorily accounted for, -that no further inquiry is deemed necessary; the practice adopted -by the female wretch is generally upon the following plan:--Having -selected her victim from the wretched horde, who appears to be the -most destitute, or who will not tell that she has, or who, in reality, -perhaps, has not any relations in the world, the information is given -to the resurrectionist, who, under pretence of purchasing her favours, -entices her away to some obscure place, where the work of murder is -accomplished. She is missed by her companions, and the keeper of the -brothel is questioned as to her knowledge of what has become of her. -Ah! replies the wretch, it is a very bad business--she robbed a sailor -of two sovereigns, and hearing that the police-officers were after her, -she has thought it best for her to go out of the neighbourhood. It -appears to all the inquirers that it is a very likely case, that the -theft was committed; and it is equally natural that she should run away -after it. The unfortunate creature is never seen again, and, in a very -short time, it is forgotten that such a being existed upon the earth. - -In the progress of this work we shall be able to expose many -circumstances connected with this horrid traffic in human flesh, at -which the human heart revolts, and which are of so hideous a character, -that, were not our authority incontestable, we should treat them as -fictions almost impossible to be realized in actual life; but when we -state, that we know of the existence of human shambles, where the leg, -or the arm, or the head of a human being, can be purchased with the -same facility as a leg of mutton or a sirloin of beef, we may then -with shame ask ourselves the question--Can this be England--the most -enlightened, the most civilized country of the globe? We wish to speak -with respect of the established authorities of the land, and we will -continue to do so, as long as those authorities act with a due regard -to the interests of the people, and to the preservation of general -and individual happiness; but when we see such alarming evils carried -on under the immediate observation, and, we will go further and say, -with the knowledge and tacit concurrence of an efficient and powerful -magistracy, we consider that we are only performing a part of that duty -which we owe to our country, to excite the legislature, by all the -means in our power, and all the information we possess, to a serious -and solemn investigation of the whole case, and, by the enactment of -some strong and penal laws, bring down the merited degree of punishment -on the heads of the offenders, and thereby rescue the country from the -odium and the disgrace which are at present attached to it. - -With this preliminary matter, we shall enter upon the immediate subject -of our history, reserving to ourselves the privilege of interposing our -own comments on those particular parts of it, which appear to us as -possessing the greatest interest and importance. - -It was on Saturday night, the 5th of November, that four men were -brought in custody to Bow Street Office, guarded by a strong body of -police, charged upon suspicion with the murder of a boy, whose name was -unknown. From the appearance of the body of the deceased, and from the -fact that two of the prisoners were well known resurrectionists, the -rumour almost instantly spread, that the unfortunate boy was burked by -the prisoners; and the crowds which surrounded the office, and pressed -forward to hear the examination, were far greater than were ever -remembered on any former occasion. Several gentlemen belonging to the -King's College were present. - -As soon as the sitting magistrate, Mr. Minshull, had taken his place, -the prisoners were placed at the bar, and answered to their names as -follows:--JAMES MAY, MICHAEL SHIELDS, THOMAS WILLIAMS, and JOHN BISHOP. - -Mr. THOMAS, the Superintendent of the Police, then came forward, and -having been sworn, said, that he charged the prisoners at the bar with -the suspicion of having been concerned in the murder of a boy, aged -about fourteen years, whose name he was unable to state. It was not -in his power, at that time, to offer any direct evidence against the -prisoners, but a gentleman, connected with the surgical department -of the King's College, to whom the body had been offered for sale, -was then present, and would state the circumstances which caused his -suspicions, and induced him to cause the apprehension of the prisoners. - -Mr. RICHARD PARTRIDGE, of Lancaster Place, was then sworn, and stated, -that he was demonstrator of anatomy at the King's College, and had seen -the body in question, which the prisoners had brought that day to the -College. The body was that of a boy, apparently about fourteen years -of age; and from the suspicious appearances which it presented, he was -induced to believe that death had been produced by violence. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Be good enough to state upon what grounds you came to -that resolution. - -Mr. PARTRIDGE.--The body appeared to me to be unusually fresh, much -more so than bodies generally are, that are used for dissection; the -face was much discoloured, and blood appeared to have been forced -through the lips and eyes; the upper part of the breast-bone had the -appearance as if it had been driven in, and there was a wound on the -left temple, about an inch in length. The teeth were all extracted, and -blood was flowing from the mouth. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Had the body, in your opinion, ever been buried? - -Mr. PARTRIDGE.--I should say not; and I judge so from the rigidity of -the limbs and muscles. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--From all that you have observed, can you undertake to -say, that the several marks of violence on the body, or any one injury -in particular, occasioned death? - -Mr. PARTRIDGE.--I have not as yet sufficiently examined the body, and -am, therefore, not prepared to answer that question. The pressure on -the breast-bone might have occasioned death, but I cannot, at present, -say that it did, as I do not know the extent of the injury. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Do I understand you to mean, that, to the best of your -belief, the body of the deceased had never been buried, and that, as -far as you have as yet been able to form a judgment, the boy did not -die a natural death? - -Mr. PARTRIDGE replied, that such was his present opinion. - -Mr. THOMAS here observed, that a medical gentleman, of the name of -Edwards, who had seen the body, stated his belief that death had taken -place within the last twelve hours. That gentleman was not present, but -he (Mr. Thomas) could send for him. - -Mr. MINSHULL said, that he would probably require his attendance, -but it was not necessary at present. The magistrate then asked what -evidence there was to connect the prisoners with the possession of the -body. - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that the person was present who received the body -when it was brought to the College. - -A person named HILL then came forward, and having been sworn, said, -that he held the situation of porter to the dissecting room at the -King's College. Between two and three o'clock that day (Nov. 5) the -body was brought to the dissecting room, by the four men at the bar; -the prisoner Shields carried the body in a hamper on his head, and he, -witness, observed to him, that he had not seen him lately. Shields then -placed the hamper on the floor, and the prisoners, Bishop and May, -assisted in unpacking it, and the body, which appeared to be that of a -boy between fourteen and sixteen years of age, was then taken out. - -We request particular attention to the evidence here given, as it is -our intention to offer some serious comments on it, when comparing -it with the evidence given during the trial. We were in court during -the whole of it, and although the murderer is generally convicted on -circumstantial evidence, yet, if the confessions of the criminals are -to be relied on, which they voluntarily gave after their condemnation; -perhaps, in no case of murder which ever came before a tribunal of this -country, was a more erroneous evidence given as to the causes which -were supposed to lead to the death of the murdered boy. It would be -premature in this early stage of the business, to make any comment on -the high eulogium which the Duke of Sussex was pleased to pass, on the -manner in which the prosecution was conducted, and the consequent pride -which inflated his breast, at the thought that he was a prince of the -country in which such consummate ability was displayed--if his Royal -Highness had been most graciously pleased to add, that he was ashamed -of being the prince of a country, in which such horrid crimes could be -committed, so as to render such a prosecution necessary, we should have -considered it as far more becoming his character, and smacking less -of that fulsome panegyrical flummery, which the great are apt to use -towards the great, in order to make themselves appear still greater in -their own eyes than they really are. - -We return to the examination. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Did anything particular strike you on seeing the body? - -HILL.--Yes; I thought it looked unusually fresh, and I asked May what -it had died of? He replied, that he neither knew nor cared, that it was -no business of his, or words to that effect. I then made an observation -respecting the cut which I saw upon the forehead, and Bishop accounted -for it by saying that it was done in getting the body out of the hamper. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Was there anything on the floor when the body was taken -from the hamper, which could have caused such a wound? - -HILL.--Certainly not. - -Mr. THOMAS here observed, that the cut on the forehead had all the -appearance of having been recently inflicted. The blood flowed from it -in streams. - -The prisoner MAY here said, Did not that blood proceed from the mouth, -and was it not caused by the teeth having been drawn out? - -The witness, HILL, replied, that it certainly might be so. - -MAY.--Oh it might, might it! - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the witness if he perceived any blood flow from the -wound on the forehead. - -HILL replied in the affirmative, but said, that the greater flow of -blood was from the mouth. It streamed from thence on the breast. He -then resumed his statement, and said, that on perceiving the state in -which the body appeared, he observed to the prisoners, that he did not -like the appearance of the subject. It was too fresh. The prisoners did -not appear to pay any attention to this, and May, pointing to the body, -said, Is it not a fresh one? He, (witness,) replied, yes; and then the -prisoners asked him for the money. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Do you mean the price which they were to receive for the -body? - -HILL.--Yes; but I wished to see Mr. Partridge before I should pay them, -and I told the prisoners to come outside, as I could not pay them -there. The witness then went on to say, that he went to Mr. Partridge, -who on seeing the body, said he did not like to have anything to do -with it; that it was too fresh, and had a very suspicious appearance; -and he told witness to tell the prisoners to wait until change of a -note was procured, which was done for the purpose of keeping them where -they were until the police should arrive. - -Mr. MINSHULL asked what sum had been agreed upon for the purchase of -the body? - -The witness said, that the men came to the dissecting-room in the -morning, between eleven and twelve o'clock, saying, that they had a -subject to sell, and to know if one was wanted. Witness communicated -the offer to Mr. Partridge, who came into the room where the prisoners -were. They then told him they had a subject to sell, and described it, -saying that the price was twelve guineas. Mr. Partridge replied, that -he did not particularly want a subject then, and soon after he left -the room; but instructed him (the witness) to offer the prisoners nine -guineas for the body. The prisoners consented to take that sum, and -said, they would go and fetch the body. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Was no inquiry made as to how the prisoners became -possessed of the body, particularly after they had described it as -being so fresh? - -HILL.--I did not ask that question--we are not in the habit of doing so. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Was it by direction of the persons in the College under -whom you act, that the prisoners were taken into custody? - -HILL.--Certainly; Mr. Partridge, and the gentlemen who belong to his -class, agreed, that the appearance of the body was so suspicious, that -information should be given to the police. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--In so doing they acted very properly. - -The magistrate then asked whether the prisoners had in any way -accounted for the possession of the body. - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that the prisoner Bishop told him he got the body -at Guy's Hospital, and employed the prisoner Shields to carry it from -thence to the King's College. As this declaration on the part of Bishop -appeared to be very important, he (Mr. Thomas) sent a message to Guy's -Hospital, to request to know whether a boy answering the description -of the deceased, had died there lately. He received for answer, a -slip of paper stating that, since the 28th ultimo, three persons had -died there; that one was a woman, and the other two were males, aged -thirty-three and thirty-seven, so that the statement of Bishop as to -where he obtained the body could not be true. - -Mr. MINSHULL asked if any person had been to claim the body? - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that a gentleman was present, whose son, a boy, -aged fourteen, was missing since Tuesday; he had been to see the body, -but found it was not his son. - -Mr. HART, a respectable tradesman, residing at No. 356, Oxford-street, -then came forward, evidently in great distress of mind, and in answer -to questions by the magistrate, said, that his boy left home in the -afternoon of Tuesday last, and was never seen since, although he had -been advertised in the newspapers, and every possible means had been -used for his recovery. The poor man wept bitterly, while he deplored -his loss, and seemed to think that his son had been made away with by -some abominable means, and disposed of to the surgeons; a circumstance -which he considered not at all unlikely, from the facility with which -bodies appeared to be disposed of at dissecting-rooms, as proved by the -evidence of the witness Hill. - -Mr. MINSHULL, addressing the prisoners, told them that he was ready -to hear anything which they wished to state, but at the same time he -felt it his duty to caution them as to what they should say, because it -would be taken down in writing by the clerk, and, whether favourable -or otherwise, it would be produced as evidence at their trial, if he -should decide to commit them. - -The prisoner BISHOP said, that he had nothing to add to what he had -already stated. He got the body at Guy's Hospital, and employed Shields -to convey it to the King's College. - -WILLIAMS and SHIELDS declared their innocence, and the latter said, -that he merely acted in the matter, as porter to Bishop. - -The prisoner MAY, who was dressed in a countryman's frock, and who -appeared perfectly careless during the examination, in answer to the -question, if he wished to say anything, replied, that he knew nothing -at all about the matter, and said that he merely came to the College -to get some money that was due to him. It was not my subject, he added, -and I know nothing about it. - -Here two or three constables, who were in the body of the office, -exclaimed, that they knew May to be a noted resurrectionist; and one of -them said, he had him in custody at Worship-street Office for stealing -a dead body. - -The prisoner turned furiously round to the quarter from which the voice -proceeded, and dared the constable to produce his proof. - -Mr. THOMAS said that May's left hand was tied up, and it might be of -importance to know whether it was owing to a cut. - -Mr. MINSHULL requested Mr. Partridge to examine the wound; and having -done so, he said that the top of the fore-finger of the left hand was -slightly injured, either from a cut or a bite. It had been poulticed, -and the wound might have been inflicted two or three days ago. - -Mr. MINSHULL said that he should remand the prisoners until the -following Tuesday, and in the mean time, he requested Mr. Partridge and -some other professional gentlemen would closely examine the body of the -deceased, so as to be enabled to come to a positive conclusion as to -the cause of his death. He then directed that the prisoners should be -confined in separate cells, and that no communication should be allowed -to take place between them. - -Mr. THOMAS said that it would be necessary to watch them very closely, -as they were all desperate characters, and made a violent resistance -before they were secured. - -The prisoners were then removed to the cells at the back of the office; -and as they passed from the bar, they were groaned and hissed at by -some persons in the office. - -Mr. BERCONI, an Italian image-maker, residing in Great Russell Street, -came to the office just as the prisoners were removed, and said he -had seen the body of the boy, and from what he could judge of its -appearance, he was induced to believe that the deceased was a Genoese -by birth, and had obtained his livelihood by selling images in the -streets. - -The sequel will show, that in this opinion Mr. Berconi was decidedly -in an error; but it is very probable that this opinion, expressed -by Mr. Berconi, led to the idea, that the deceased was one of those -itinerant Italians who perambulate our streets with their monkeys; and -as one of them had been lately missing, it was immediately concluded -that the deceased was the missing boy. It is not the least remarkable -part of this extraordinary business, that the body of the deceased -was never fully identified; on the contrary, Berin, the person who -brought the boy from his native country, when called upon to identify -the body as being that of CARLO FERRARI, unequivocally declared, that -he could not positively speak to the identity of it, on account of -the change which the countenance exhibited, arising from the violence -that had been used. Mrs. Paragalli, it is true, swore to the body, as -being that of the Italian boy, whose name she did not know, but whom -she remembered perambulating the streets with a tortoise and some -white mice. It will be proved in the sequel, from the confession of -the murderers themselves, that the deceased was not an Italian at all, -but a boy who had come from Lincolnshire with a drove of cattle; and -thus we have an instance, hitherto unexampled in the annals of our -criminal tribunals, of three persons being indicted for the murder of -a boy of the name of Carlo Ferrari, found guilty, and hanged for the -crime, when the fact subsequently transpires, that the murdered boy -was not Carlo Ferrari at all. We shall reserve any further comments -on this most extraordinary affair, till we come to the confession of -the murderers, when, unless their veracity be impugned, and the facts -as stated by them altogether invalidated, we shall not hesitate to -express our opinion, that, although the criminals have richly deserved -the punishment which has been meted out to them, yet that they were -convicted upon circumstantial evidence only, and that such evidence was -in itself decidedly false. - -It was not, however, Mr. Berconi himself who identified the body; but -in the course of the following day (Sunday), several applications were -made at the station-house to see the unfortunate boy, and then it was -that two or three persons recognised him as the poor little fellow who -used to go about the streets, hugging a live tortoise, and soliciting, -with a smiling countenance, in broken English and Italian, a few -coppers for the use of himself and his dumb friend. - -Here then lies the origin of the mistake of the identity of the body; -but it excites our surprise in no small degree, that any individuals -should take upon themselves to identify a body, the features of which -were wholly disfigured by a violent death, which features were only -known to them, by a passing glance at the individual when alive, as an -itinerant beggar upon the streets, and the impression of which might be -wholly effaced from their memory a few minutes afterwards. There have -been instances in which the countenance has been so altered, even by a -natural death, as not to be identified by those who have been the daily -associates of the individual whilst in life--how much more liable then -to doubt and suspicion must the identity of a body be, which has come -to its death by violent means, and the acquaintance with which during -life was nothing more than the casual passing glance in the public -streets! The manifest error into which those persons fell, cannot -fail to operate as a salutary warning to others, not to express their -opinion so dogmatically and decisively, unless the fullest conviction -is impressed on their minds of the truth of their depositions. - -The deceased appeared to be about four feet six inches high, and had -light hair and grey eyes. The former itself is a very unusual feature -of an Italian boy. He had a scar on his left hand, and it was then -supposed that the teeth had been removed for the double purpose of -selling them to a dentist and preventing the identity of the body. -The appearance of the corpse was that of perfect health. The face -was covered with clotted blood, and the arms, back, and chest had -evidently been rubbed with clay to give the body the appearance of -its having been disinterred. The cut on the forehead, although small -in size, appeared to have been inflicted with some deadly instrument, -which had beaten in about half an inch of the temple, without, -however, fracturing any part of the bone. There were some black spots -on the left wrist, which appeared to have been occasioned by the -death grasp of a powerful hand. The breast-bone, as described by the -witnesses, appeared as if it had been forced in by violent pressure. -The countenance of the boy did not exhibit the least distortion, but, -on the contrary, it wore the repose of sleep, and the same open and -good humoured expression, which must have marked the features in life, -was still discernible. The eyes, however, were bloodshot, and there -was a suffusion on the countenance, which in some degree indicated -strangulation. It was intended to have proceeded immediately to -an examination by the surgeons, but this proceeding was obliged to -be suspended until the arrival of the coroner's warrant, which was -expected on Sunday night, the 26th. - -The sensation which the murder of the boy excited in the metropolis may -be said to be almost unprecedented; it was not regarded as one of those -murders which stain our criminal annals; but when the fact transpired, -that it had been committed by a gang of resurrectionists, the alarm -spread into the bosom of every family. The dreadful deeds of Burke and -his associates arose to the memory in all their appalling horrors, and -if a child or a husband was absent a longer time from home than usual, -the maternal fear immediately arose that the burkers had been at work. -Thus, as we have stated in a former page, Mr. Hart, of Oxford-street, -suspected that his son had been burked, but he was found drowned in the -Regent's Canal. The following circumstance will, however, sufficiently -show how much disposed the people were at this time to construe every -act, having the least grounds of suspicion attached to it, as having an -immediate reference to the acts of the burkers. - -In the _Times_ newspaper appeared a paragraph from Lambeth street -office, telling a mysterious story of a drunken man having been taken -from the middle of the street, and placed against the door of a house, -which was shortly after opened, and the drunken man dragged in, while, -in a short time afterwards, a cart was seen to drive up to the door, -into which a coffin was put, after which the cart drove off at a -furious rate. It was added, that the inhabitants of the house, although -respectable, were not known in the neighbourhood, and the tenor of the -article went to prove that it was a nest of body-snatchers. On the -Wednesday following, the case was fully explained at Lambeth street, -when Mr. Wyatt, the occupant of the house referred to, stated that -he had remained at home the last two or three days, being unwell, -and while sitting in his parlour had observed persons stop and walk -before the house; some made remarks on a hole in the wall, made to -allow some fowls which he kept to pass in and out of the cellar, and -others looked over the blinds into the room. All this he considered -very singular, but could not account for it, until a neighbour called, -and directed his attention to the statement which had appeared in the -papers. He then went out to inquire into the origin of the rumour; -and during his absence, on Tuesday evening, a mob collected round the -house, making the most discordant yells and noises, and calling out -'Burkers!' and 'Body-snatchers!' to the great terror of his aged mother -and sister, the only persons at home. He knew nothing of the drunken -man having been placed against his door; but with respect to the other -transaction, he explained, that the mother of Mr. Nutt had resided with -his mother, and died in the house last week. The cart was sent by Mr. -Nutt's undertaker to remove the body, she having expressed an earnest -wish to be buried in Bermondsey, where she lived formerly. Mr. Nutt, in -support of this explanation, produced a certificate of the burial of -his mother on the 16th of November, signed by the Rev. J. E. Gibson, -the Rector of St. John's, Bermondsey. - -Mr. Hardwicke observed that the whole story was most absurd, and -expressed himself in warm terms at the folly of giving it publicity. -A case of mere suspicion ought, on no account, to be made public; and -if it were not safe to hear such cases in the office, it would be -necessary in future to hear them in a private room. - -We do not mention these circumstances to repress proper precautions or -due vigilance, but to show the weakness of giving way too freely to -feelings of alarm groundlessly excited. - -It was at three o'clock on Tuesday, the 8th of November, that -the inquest was holden at the Unicorn public-house, corner of -Henrietta-street, Covent-garden, before Mr. Gell, the coroner, with -the view to ascertain the circumstances which led to the death of the -Italian boy, whose name is unknown, and with the murder of whom four -men, namely, Bishop, May, Williams, and Shields then stood charged. The -room in which the inquest took place was crowded almost to suffocation. -The prisoners were conveyed to Bow-street in the afternoon, under a -strong escort of police, but the inquest having been adjourned, their -presence was not required before the coroner. - -We solicit particular attention to the evidence here given before the -coroner, as facts are there sworn to, on which the conviction of the -accused parties took place, but which have now been determined to be -totally false. - -WILLIAM HILL was the first witness sworn. He resides at No. 7, -Craven-buildings, Drury-lane. His evidence was to the following -effect:--I am dissecting porter at King's College, Strand. The deceased -was brought to the college on Saturday last, the 5th, between two and -three o'clock in the afternoon; my bell was rung by one of the four men -in custody, and, in consequence, I went to the door of the dissecting -room; I there saw the four men, May, Bishop, Shields, and Williams. -I had seen May and Bishop between eleven and twelve that morning, -who asked me if I wanted any thing? I replied, not particularly; but -I asked them what they had got? May replied, that he had got a male -subject. I asked him what age? he replied, fourteen. I then asked -him the price of it? he answered, twelve guineas. I told him we would -not give that price: but that I would speak to Mr. Partridge, the -Demonstrator of Anatomy to the College. I then went to Mr. Partridge, -and we both joined May and Bishop. The former was much in liquor; -after some conversation with the men, Mr. Partridge went away; the -men remained, and I followed Mr. Partridge, who desired me to offer -them nine guineas. May said he would not take less than ten; but -nine guineas were ultimately agreed to. The men then went away, and -returned again between two and three o'clock, accompanied by Shields -and Williams, who brought the body of the deceased in a hamper. I -admitted May and Bishop only, and they deposited the body in a room of -the College, and then they proceeded to unpack the hamper, and took -out a sack containing the body of the deceased, and laid it on the -floor. I observed to them, that the body was particularly fresh, and -said, at the same time, I wonder what it could have died of. I made an -observation respecting a cut in the forehead, when Bishop said, that -cut had been done by May in taking the body out of the sack; adding, -that he (May) was drunk. The body was stiffer than usual; the eyes -appeared very fresh, although blood-shot, and the lips full of blood. -I saw a quantity of blood on the chest, part of which seemed as if -recently wiped off. They then asked for the nine guineas; and I went -to Mr. Partridge, and stated to him, that I thought all was not right. -Mr. Partridge then came and viewed the body. May and Bishop were not -then present. Mr. Partridge, after viewing the body, went away; and, in -the mean time, some of our pupils having seen the body, conceived it -was that of a boy who had been advertised: they also said, that there -appeared to be marks of violence on the body; and a communication -having taken place between Mr. Partridge and some of the gentlemen of -his class, the police were sent for, and the four men were given into -custody. - -By the CORONER, at the suggestion of Mr. THOMAS.--I did not ask them -how they got the body, because I never ask such a question. It is not -likely they would have answered me truly, if I had. - -Mr. GEORGE BEAMAN, of 28, James-street, Covent-garden, examined. I am a -surgeon, and was called upon by Mr. Thomas, Superintendent of Police, -on Saturday last, to inspect the body of the deceased. I did so about -twelve o'clock on the same night; the body appeared to me to have very -recently died, and I should think not more than from twenty-four to -thirty-six hours. The body was stiff, the face appeared swollen, the -eyes full, prominent, and very fresh; the external coat of the eyes was -much bloodshot, and there was a wound in the forehead, over the left -brow, nearly an inch in length, and of the depth of about one-eighth -of an inch; blood was flowing from this wound, and, upon my using -pressure, to detect invisible fracture, a small additional quantity of -blood then oozed out. All the front teeth had been drawn, the tongue -was swollen, but I did not then perceive any more marks of violence on -the body. I examined the neck, throat, and chest, very particularly: -there were no marks of pressure on these parts, and I was induced to -examine them more particularly, the face and tongue, and the eyes -being so full and bloodshot. On the following evening (Sunday), with -the assistance of Mr. Mayo, Mr. Partridge, and others, I commenced the -dissection of the body. I then very particularly observed the external -appearance of the neck, throat, and chest, and I used a sponge and warm -water to cleanse them thoroughly. There were not the slightest marks -of violence. I then examined the head, and, upon turning back the -skin, which covers the upper part of the skull, I detected a patch of -extravasated blood directly beneath the skin. This patch must be the -effect of accident or violence. The bone underneath was not injured. -The skull-cap was then removed. The membrane investing the brain -appeared rather more florid than usual. The substance of the brain was -perfectly healthy throughout. The spine was next examined, and on the -skin being removed from the lower part of the head, extending to the -shoulders below, a good deal of blood was extravasated. This I have no -doubt was the effect of great violence. There was no fracture of the -spine; but on removing the arch, with the view of observing the spinal -marrow, a quantity of coagulated blood was found within the spinal -canal, pressing upon the marrow, and I have no doubt, in the present -instance, that what I have just described was the cause of death, -namely, the extravasation of blood into the upper part of the spinal -canal. - -CORONER.--Do you suppose that the death of the deceased would have been -occasioned by the appearance you have described, without producing any -external wound? - -WITNESS.--I do. The wound on the forehead could not of itself produce -death. - -The witness then proceeded to state that, in his opinion, some blows -must have been given to the deceased with a blunt stick, bludgeon, -or other blunt instrument, or even by the fist of a strong man. It -was impossible that the indigestion could have produced such effects. -The body, in every other respect, was perfectly healthy. A fall, to -occasion death, would have left some more serious external appearances. -The heart and lungs were perfectly healthy, and upon removing the -contents of the stomach, and pouring them into a basin, for the -purpose of being analyzed, he observed that it was of a perfectly -healthy structure; digestion was going on at the time of death. He did -not believe that the body had ever been interred. The stomach contained -a tolerably full meal, and smelt slightly of rum (this circumstance is -accounted for in the confession of Bishop). Unquestionably the deceased -_did not die from suffocation_ or strangulation. - -Mr. THOMAS here intimated to the coroner, that the Rev. Mr. Bernasconi -had just seen the body, and recognized the boy as one of his flock, but -could not tell his name. - -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. - -Mr. CHARLES STARBUCK, Stockbroker, of No. 10, Broad-street Buildings, -City, one of the Society of Friends, on his solemn affirmation, deposed -as follows:--In consequence of the report which I read in the _Times_ -newspaper of Monday last, I went to see the body of the deceased, and -have no doubt that it is the body of an Italian boy, whom I have -frequently seen at the Bank. On last Thursday evening, the 3d instant, -between half-past six and eight, I saw an Italian lad, whom I _suppose_ -to be the deceased, sitting near the Bank, with his face almost in his -lap. He attracted attention from his position, having a mouse-trap -under his arm. A youth told him to get up, as the police were coming, -or words to that effect. I remarked to my brother, I think he is -unwell; and my brother replied, I think he is a humbug, for I have -frequently seen him in that position. There were several men and women -around him. I have seen the body yesterday and to-day, and have little -doubt but it is that of the Italian boy so described. I have not seen -the boy since alive. - -MARGARET PERRIGALLI, of No. 11, Parker-street, Drury-lane, sworn.--On -Sunday morning last I saw the body of the deceased. I do not know the -name of the boy; he was an Italian. I have known him for the whole of -last summer, _and I am quite certain_ the dead body is that of the boy -I have known so long. On Tuesday the 1st instant, I saw him alive in -Oxford-street, carrying a mouse-trap. - -Mr. GEORGE DUCHOZ, surgeon, of 34, Golden-square, was then sworn and -examined. I attended the _post mortem_ examination of the boy on Sunday -evening last, and my opinion is, that he died suddenly, from external -violence, and that the injuries at the back of the neck were quite -sufficient to have caused death. I have seen similar appearances, -however, in the body of a man, who died from having fallen down stairs. -There is no doubt but that death, in this instance, must have been -instantaneous, and might certainly have been produced by a blow from -a bludgeon on the back of the neck. I observed a mark on the right -wrist, apparently produced by pressure. Mr. Duchoz _stated his firm -opinion that the boy had first been stunned by a blow on the head, and -afterwards that his neck had been dislocated, in the same manner as it -was usual to wring the neck of a duck_. - -We have given the latter part of this opinion in Italics, as, when we -come to contrast it with the confession of Bishop, it will be found -that just as much value ought to be attached to it, and that it was -just as consistent with the real truth, as if Mr. Duchoz had declared -that the boy had died by natural means. We speak it not personally, -but it is sometimes deplorable to hear the opinion of professional men -touching certain points connected with life and death, and which are -afterwards to be made the groundwork of a criminal prosecution. We see -no reason to dispute the veracity of Bishop or Williams' confessions; -for in the awful situation in which they stood, falsehood could not -avail them anything, nor can any ostensible motive be discovered -for their leaving behind them an erroneous statement, which went to -exonerate no one from any imputed charge, nor which subtracted in -the least degree from their own criminality. They confess not only -to one but to other murders; but they declare that the boy, whose -corpse they attempted to sell at King's College, and on which they -were apprehended, was not Carlo Ferrari, but a Lincolnshire youth, -who had brought a drove of cattle from that county. What then becomes -of the identity of Bernasconi, Starbuck, and Perrigalli? What becomes -of the evidence of the professional men as to the cause of the death -of the presumed Carlo Ferrari, when it is found, by the confession of -the murderers themselves, to have been effected by wholly different -means? And, lastly, we may ask, (and we shall have occasion, at a -future period, to dilate more fully on the subject,) what sort of a -character does the prosecution itself exhibit to the country, when -three individuals can be arraigned at the bar for the murder of -a certain boy by a blow or blows on the back of the neck with an -instrument, according to the jargon of the law, _of no value whatever_; -that these same individuals shall be convicted of the crime, according -to the declaration of the Recorder, on the most _conclusive_ and -_incontrovertible_ evidence; and then, in less than twenty-four hours -afterwards, it shall transpire, that the boy so murdered was not the -boy for whose murder the parties were arraigned--that his death was not -occasioned by any blow, but actually by suffocation, and consequently -that the conviction took place on evidence which, throughout, was -decidedly false. - -We are willing to bestow on Mr. Thomas all the credit which he -deserves for his meritorious exertions in bringing the miscreants to -the bar of their country to answer for their crimes; but we cannot -refrain from observing, that in collecting the evidence for the -prosecution, recourse has been had to some measures which appear highly -overstrained, and which, in fact, could never be received as evidence -in any English court of justice. We will select the following as an -instance. - -Mr. Duchoz having informed the jury that the neck of the boy appeared -to be dislocated in the same manner _as it is usual to wring the neck -of a duck_, Mr. Thomas proceeded to state, that in consequence of a -communication which he received on Saturday afternoon from the King's -College, he sent officers to that place to take the four men into -custody, which was done, after a desperate resistance had been made -by the prisoners. Witness sent for the body, and asked Bishop what -he was. He replied, "A b----y body-snatcher." He had seen the four -prisoners within the last fifteen minutes, and asked them if they had -any wish to see the jury. May replied, "Not I--I have nothing to say -about it." Bishop said, "The body is mine; and if you want to know how -I got it, you may find it out if you can." Shields' answer was, that -he was employed by Bishop to carry the body from Guy's Hospital to the -King's College. The prisoner Williams said, that he knew nothing at -all about the matter, and that he merely went with the prisoners to -see the King's College. Mr. Thomas added, that he received a letter -that afternoon, stating that a tortoise, similar to the one which it is -supposed the deceased was in the habit of carrying about, was exhibited -for sale in a shop in Middle Row, Holborn. He immediately went to the -shop, and took possession of the tortoise now produced, (for which act -Mr. Thomas rendered himself liable to an action for felony). He asked -the woman of the shop how she became possessed of it; and she answered, -that her husband had purchased it in Leadenhall Market, of a person -whom she did not know; adding, that such things were usually bought and -sold there. - -Joseph Perrigalli, husband of the woman already examined, was then -sworn, and stated, that he had known the deceased boy for nearly twelve -months, and well recollected his having carried a tortoise with him. -The tortoise, which he was in the habit of carrying, was _very like the -one_ now produced; and he, witness, saw it in the possession of the -deceased about a month ago. The deceased used to carry mice as well. He -examined the body last Sunday morning, and _was quite certain_ it was -the boy whom he knew so well. - -Now, would the evidence of the tortoise have been admitted in any -court of justice whatever? It was well known that the Italian boy -carried a tortoise; Mr. Thomas hears of a tortoise being in Middle -Row, Holborn--hurries to take possession of it--produces it before -the jury--and calls a Frenchman to depose that it is _very like_ the -tortoise which the Italian boy carried about with him. We believe that -all tortoises are alike, and that it would not be so easy to prove the -identity of any individual of the species, as has been evinced in the -proof of the identity of Carlo Ferrari. If Mr. Thomas had received -a letter, stating that a tortoise was in either of the two great -Zoological Gardens, and it is just as probable that the tortoise of -Carlo Ferrari should have fallen into the possession of the proprietors -of those establishments, as into that of the woman in Middle -Row,--would Mr. Thomas have so far committed himself, as to repair to -the Gardens, and bring the animal away with him? It is by no means an -uncommon thing to see a tortoise exposed for sale in Leadenhall Market, -and Mr. Thomas had it not in his power to produce an iota of proof, -that the tortoise which the woman purchased in that market, was the -identical one of Carlo Ferrari, but simply that _it was very like it_. -It is true, that the configurations of the shell of the tortoise are -not always similar; but on that point no proof is produced that the -tortoise of Carlo Ferrari, and of the woman in Middle Row, resembled -each other; and, therefore, we cannot forbear expressing our regret, -that any recourse should have been had to such a flimsy evidence, and -which would have been immediately rejected by the judge appointed to -try the criminals. - -Mr. Thomas, in continuation of the statement, said, that since the -deceased had been brought to the Station House, he had had no less than -eight applications to see the body by parents, who had, within a very -short space of time, lost their sons, who were generally described as -boys about the age of thirteen or fourteen. The parents could in no -way account for their absence, and they all appeared in the greatest -distress of mind. One of the boys so lost was deaf and dumb. - -The coroner and the jury expressed their greatest surprise at the -statement, and Mr. Cribb, the foreman of the jury, observed, that he -had no doubt whatever of the fact, for he had himself seen the parents -of two boys who had disappeared, call at the Station House on Sunday -morning, in order to see the body of the deceased. - -A juryman said, that the fact stated by Mr. Thomas afforded the -strongest possible reason for pursuing the present inquiry to the -utmost. - -After some further conversation, the jury wished the room to be -cleared, in order, we believe, to discuss the propriety, either of -adjourning the inquest, with a view to obtain further evidence, or to -call the parties charged before them, in order to hear any further -explanation touching their possession of the body, which they might -feel inclined to give. - -The room was accordingly cleared at seven o'clock, and after remaining -together about twenty minutes, it was announced that the inquest was -adjourned until five o'clock on Thursday evening next. - -Mr. Corder, the vestry clerk of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, was present, -and took notes of the proceedings on behalf of the parish, who, in the -event of the case being sent for trial to the Old Bailey, will become -the prosecutors. - -Pursuant to the adjournment, the jury again met on Thursday evening, -the 10th of November, at the same house, and the room, as before, was -crowded in every part, and a crowd of persons were outside, anxious to -hear the verdict. - -After the jury had been sworn, Mr. Cribb, the foreman, produced -a letter, which he said he had received from Mr. Starbuck, the -stock-broker in the city. The letter was handed to the coroner, who -read it to the jury. It stated that Mr. Starbuck _had been mistaken_ -with regard to the identity of the boy whom he supposed to be an -Italian lad, and whom he had seen near the Bank on the night of -Thursday. He had since seen that boy alive. - -Here then, we find one individual retracting his opinion of the -identity of the boy; and it therefore now solely rests on the testimony -of Mr. and Mrs. Parragalli, who are just as likely to have been -mistaken as the worthy Quaker. - -The evidence of the witnesses was then resumed. - -JOSEPH HIGGINS, constable of the F division of police, sworn.--I live -at No. 8, Newton Street, Holborn. Yesterday, about four o'clock, I went -to a public-house in Giltspur Street, called the Fortune of War. I -there saw Mrs. Bishop, and Mrs. Williams her daughter, coming out, and -I told them I must take them to the Station House. Mrs. Bishop begged -of me to let her go home for her child, which I consented to do, but I -said I must go with her. I then went with them to No. 3, Nova Scotia -Gardens, Crabtree Row, Hackney Road. I proceeded to search the house, -and found the implements I now produce. I said, "I know what those are -for;" and she replied, "I dare say you do, but do not speak before the -children." I found two crooked chisels, which Mrs. Bishop admitted were -for opening coffins. I also found a brad-awl with dry blood upon it; -I said, "this is for punching out teeth." She replied, "her husband -had used it for mending shoes." I also found a file. I then searched -Mrs. Bishop, and found upon her the petition which I now produce. She -told me it was from her husband, and three other persons for pecuniary -assistance, saying that they were resurrectionists, and they had no -means of defending themselves from the offence for which they were -charged. The petition, which was as follows, was then read:-- - - - The humble Petition of JOHN BISHOP, and three others, Most humbly - showeth, - - 'That your petitioners have supplied many subjects on various - occasions to the several hospitals; and being now in custody, - they are conscious in their own minds that they have done nothing - more _than they have been in the constant habit of doing_ as - resurrectionists, but, being unable to prove their innocence - without professional advice, they humbly crave the commiseration - of gentlemen who may feel inclined to give some trifling - assistance, in order to afford them the opportunity of clearing - away the imputation alleged against them. The most trifling sum - will be gratefully acknowledged; and your petitioners, as in duty - bound, will ever pray.' - - -This petition was not signed. - -She admitted, that Williams was not her son-in-law's right name, but -said, he did not wish it to be known, as he had been out with her -husband not more than two or three times. She added, that her husband -went out the night before he was taken into custody, accompanied by -her son-in-law, Williams, and that he came home the next morning, and -washed his hands in a basin, at the bottom of which she saw a great -deal of mud. - -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, - -Mr. CORDER said, that he really did not think there was any further -evidence to produce at present, tending to throw any additional light -upon the inquiry. If, however, the jury should return a verdict of -wilful murder against some person or persons unknown, the inquiry -would be pursued at Bow-street Office, where the four men were now -in custody. He (Mr. Corder) had reason to believe that his Majesty's -Government, struck with the importance of the inquiry, would lend every -facility tending to bring the affair into a proper train, in order -that public justice might not be defeated. He then suggested that the -accused should be sent for, with a view to see whether or not they felt -inclined to account for the possession of the body. - -A JUROR observed, that they were as yet proceeding in the dark, -inasmuch as they had not yet ascertained the name of the deceased or to -whom he belonged. - -Mr. CORDER replied, that he understood, from inquiries that he had -made, that the name of the murdered boy was Giovanni Montero, and that -he was brought to this country, from Italy, about a year ago, by a -native of that country, named Peter Massa. - -JOSEPH PARRAGALLI here said, that from inquiries he had made at the -Alien Office, and from the description given of Massa's boy in his -passport, he was quite sure that he could not be the same boy, whose -death was now the subject of inquiry. - -It was here determined by the Jury to have the prisoners before them. - -The Prisoner MICHAEL SHIELDS was then brought forth strongly guarded, -and the Coroner addressing him said, 'You are not obliged to answer -any questions that may be put to you unless you please, but I tell you -fairly, that we have sufficient evidence before us to prove, that the -deceased boy came to his death by unfair means; and having traced the -body into your custody, we wish to know whether you are inclined to -give any explanation touching your possession of the body in question. -Should you feel inclined to state what you know, I am anxious to -caution you to speak the truth.' The prisoner said, he was willing to -speak the truth, and having been sworn, he deposed as follows:- - -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? - -PRISONER.--They might be there. (The prisoner, on being further -pressed, admitted that they were there; and said, that Bishop told him -he should want him the next morning to do a job for him.) I very often -go to the Fortune of War. I remained there for about half an hour, and -I met Bishop and May there by accident. They went away before I left. -When I said that I met Bishop and May in Covent Garden at ten o'clock -on Friday morning, I did not speak the truth. I now state that I met -him at the Fortune of War, on the Friday morning, at eight o'clock. - -Mr. CORDER.--I suppose that you know that the Fortune of War is a sort -of house of call for resurrectionists? - -PRISONER.--It may be. I have seen several respectable persons there. - -Mr. CRIBB.--Now, Shields, answer this question truly. Do you know -anything relating to the death of the deceased? - -PRISONER.--Bishop said, while coming to Bow-street, in the van, that -the body was got from the ground, and that he knew where it was got -from. He smiled as he said so, adding, that if he was brought before -the Jury he would give them ease about it. - -The examination of Shields having been concluded, the prisoner Bishop -was brought before the Jury; and the Coroner cautioned him as to the -awkward situation in which he stood, there being no doubt but that the -boy had been unfairly dealt by. - -BISHOP.--I dug the body out of the grave: the reason why I decline to -say the grave I took it out of is, that there were two watchmen on the -ground, and they intrusted me, and being men of family, I don't wish to -'deceive' them. I don't think I can say anything more. I took it for -sale to Guy's Hospital, and, as they did not want it, I left it there -all night and part of the next day, and then I removed it to the King's -College. That is all I can say about it. I mean to say that this is the -truth. I shall certainly keep it a secret where I got the body. I know -nothing as to how it died. - -CORONER.--You have a right not to implicate yourself; and certainly -I must say, that the account which you have given is by no means -satisfactory. - -Bishop was then removed, and the prisoner May was brought forward, and -cautioned in the same way as the other prisoners. He was told that the -result of the inquiry might affect his life, and if he said anything, -it would be produced as evidence against him. - -The prisoner said he wished to say what he knew, and would speak the -truth. He then said, that his name was James May, and that he lived -in Dorset-street, Newington. He went into the country on Sunday week, -and returned on the evening of Wednesday, and went to Mr. Grainger's, -in Webb-street, with a couple of subjects. On the following morning -(Thursday) he removed them to Mr. Davis's, at Guy's; and, after -receiving the money, he went away to the Fortune of War, in Smithfield, -and stayed there about two or three hours. Between four and five -o'clock, to the best of his recollection, he went to Nag's-head-court, -Golden-lane, and there he stopped with a female until between eleven -and twelve o'clock the next day (Friday). From Golden-lane he went to -the Fortune of War again, and stopped drinking there until six o'clock, -or half-past. Williams and Bishop both came in there, and asked him, if -he would stand anything to drink? which he did. Bishop then called him -out, and asked him, where he could get the best price for 'things?' he -told him where he had sold two (meaning Guy's); and he (Bishop) then -told him, that he had got a good subject, and had been offered eight -guineas for it. He (May) replied, that he could get more for it; and -then Bishop said, all that he could get over nine guineas he might have -for himself. He agreed to it; and they went from thence to the Old -Bailey, and had some tea at the Watering-house there, leaving Williams -at the Fortune of War. After tea they called a chariot off the stand, -and drove to Bishop's house. When there, Bishop showed him the lad in -a box or trunk. He (May) then put it into a sack, and brought it to -the chariot, and conveyed it to Mr. Davis, at Guy's. Mr. Davis said, -you know, John, I can't take it, because I took two of you yesterday, -and I have not got names enough down for one, or I would take it. He -(May) then asked him if he could leave the body there that night? and -he said he might. Bishop then desired Mr. Davis not to let any person -have it, as it was his subject, but to deliver it to his own self. He -(May) also told Davis not to let the body go without him, or he should -be money out of pocket. May then went on to state, that he went to his -own house, and slept there that night, and the next morning he went to -Guy's, and Bishop and Shields came in with a hamper, which was taken to -King's College, where he was taken into custody. The prisoner said that -he had spoken the truth, and nothing else. He was then removed, and the -other prisoner, - -JOHN WILLIAMS, was brought in; and being cautioned not to say anything -to criminate himself, he stated that, in the first place, he met Bishop -on last Saturday morning, in Long-lane, Smithfield, and asked him where -he was going? He said he was going to the King's College. They then -went into the Fortune of War public-house, and after that Bishop went -to Guy's Hospital, and then to the King's College. May and the porter -met them against the gate. Bishop went in, and he (Williams) asked him -to let him go in with him. That was all he had got to say, except that -a porter took a basket from the Fortune of War to Guy's Hospital, and -he (Williams) helped him a part of the way with it. - -[Illustration: Bishop, &c. at Entrance of King's College] - -The prisoner was then removed. - -JAMES SEAGROVE, a cabriolet driver, swore positively, that a quarter -before six o'clock on Friday evening he was sitting in a public-house -in the Old Bailey, when two men (May and Bishop) came in, and the -taller of the two told him that they wanted him to do a job. Witness -answered that there were a great many jobs, long and short ones. May -then said, that he wanted him to carry a 'stiff un.' Witness asked what -he meant to pay him for it. The witness then went on to state, that he -declined the offer of May and Bishop, and afterwards saw them trying -to make a bargain with a coachman on the stand. May had previously -offered witness a guinea for the job. The witness added that he meant -to do them, and appeared to consent at first merely for the purpose of -hearing a little of the tricks of body-snatchers. - -The room was about to be cleared, when - -WILLIAM HILL, the porter at the dissecting-rooms, King's College, -begged to add to his former evidence, that when there was a delay in -paying Bishop and May for the body, the former said to Mr. Partridge, -Give me what money you have got in your purse, and I will call for -the remainder on Monday. It was very unusual for persons selling dead -bodies to go away with part payment only, unless something was wrong; -they generally wait for their money. - -The room was then cleared, and at half-past ten o'clock the Jury came -to the following verdict:-- - - - We find a verdict of WILFUL MURDER against some person or persons - unknown; and the Jury beg to add to the above verdict, that the - evidence produced before them has excited very strong suspicions - in their minds against the prisoners Bishop and Williams, and they - trust that a strict inquiry will be made into the case by the - Police Magistrates. - - -We understand that Mr. Corder received directions from the Home Office -to forward the result of the examination before the Coroner to the -Secretary of State, as soon as it should be made known; and it was -further stated, that a reward would be forthwith offered for such -evidence as might tend to fix the crime upon the guilty parties. The -prisoners still remained in custody on the charge, namely, suspicion -of murder, for which they were brought to Bow-street on the previous -Saturday night; and Mr. Minshull, before whom the examination then took -place, expressed his determination to pursue the inquiry to the utmost. - -Previously to entering into any further statement of the measures -adopted for obtaining the necessary evidence to bring the commission -of the crime home to the accused parties, we may be allowed to offer -a few reflections on the indelible disgrace which is attached to this -country, by the tacit encouragement which is given to the horrid -vocation of the resurrectionists, and which has now become such a -settled system, that not only the sanctuary of the grave is violated, -but human life is sported with as if the laws had no restraining hand -upon the criminals, and they were to be allowed, in the open face -of day, to carry on their murderous trade, in defiance of humanity, -religion, and the laws. Would it be credited, were it not obviously -true, that after the discovery of such till then unheard-of depravity -as that exhibited in the crimes of Burke and Hare, two years should -elapse without any measure being adopted by the Legislature to amend -the system which tempts to such horrors, and that the subject should -be forgotten until similar atrocities are repeated in the metropolis -of the kingdom, at the very source of legislation, and under the very -eye of a police supposed to be the most efficient in Europe? People -talk, or rather used to talk, of some species of crime not being -English--Alas! that England should now stand indelibly stained by guilt -of so foul, so unnatural a blackness, that all other 'detested sins' -which, when exposed, 'stood bare and naked, trembling at themselves,' -compared with this, are blanched into the complexion of natural, -perhaps generous impulses, culpable only in their misdirection and -excess! It seems reserved for the British schools of anatomy to offer a -premium for murder not prompted by passion, not provoked by injury, not -justified even to the murderer by revenge, but premeditated with cold, -diabolical, mercantile calculation, as to the price which will be given -for the corpse of the victim. - -The depravation of the actors of these crimes appears to us almost -inexplicable. It has been said, that all are not men who bear the form -of men; and the resurrectionist, in his horrid vocation, bears no -alliance to humanity; 'the common damned shun his society;' but can we -acquit of blood guiltiness, those who having authority to legislate -on the subject, and knowing such practices to exist, try not every -possible means, and we may almost say impossible ones, to prevent them? -There existed formerly in Portugal an officer of state whose duty -it was to ask pardon formally for every person condemned to death, -whatever were the nature and number of his offences. It is recorded, -that when the officer was interceding, as usual, in favour of a person -condemned to die for his twentieth murder, the king refused the pardon -asked, on the plea that the number of the crimes rendered the criminal -an object unfit for mercy. 'He is as fit an object now, replied the -officer, as he was at first. He is only guilty of the first murder: -your Majesty, by overlooking that, is responsible for all the others.' - -The senseless clamour which was raised against Mr. Warburton's Bill, -on account of the pain which it would cause to the feelings of a -few paupers, provokes us to wish, that all those who excited it may -be haunted with the anguish of that unutterable dread which led Mr. -Hare to view the body of the murdered stranger boy, in the horrid -expectation that it might be that of his lost son. In regard to the -outrage on the feelings of the pauper, we suspect that, were a law -to be enacted, giving the body of every pauper, not claimed by any -relative, for dissection, it would have a very salutary effect in -thinning the workhouses of a number of paupers, who throw themselves -on the parish as being too idle to work, and who would never think of -entering a workhouse if they thought dissection was to be their fate -after death. - -We shall have occasion, in the progress of this work, to enter more -fully into the important question of the great encouragement which -is given to murder by the facility with which the corpse is disposed -of to the hospitals and the dissecting-rooms; and therefore, for the -present, we shall merely ask, whether a study carried on by means, -which, setting the murders out of the question, deteriorate the moral -sense, has prolonged life beyond the limits of human existence in -the days of Galen and Hippocrates? Whether, if it have, a degree of -science sufficient for general utility might not be obtained from -those perfect representations in wax of the internal machinery of the -human frame, such as are found on the Continent, and from bodies which -might be legitimately obtained? And whether, if the answer be in the -negative, the preservation of the perishable part of one being for a -few days longer than it might otherwise enjoy or suffer, be not too -dearly purchased by the depravation of the spirit which is to live for -ever? Perish the science of prolonging life, if we are constrained to -maintain it at such a cost! - -From the day on which the Coroner's inquest terminated, to the 18th -of November, Mr. Corder was most actively employed in obtaining that -information which could trace the commission of the murder to the -four men who stood charged with the crime; and, on the above day, -they were brought to the Public Office, Bow Street, and placed at the -bar, before Mr. Minshull, the presiding magistrate, who was assisted -by Dr. Robinson and Mr. Mallard, county magistrates, and Mr. Swabey, -late of Union Hall. The office was crowded to excess long before the -examination commenced, and the greatest anxiety was exhibited to get a -view of the prisoners, and hear the evidence produced against them. The -bench was also crowded by gentlemen, many of whom were surgeons. - -Mr. CORDER, who appeared on behalf of the Parish of St. Paul's, -Covent-garden, said, he should, in the first instance, call evidence to -show that the prisoners had not met in the manner they had described -when before the Coroner's jury, and with this view he called - -HENRY LOCKER, who deposed that on Friday, the 4th of November, instant, -he was waiter at the Fortune of War public-house, in Giltspur-street. -He knew the prisoners, who used to frequent that house. Bishop, May, -and Williams called in between eleven and twelve o'clock on Friday -morning, and had something to drink; they remained in the tap-room -about an hour and a half, and then went away. They returned about -three o'clock, and remained until it was dusk, when they went away -again, and came back again at eight o'clock or past. They had with them -a strange man, who appeared to be a hackney-coachman. They said they -had had a ride, and went into the tap-room and had something to drink. -Shortly after, the prisoner May came out of the tap-room and went to -the bar. He had a handkerchief in his hand, which seemed to contain -something. He poured some hot water on the handkerchief, and began to -wipe its contents, which proved to be human teeth. Witness remarked -that they seemed to be the teeth of a young person, and that they were -worth something. May answered, that they were as good to him as two -pounds. The prisoners and the other man soon after went away. On the -following morning (Saturday), Bishop, Williams, and Shields called -again, and had some beer to drink. Bishop asked what they should do for -a hamper, and Williams said, there was one inside the railings of the -hospital (Bartholomew's). The prisoner Shields went and fetched it, and -all three went away. - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the witness to describe May's dress when he first -saw him. - -WITNESS.--I do not exactly remember. - -Prisoner MAY.--How can you tell the hour when you first saw me? - -WITNESS.--Although I cannot speak to your dress, I am certain as to the -hour. - -The WITNESS, in reply to a question by Mr. Minshull, said, that when -May was engaged in washing the teeth, he had on a dark-coloured -smock-frock. - -Mr. CORDER said, that as it was not intended on this examination -to offer any evidence with respect to the exchange of clothes in -Field-lane, it was not very material as to the dress of the prisoner. -With respect to that circumstance, evidence would be produced on a -future occasion. - -JAMES SEAGROVE, the cabriolet driver, who gave evidence before the -coroner, was again called forward. He stated, that on the Friday -evening, about six o'clock, being at tea in a watering-house in the -Old Bailey, he was called out to the prisoners Bishop and May. The -latter asked him if he wanted a job, and added, 'I want you to carry a -stiff un,' adding, 'we will stand a guinea for it.' Witness declined -the job, and left the prisoners apparently making a bargain with a -hackney-coachman. - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the prisoners if they wished to put any questions to -the witness. - -MAY.--No: the man answers perfectly correct. - -THOMAS TAVERNOR, the waterman at the stand in the Old Bailey, proved, -that he was directed by two men to call out the last witness from -the Watering-house: they said, they wanted to hire his cab. Witness, -however, could not identify the man, as the night was dark. - -Mr. MINSHULL asked, if the men were carrying anything, and whether the -witness saw the coach in which they drove off? - -The WITNESS replied, that the men were not carrying anything when he -saw them, and he did not see in what manner they left the place, for he -went away as soon as he had called the witness Seagrove. - -GEORGE GISSING, a boy about fifteen, proved that he was the son of -a publican, who lived in Birdcage-walk, Bethnal-green. On Friday -evening, between six and seven o'clock, he was standing at his father's -door, when he saw a yellow-bodied chariot stop at the corner of Nova -Scotia-gardens. The prisoners, Bishop, May, and Williams, jumped out of -it, and the two former went up Nova Scotia gardens; they were dressed -in smock-frocks, and May had a pipe in his mouth. Williams, who had on -a light fustian jacket, remained leaning against the fore-wheel of the -chariot, in conversation with the coachman. Bishop and May returned in -a short time, carrying a sack containing something heavy. May had the -sack on his back, and Bishop was holding it up behind; the sack was -placed in the chariot, and after the prisoners had taken their places, -it drove off through Crabtree-row, in the direction of Shoreditch -Church. - -THOMAS TRADER, another boy about the same age as the last witness, gave -similar evidence, having seen everything which Gissing had witnessed. -Mrs. Cannell, who was also present, told witness that something strange -was going forward, and she told him to go down the gardens and watch -the motions of the two men (May and Bishop), but witness declined to do -so. - -ANN CANNELL corroborated the statement of the last witness, and added, -that she saw two men jump out of the coach. They both wore dark -smock-frocks, and one of them had a pipe in his mouth. (The witness was -here directed to look well at the prisoners Bishop and May, and after -doing so, she declared that she could not identify them as the two men -whom she had so seen.) The last witness stood by, and she (witness) -said to him, 'This looks strange; see where they are going so quick.' -The lad replied, 'I am sure I won't go after them, for if I did, they -would not mind giving me a topper.' The coachman never got off his box -until the men returned, and this circumstance excited her suspicions -the more. - -JOHN CHAPMAN, having been sworn, stated that he was porter at Guy's -Hospital. At seven o'clock on the evening of Friday, the 4th instant, -the two prisoners, Bishop and May, drove to the Hospital in a -hackney-coach or chariot. They came to his (witness') lodge, and he let -them in. They had a sack with them, which the shorter man (Bishop) -carried. Witness did not know what the sack contained: they went -towards the dissecting-room. - -By Dr. ROBINSON.--The sack appeared to contain something heavy. It -is usual for coaches to draw up to the gate of the Hospital, and no -questions are asked. I knew the persons of the men before, but did not -know their names. - -BISHOP.--Now, John, are you certain that it was I who carried the sack? - -WITNESS.--Yes, I am. - -MAY.--Why it was I who carried the sack, and not Bishop. It is a matter -of no moment, but it only shows how careful men ought to be when on -their oath. - -JAMES DAVIS, the porter to the dissecting-room at Guy's Hospital, -repeated the evidence which he gave before the Coroner, as to the body -having been offered for sale to him, by Bishop and May, on the night -of Friday; and after he had declined to purchase it, Bishop requested -him to take charge of it all night, which he did. Witness observed a -human foot protruding from the sack, (a previous witness has sworn that -it was the knee,) and from the size of the foot he concluded, that the -subject was either a youth or a female. The body was removed from the -Hospital on the following morning, James Weeks, the assistant porter, -having delivered it to May and Bishop. Witness saw them both at the -Hospital in the morning, in company with the prisoner Shields, and -another man. - -JAMES WEEKS, the person referred to, proved that he delivered the body -to May and Bishop. When they were at the Hospital the previous night, -May said, 'The fact is, the subject belongs to Bishop and not to me.' -Witness was positive that when May and Bishop came for the body in the -morning, the prisoners, Shields and Williams, accompanied them. - -MAY.--When we were going to leave 'the thing,' did not Bishop say it -belonged to him? - -WITNESS.--No, not to my knowledge. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Had anything been said that you remember? - -WITNESS.--Yes; May said, 'Don't let the subject go, unless I am here -with Bishop.' Bishop said so likewise. - -JAMES DAVIS recalled.--I don't recollect that May said, Don't let -the body go; but some conversation having passed to that effect, the -impression that it left upon my mind was, that the body was not to be -removed from the Hospital, unless both prisoners were present. - -JOHN APPLETON, porter to Mr. Grainger's Theatre of Anatomy, -Webb-street, Borough, proved, that on Friday night, after May and -Bishop had left Guy's, they came and asked if he wanted a subject. -Witness answered in the negative, and they went away. - -WILLIAM HILL, porter at the dissecting-room, King's College, repeated -the evidence which he had previously given, and added, that after -he had communicated with Mr. Partridge, and had offered Bishop nine -guineas for the body, May, who appeared to be tipsy, said, they ought -to have ten guineas. May then slipped aside, and Bishop, who appeared -to be more anxious to sell the body than May, said, 'I will bring it -in for nine guineas; he (meaning May) is tipsy.' The witness then -proceeded to state, that on the same afternoon, the four prisoners -brought the body of the deceased in a hamper to the College, and -after describing the appearances which it presented, and stating the -suspicions which were excited in consequence, added, that Bishop wanted -Mr. Partridge to give him whatever money he had in his purse, and -said, they would call again for the remainder. While they were waiting -to be paid, Bishop wished witness to give him but eight guineas in -the presence of Williams, saying, that he wanted the other guinea for -himself, and he promised witness half-a-crown for himself if he would -do so. - -BISHOP.--Yes, you get many a guinea in that way. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Is it customary for persons in your situation to receive -such presents? - -WITNESS.--Yes, sir, sometimes. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Did you perceive any marks of dirt upon the body, as if -it had been scraped with a dirty sleeve, or smeared over with a hand? - -WITNESS.--I did perceive such marks. - -Mr. SWABEY.--Did they appear to have been made by design or accident? - -The witness could not say; but in answer to a question by Mr. Corder, -he gave it as his clear opinion, that the body had neither been laid -out nor buried. - -BISHOP.--It is impossible for you to tell that. You know nothing about -raising bodies. Is there not a difference in soil? Besides could not -clay have got into the coffin? - -The witness went on to state, that when the body was taken from the -sack, at the College, the left arm was doubled up. The hand also was -clenched. - -MAY.--When the body was laid on the floor, was the arm doubled up? - -WITNESS.--Yes, and I unclenched the fingers myself, and observed that -the limbs were very stiff. - -BISHOP (smiling). The fact is, you are not in the habit of seeing fresh -subjects, and you don't know anything about it. (Here Bishop and May -both laughed.) - -Mr. THOMAS suggested to the prisoners, that they had better be quiet, -as they were doing themselves no good. - -BISHOP.--I can do myself no harm at all events. - -Mr. BEAMAN, the surgeon, who had minutely examined the body after -death, was again called forward and re-sworn. He repeated his former -opinion, founded on the _post mortem_ examination of the body, that -death had been produced by extravasation of blood in the spinal canal, -an effect, which must have been produced by violence on the back of -the neck. The violence might have been produced by a blow from a round -stick or bludgeon, or even by the wrist of a strong man's arm. It was -barely possible, certainly, that the injury might have been occasioned -by a fall down stairs. - -Mr. PARTRIDGE, demonstrator of anatomy at the King's College, agreed -with Mr. Beaman in every particular, in regard to the causes which had -produced death. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Is it your opinion, then, that the boy came to his death -by violence--in short, that he was murdered? - -Mr. PARTRIDGE.--I certainly do believe that the death of the deceased -was effected by violence. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Is it from the state of the neck merely, or from other -appearances, that you have come to that conclusion? - -Mr. PARTRIDGE.--I believe the immediate cause of death to have been -a blow on the back of the neck by some blunt instrument, but I judge -of the violence which must have been used, from other circumstances, -namely, the freshness of the body, the rigidity of the limbs, the -swollen state of the face, the bloodshot eyes, and their perfect -freshness. - -In answer to a question by Mr. Swabey, the witness said that the -superficial dirt on the thighs, belly and chest of the deceased, might -have been done designedly or by accident. Trailing the body along a -dirty floor would leave such marks. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Could the deceased have committed suicide? - -WITNESS.--It is just barely possible that a person might inflict a blow -on the back of his own neck which would cause death. It was, however, -exceedingly improbable, and almost impossible. - -Mr. BEAMAN said, he could not see how suicide could be at all effected -in that way. A man might certainly break the back part of his neck, -by flinging himself from a height on a bar, but he could not, in his -opinion, inflict the same injury on himself, by means of a stick or -bludgeon. - -Mr. THOMAS MILLS, a dentist, residing on Newington Causeway, having -been sworn, stated, that on Saturday morning, the 5th of November -last, the prisoner May came to his shop and offered him a set of teeth -for sale, for which he asked a guinea. Witness observed that one of -the front teeth was chipped, and said that it did not belong to the -set: upon which May said, 'Upon my soul to God, they all belonged to -one head, and that not long since, and that the body had never been -buried.' He ultimately agreed to take twelve shillings for the teeth. - -Mr. CORDER asked the witness, if he had not observed something peculiar -about the teeth. - -WITNESS.--Yes, portions of the gums were adhering to them, and part -of the jaw-bone. There could be no doubt, but that the teeth had been -forcibly removed immediately after death. I said to May, that from -appearance the teeth belonged to a female. His reply was, 'the fact is -they belonged to a lad about 14 or 15 years of age.' - -While this witness was giving his evidence, the prisoner May appeared -for the first time to change countenance, and lose that hardness of -nerve, which distinguished him throughout the whole of the proceedings. -He stared at the witness at first rather wildly, and compressed his -lips while listening attentively to the evidence, and as soon as it was -concluded, he endeavoured to resume his composure, and forced a laugh; -but almost in a moment afterwards, his countenance underwent another -change, and he muttered to himself, as he looked over to the witness, -'The b----y rascal.' He then asked the witness, if he was quite sure of -the exact words he had used, when he brought him the teeth, with regard -to the body not having been buried. - -WITNESS.--You said that the body had never been buried. - -Mr. THOMAS, the superintendent of the police, was then examined, and -repeated the evidence he had given before the coroner. He went to the -house of the last witness, who gave him the twelve teeth now produced. - -The hamper and sack which contained the body were here produced, the -latter had stains of blood upon it. - -HIGGINS, a police constable of the F division, produced a heavy iron -instrument, one end of which was bent and nearly as sharp as a chisel, -and the other thick and round. He also produced a brad-awl clotted -with blood. A question arose as to the use to which the latter had -been applied, when May at once said, 'I took the teeth out with that -brad-awl.' - -The other instrument was then handed to Mr. Partridge, who gave it as -his opinion, that the sharp end might have inflicted the wound on the -forehead of the deceased, and that the thick rounded end was likely -to have inflicted the blow on the back of the neck, and which, in his -opinion, was the immediate cause of death. - -The witness Higgins said, that he found these instruments, together -with a rope with a noose at the end of it (which he produced) at the -house of Bishop. He also found the pair of breeches now produced, -belonging to the prisoner, and he discovered the marks of blood upon -them. He saw some fresh blood on the floor of the room, where he found -the breeches. - -MAY explained that the blood was that of a jackdaw, which cut its leg, -and afterwards hopped upon the breeches. - -Mr. THOMAS said, that, in fairness, he must say, that as the breeches -were not found until a week after the prisoner was taken into custody, -he thought that the blood was entirely too fresh to connect it with the -murder. - -KIRKMAN, a police constable, proved that he was in plain clothes, in -the station-house at Covent Garden, on the evening of the 10th inst., -when the prisoners were brought there, for the purpose of appearing -before the inquest, which was then sitting. He observed the prisoner -Bishop reading a bill pasted upon the wall, announcing that a boy had -been murdered, and was then lying for examination at the bone-house. -As soon as he had read the bill, Bishop observed to May, in a low tone -of voice, 'It was the blood that sold us.' He then got up and read the -bill again, repeating the words 'Marks of violence on the body;' then -turning to May again, he said, 'There were no marks of violence on the -body, but only a few breaks in the skin;' and as he said so, he sat -down, smiling. - -BISHOP admitted that he had read the bill over, but denied the -expressions imputed to him. - -MARGARET KING, a decent-looking woman, in an advanced state of -pregnancy, was then called forward and sworn. She stated, that on -Thursday fortnight, about one o'clock, she was standing with her -children in Birdcage Walk, near Nova Scotia Gardens, when she saw an -Italian boy, whom she had frequently seen before in the neighbourhood -of Bethnal Green, standing at the corner of Nova Scotia Gardens, with a -little box slung before him. He stood about thirty yards from where she -was standing. She never saw that boy since. He had his back to her, but -still she was sure he was the same boy whom she had seen so frequently -before. He had either a box or a cage with him. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Are you sure it was on a Thursday you saw him where you -have just described? - -WITNESS.--I am sure it was on a Thursday, because it was my washing -day. It was on the Thursday before the 5th of November. I heard some -gentlemen speaking about the awful murder that had been committed on -the body of a poor Italian boy, and I immediately said, 'Dear me, I saw -a boy such as is described, standing at the end of Nova Scotia Gardens -a short time ago.' - -Mrs. PARRAGALLI, who had been before examined, was again called -forward, to prove that she knew the deceased, and had frequently seen -him about the streets carrying a cage, with white mice in it. On the -1st inst. she saw him in Oxford-street, and had since seen his body at -the station-house. - -BISHOP.--Are you quite certain that the boy you saw in Oxford-street -was the same boy whose body lay at the station-house? - -WITNESS.--I have no doubt of it. He used to carry about his little -cage, suspended in front by a string across his shoulders. At a -distance, the cage might appear like a box. - -Mr. CORDER was about to put in evidence the statements which the -prisoners had severally made before the Coroner, when - -Mr. MINSHULL said, that it would perhaps be better to defer receiving -that evidence at present. - -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. - -The haunts of these unfortunate beings are in Vine-street, Saffron -Hill, Bleeding-heart Yard on Holborn Hill, Coal Yard in Drury Lane, -and in the purlieus of Shoreditch. Whole houses are occupied by these -wretched boys, who sleep eight or nine in a bed. Each boy's monkey -is chained near him every night on going to rest, and the other -curiosities are placed in situations appointed to the owners; so that, -on starting out in the morning, each boy takes his own companion. On -the ground floors reside the men, some Italian and some English, to -whom the monkeys, &c., really belong; and they provide each boy with -lodging at fourpence a night, with a basin of gruel in the morning, -upon starting on their peregrinations, having first paid the master for -the use of whatever curiosity they may take with them to exhibit. The -following are the charges made by the proprietors upon the juvenile -crew. - -For a porcupine (very novel, there being only two) and an organ, 4_s._ -per day, being 2_s._ 6_d._ for the porcupine, and 1_s._ 6_d._ for the -organ. - -For a monkey (undressed), 2_s._ per day. - -For a monkey in uniform, 3_s._ per day. - -For a box of white mice, 1_s._ 6_d._ per day. - -For a tortoise, 1_s._ 6_d._ per day. - -For a dog and monkey (the latter may be frequently seen in the street -riding on the dog's back), 3_s._ per day. - -For dancing dogs, four in number, including dresses, spinning-wheel, -pipe and tabor, &c., 5_s._ per day. - -For a box of wax figures of the Siamese twins, 2_s._ per day. - -For an organ with figures waltzing, 3_s._ 6_d._ per day. - -Some of these boys, by their artlessness of manner and gesticulations, -it is said, obtain six or seven shillings a day, and some more. One -of them being asked, what was the largest sum he ever received in -one day, replied, fifteen shillings, which he accounted for in the -following manner:--One day he was ambulating about the Marine Parade, -at Brighton, with his dog and monkey on his back, when a gentleman -offered him fifteen shillings to allow him to throw a stone into the -sea for the dog to fetch. The boy consented, the stone was thrown, and -away jumped the dog with the monkey into the sea; the monkey fastened -tight round the dogs neck, and both reaching the beach in safety, the -boy received the premium. - -To return to our melancholy subject. It having been intimated to Mr. -Minshull, that it would be advisable that the premises occupied by -the prisoner Bishop, in Nova Scotia Gardens, Bethnal Green, should -be strictly searched, and the garden ground dug up, Mr. Thomas, and -some of his constables, together with Mr. Corder and Mr. Cribb, who -was foreman of the coroner's jury, proceeded to the spot on Saturday -morning, the day after the prisoners had been examined in Bow-street, -when a strict search was commenced, first in the house, even the tiles -of which were examined, and next in the privy, which is situate in the -garden, and is detached from the dwelling. After some delay and much -labour, several pieces of human flesh were raised from the soil, and -also the scalp of a head, which was evidently that of a female, from -the profusion of dark brown hair which was found attached to it. It was -supposed that the body to which these discovered portions had belonged, -was a subject stolen from a churchyard, and afterwards cut up, in order -to dispose of the limbs and other parts separately for the purpose of -dissection; a practice which, we understand, is not unusual with those -who follow the trade of body-snatching, and who often obtain as high -a price for a muscular and well-formed leg or arm as for an ordinary -body. Having made this discovery, Mr. Thomas directed his men to dig -up the garden, in the hope that something more might be discovered -connected with the horrible traffic in which the prisoners had been -engaged, and possibly tending to throw additional light upon the case -which is more immediately the subject of inquiry. Two constables were -accordingly set to work with spades and other implements, and having -dug up nearly the whole of the garden, without finding any thing of -importance, that portion of it which formed a path from the house to -the further end next attracted attention, from the circumstance that -the clay, although much trodden, appeared to have been heaped together -for some other object than merely the forming of a pathway. The two -constables were then directed to dig up this portion of the garden; -and an instrument called a searcher, having been made use of for the -purpose, in consequence of the hardness of the soil, a child's blue -jacket was dug up, and a pair of black cloth trowsers, corresponding -in size, followed almost immediately after. The brace button-holes of -the latter were torn, as if force had been used in pulling the trowsers -from the body. Two pieces of riband, used as braces, were attached to -the brace-buttons. The pattern of the riband is a white ground with red -stripes. The jacket, which appeared to have been made for a boy of very -tender age, and which was probably his first, was made of good blue -cloth, with a double row of covered buttons on the left side. A shirt, -corresponding in size with these clothes, was discovered. Having dug -further, a coarse blue coat was next discovered, and also a pair of -trowsers, made of coarse grey cloth, together with a striped waistcoat -and an old shirt. These articles were apparently made to fit a boy -of about fourteen or fifteen years of age. The trowsers were patched -on the knees, and stains of blood were discovered on the waistcoat. -The coat was of a peculiar cut, and resembled those worn by charity -school-boys. After the discovery of these clothes, an application was -made to Mrs. King, who, it will be remembered, had seen an Italian -boy, with a cage slung before him, on the morning of Thursday, the 3d -instant, in Nova Scotia Gardens; and her description of the coat which -the boy wore agrees both in colour and cut with the one which was thus -discovered. - -These facts, with others that came to light in the course of the same -day (Saturday), induced Mr. Thomas, and Messrs. Corder and Cribb, to -wait on Mr. Minshull, at Bow-street Office, on Saturday night, for the -purpose of requesting that, in consequence of the additional evidence -received, a special examination of the prisoners should take place at -as early a period as possible. - -Mr. MINSHULL, to whom the additional evidence was detailed, considered -it of so much importance, that he expressed his willingness to send for -the prisoners that night, in order to proceed with the investigation -at once, or, if necessary for the ends of justice, he was willing to -devote Sunday for that object. It was subsequently arranged that the -examination of the prisoners should take place on Monday at twelve -o'clock. - -In consequence of the advanced state of pregnancy of Mrs. King, who, -it will be seen, is a material witness in the case, it was at first -supposed that the trial of the prisoners must have been deferred until -after the Old Bailey Sessions next ensuing. To obviate this difficulty, -Mr. Corder applied to Mr. Minshull, to have the deposition of Mrs. King -taken specially, and certified, in which case, he said, it was ruled by -the judges, that it might be admitted as evidence on the trial of the -prisoners. - -Mr. MINSHULL at once agreed in the propriety of the application, and -gave directions accordingly. - -Consistently with this arrangement, Bishop, May, Williams, and Shields, -were brought forward on Monday the 21st, for the purpose of undergoing -a special re-examination. - -Mr. Minshull presided on the bench, and was assisted by Mr. Halls, Dr. -Robinson, and Mr. Mallard. Lord Montford and other county magistrates -were also present, and the office was crowded in every part. Several -hundred persons were assembled in Bow-street, to learn the result of -the examination and catch a sight of the prisoners. - -Mr. MINSHULL directed Dodd, the jailer, to place the prisoners at -the bar, and in a few minutes afterwards they entered the dock, and -answered to their names. Bishop appeared to be considerably depressed -in spirits, and as the examination proceeded and new facts came out -against him, his countenance fell, and his eyes, which are full and -prominent, assumed a glassy appearance, as he listened apparently with -intense anxiety to the witnesses. The prisoner May appeared also to -pay particular attention to the evidence, and it was observed, that -during the examination, he displayed, except on one occasion, none of -that indifference and levity which marked his former conduct. Williams, -who has evidently less nerve than either of his companions, betrayed -a restless anxiety as the case proceeded, and on several occasions -his colour changed, and his lips grew white and dry. As to the old -man, Shields, who was placed rather apart from the others, and against -whom no other evidence has yet been produced, except the fact of his -having carried the body in a hamper to the King's College, with a full -knowledge of its contents, he stood upright in the dock, in a sort of -half stupor, without once changing his position during the three hours -and a half which were occupied in the examination. - -As soon as the prisoners were ranged at the bar, - -Mr. CORDER said, that it would be merely requisite at present to -produce such further testimony as would be necessary to fill up the -links in the chain of evidence already brought forward. - -JOHN ATKINSON was then sworn, and identified the hamper. - -EDWARD CHANDLER deposed, that he was waiter at the King of Denmark -watering-house, Old Bailey. On the evening of Friday, the 4th of -November, he saw the prisoners May and Bishop, both of whom he had -previously known, at that house. They came there about five o'clock, -and witness served them with some tea. The witness Seagrove was there -at the same time. The prisoners called for half a pint of gin, with -which he (witness) served them. He drank a glass of the gin himself, -and his fellow servant had another. May also drank a glass of the gin, -and chucked a glass into Bishop's tea. - -Mr. CORDER.--Did Bishop make any observation when the glass of gin was -put into his tea by May? - -WITNESS.--Yes, Bishop said to May when he did this, 'Are you going to -hocus me, or burke me?' - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the witness if he knew the meaning of the word -'hocus?' (This word has been erroneously spelt as _locus_.) - -Mr. HARMER, who attended this and the former examination, to assist the -prosecution, explained that the word was well known, in cant language, -to describe the act of putting a man in a state of stupidity. - -WITNESS, upon being questioned more particularly as to which of the -prisoners, May or Bishop, used the phrase which he had mentioned, -ascribed it first to one and then to the other, upon which May and -Bishop both laughed. The witness, however, who appeared somewhat -confused, said that the words were used by Bishop when May poured the -gin into his cup. - -HENRY MANN, driver of the hackney-coach No. 985, was the next witness -examined. He stated that he was in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, on the -evening of the 4th of November, between the hours of five and six -o'clock, when he was applied to by the prisoner May, to take up a fare -in Bridge-street, and go to Bethnal-green. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Can you swear it was the prisoner May who applied to -you? Look round and see if you can point him out. - -WITNESS.--I know it was May, for I knew him before. There was another -man in company at the time, but I cannot say it was one of the other -prisoners. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Did they tell you where you were to go from -Bethnal-green? - -WITNESS.--No; they did not tell me where I was to go. I declined to go -with them. - -Dr. ROBINSON.--What was your reason for declining the job? - -WITNESS.--My horses had not finished their corn, and I had not taken my -tea. Besides, I had another reason--I knew what May was, and that was -principally the cause of my declining to go with him. - -MARGARET KING, who had on a former examination stated, that she saw -an Italian boy standing close to Bishop's house, on Thursday the 3d -instant, was again called forward, and her evidence having been read -over, - -Mr. MINSHULL asked her if she recollected how the boy was dressed, whom -she had seen on the day in question? She replied, that she recollected -no part of his dress, except that he wore a dark blue coat or jacket. -[Another female witness on the trial swore that it was a dark -green.--Ed.] The boy's dress appeared to be shabby, such as other boys -wore who went about the streets. - -WITNESS did not remember whether the boy had a cap or a hat on. - -Mr. MINSHULL then addressed the prisoners, saying, he had told them -before, and now repeated, that they might, if they thought fit, put -what questions they pleased to the several witnesses who appeared -against them. - -MAY said he was aware of that. The prisoners then declined to put any -questions to Mrs. King. - -JOHN KING, son of the last witness, stated, that he remembered his -mother's washing-day before the last; it was on a Thursday. I saw an -Italian boy standing at the corner of Nova Scotia Gardens, facing -Birdcage Walk; I was looking out at our loft door at the time, and I -asked my mother to let me see what the boy had in his cage or box. She -refused to let me go and see. - -Mr. CORDER.--Can you describe the way in which the Italian boy stood? - -WITNESS.--He stood with his right foot turned out, and, I think, his -arms were resting on the box or cage, which he carried before him. He -wore a brown hairy cap. - -Mr. CORDER.--Have you any recollection what sort of leaf or shade the -cap had got? - -WITNESS.--It was lined with green. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--What time would it take you to go from where the boy was -standing to Bishop's house? - -WITNESS.--It would not take me more than half a minute. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Had you ever seen the boy before? - -WITNESS.--I think I have seen him about before; he used to carry a doll -with two heads in a glass case. I saw him about a month ago. He looked -like the same boy. I have not seen him since the Thursday I saw him in -the gardens; he was then standing to see if any one would come and see -what he had to show. I did not see him go away. - -MARGARET KING being sworn, said, that her mother washed on a Thursday, -but she was not sure whether it was on Thursday fortnight or the -Wednesday that she saw the Italian boy in Nova Scotia Gardens. She -could not describe his clothes, but remembered that he wore a brown -hairy cap. She had seen the boy before that day; he was standing -opposite Birdcage Walk, and had a box or cage slung over his neck by a -sling. The cap which he had on was brown, hairy, and rough. She did not -perceive how the shade of it was lined, because the boy had his back -towards her. She never saw him since that day. - -JOSEPH HIGGINS, a police constable of the F division, No. 35, was then -sworn, and his former evidence having been read over, he stated in -addition, that on Saturday last Mr. Thomas directed James Waddy and -him to proceed to Bishop's residence, in Nova Scotia Gardens, for the -purpose of digging up the garden. They went accordingly, and having -tried the ground with an iron spit, it struck against some spongy -substance in the earth, on the west side of the garden, and at a -distance of about five yards from the door of the dwelling-house. They -dug up the earth, and found a jacket, a pair of trowsers, and a little -boy's shirt. Part of the suspenders, which were composed of yellow -calico, were attached to the trowsers, some of the button-holes of -which were broken. About a yard farther, the iron rod again struck upon -something soft, which proved to be a blue jacket, or short coat, a pair -of grey trowsers, and a striped waistcoat. - -Mr. CORDER.--Did you perceive anything particular on the waistcoat? - -WITNESS.--I perceived marks of blood on the collar, both inside -and outside. I found in the pocket of the waistcoat a piece of a -small-tooth comb; and I also found an old shirt, which was torn down -the centre. - -Mr. HARMER.--You swear that the shirt was torn, as it now appears, when -you dug it up? - -WITNESS.--I do. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Look again at the waistcoat, and say, whether those -marks of blood were on the neck part when you took it from the ground? - -WITNESS.--They were. They had more the appearance of blood when I took -the waistcoat from the ground than now. I took particular notice of the -marks; the colour appeared to be deeper, and the blood more fresh than -now. - -Mr. HALLS, having examined the waistcoat, observed, that it appeared to -have been made for a grown-up person, and it had been taken in at the -back, in order to make it fit to whosoever it last belonged. - -Mr. THOMAS observed, that the waistcoat had been taken in with coarse -worsted, and in a very rough manner. - -Mr. MINSHULL said, that the fact of the waistcoat having been made for -a man was important, and it might be the means of bringing forward the -person to whom it originally belonged. - -JAMES WADDY was then sworn, and stated, that he was a gardener and -labourer, and assisted the last witness in digging up the garden. They -began at twelve o'clock on Saturday, and kept on until four, when they -came to a narrow border, close to the palings, and about five yards -from the door of the house. The witness here identified the child's -dress which had been first discovered. - -Dr. ROBINSON.--How deep were they buried in the ground? - -WITNESS.--About a foot deep. Having found these things, the last -witness tried the ground again, and dug up the grey trowsers, -waistcoat, and shirt, which have been produced. They were made into a -bundle, and were wrapped up in the grey trowsers. - -Mr. CORDER.--Had you any particular reason for trying the part of the -ground where the articles were found? - -WITNESS.--Yes; our suspicions were raised in consequence of seeing some -ashes spread over the place, and also on perceiving that the ground was -loose. - -Mr. MINSHULL to the prisoners.--Have you any questions to ask either of -the last witnesses? - -BISHOP.--Nothing particular now. - -Mr. THOMAS was the next witness examined. He stated that he went -yesterday (Sunday) to Bishop's house, for the purpose of making a more -rigid search. On examining the front parlour, he found among a heap of -old clothes and dirty linen, the cap which he now produced. - -Mr. HALLS.--In what part of the room did you find this cap? - -Mr. THOMAS.--In a corner, where there was a heap of soiled linen and -children's dresses. - -Mrs. KING was recalled, and the blue coat last found submitted to her -view. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Was that such a coat as the Italian boy had on, whom you -saw in Nova Scotia gardens, on the day you have already mentioned? - -WITNESS.--The coat is to all appearance exactly like the coat which -the boy had on, but there is no mark about it to enable me to swear -positively that it is the same coat. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--You are not called upon to swear so positively to it, -but only to the best of your knowledge and belief. - -WITNESS.--All I can say is, that the coat is exactly like, as far as -regards colour, size, and shape, and it has every appearance of the -coat which the boy had on, when I saw him on Thursday. - -JOHN KING, son of the last witness, was then recalled, and the fur cap -produced by Mr. Thomas, having been placed in his hands, he was asked -if it was like the one which the Italian boy had on, whom he saw near -Bishop's house. - -WITNESS.--It looks exactly like the cap which the Italian boy had on. - -MARGARET KING, sister to the last witness, having also examined the -cap, gave precisely similar testimony. - -Mr. CORDER sworn and examined. I was present at the examination of the -body of the deceased, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday last, -and I feel quite sure that the body so disinterred was that of the -Italian boy, upon which a coroner's inquest had been held: this body -was shown on Saturday in my presence to the witness Brun. - -AUGUSTINE BRUN was then called forward, and Joseph Parragalli was sworn -to interpret his evidence truly. He stated that he knew a boy named -Carlo Ferrair or Ferrari, and that he brought him to this country two -years ago, from Piedmont. He was a Savoyard. Witness took him from his -parents. His father's name was Joseph Ferrari. Witness had the boy for -nine or ten months, and then bound him over to another person for two -years and one month. The last time the witness saw the boy alive, was -about fifteen months ago. This was after he had been bound, and he then -went with his new master towards Bristol, and witness left town in -another direction. The boy, who was about fifteen, lodged about that -time at the house of Mr. Elliott, No. 2, Charles-street, Drury-lane. -Witness saw the dead body of a boy on Saturday, _but he could not -identify the face_. The hair, colour of the eyes, and also the size -of the body, corresponded with the description of the boy whom he had -named. The _tout ensemble_ agreed. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Ask the witness, whether he can swear, to the best of -his knowledge and belief, that the body which he saw was that of Carlo -Ferrari? - -The interpreter having put the question, the witness replied, that 'The -features were so disfigured by decay, that _he could not swear that the -face was the same_.' - -Mr. THOMAS desired the interpreter to ask, whether the witness -remembered any warts on the left hand of the boy, Carlo Ferrari. - -The interpreter answered, that 'The marks of identity on the hand were -also obliterated by the green colour which it had assumed.' - -Mr. CORDER said, that although the witness had properly given his -evidence with so much caution, he appeared to be satisfied in his own -mind of the identity of the body, for almost ever since he saw it he -had been crying. - -JOSEPH PARRAGALLI, the interpreter, was then sworn, and stated, that he -remembered a boy named Carlo Ferrari, who lived with his master about -eighteen months ago, at No. 2, Charles-street, Drury-lane. Witness -examined the body of the deceased before the inquest took place, and -was quite positive that it was the boy, Carlo Ferrari, whom he had so -known. Witness saw him alive in the Quadrant, about twenty yards from -the County Fire Office, about a month or five weeks ago. It was a very -wet day, and the poor boy looked cold and miserable. He had his cage -suspended from his neck. Witness had seen him about a week before in -Portland-place, and spoke to him then. He could not, however, describe -the boy's dress on either occasion, which he accounted for by saying, -he was too much occupied with his own business to observe it. The box -which the boy used to carry was divided into a cage, which used to turn -round with the mice in it, and they slept in the box part. - -Dr. ROBINSON.--What opportunity had you for taking such particular -notice of the boy, as to be able to identify him after death? - -WITNESS.--I was present when the boy was bound over by the last witness -to his new master, and had, besides, other opportunities of knowing -the boy, for I was constantly at the house of his master. [It will be -remembered, that when before the coroner, the Parragallis positively -depose, that they do not know the name of the boy whom they saw in the -Quadrant, and in Oxford-street. By what means they subsequently and so -suddenly attained to the knowledge of it, so as to be able positively -to swear, that the boy whom they saw in the Quadrant was an Italian, -whose name they knew to be Carlo Ferrari, appears rather enigmatical, -and is one of those contradictory circumstances, by which this most -extraordinary case is distinguished.--Ed.] - -In answer to another question, the witness gave it as his opinion, that -the fur of the cap produced was _English_, but that the leaf was of -_French_ manufacture. When the boy first came to this country, he wore -a cap, the leaf of which was similar to that of the cap now produced. - -The evidence having arrived at this stage, Mr. CORDER said it was not -intended to proceed further in the case that day. - -Mr. MINSHULL then asked the prisoners if they wished to say anything. - -BISHOP shook his head, saying, he had nothing to say then. The other -prisoners also declined saying anything. - -They were then about to be removed from the bar, when Mr. Thomas begged -leave, before the prisoners were remanded, to request that Bishop and -Williams might be placed at the bar alone, as he meant to charge them -with another murder. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Is it your wish, Mr. Thomas, that the other two -prisoners should be removed from the bar before you make your charge? - -Mr. THOMAS.--I am willing to make my charge in the presence of all -four; but I have no wish that May and Shields should remain. - -Mr. MINSHULL then directed Dodd, the jailer, to remove May and Shields, -and leave Bishop and Williams at the bar. - -Mr. THOMAS was then sworn, and stated, that he felt it his duty, as -a public officer, to charge John Bishop and James Williams, alias -Head, with the murder of another boy, whose name, for the present, was -unknown. He was in possession of some evidence at present, and expected -much more. - -Mr. BURNABY, the clerk, asked Mr. Thomas, if he meant to produce any -evidence now before the magistrates, in support of the charge against -the prisoners at the bar? - -Mr. THOMAS replied in the negative, and said, he meant to charge the -prisoners generally for the present, reserving the evidence which he -had now in his possession, and that which he expected to receive, for a -future opportunity. - -Mr. MINSHULL observed, that Mr. Thomas acted very properly, and -directed the charge to be taken in general terms, as he wished it. The -charge having been written down accordingly, - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the prisoners if they wished to say anything -touching this charge. - -BISHOP answered, 'Nothing.' - -Mr. MINSHULL then informed the prisoners that they would be brought -forward for re-examination on this and the other charge, on the -following Friday. - -The prisoners were then removed in custody, strongly guarded. - -On the day following the above examination, Mr. Corder applied to Mr. -Minshull for the purpose of obtaining an order to liberate Sarah Bishop -and Rhoda Head, alias Williams, who had been in custody for some days, -charged with being accessories after the fact in the murder of the -Italian boy. Mr. Corder observed, that as yet there was no evidence -whatever against either of the women, and as they might be wanted by -their husbands to procure them the means of defence, should their trial -come on at the ensuing Old Bailey sessions, he considered that it would -be but an act of humanity to release them from custody, particularly as -there was no evidence to warrant their detention. - -Mr. BURNABY, the clerk, said, that Mr. Thomas, upon whose charge the -prisoners were detained, was desirous that they should not be liberated -until after the trial; and as facts might arise between this and the -sessions tending to fix the women with a guilty knowledge of the -murder, it would, perhaps, be the better way to detain them for the -present. - -Mr. MINSHULL agreed in the propriety of detaining the female prisoners, -at least until Friday next, when their husbands would undergo another -examination. Besides, where were they to go if they were now liberated? -The police were in possession of the house in which they had resided, -and would, no doubt, retain it as long as there was any chance of -procuring additional evidence. - -The female prisoners, who had been brought from prison for the purpose -of undergoing an examination, were then ordered to be placed at the -bar; and on their appearance there, - -Mr. MINSHULL told them, that he was in hopes he might have discharged -them; but from what had been suggested, he felt it his duty to retain -them until Friday, when they would be again brought forward. - -The prisoners were then conveyed from the bar. - -Two of Bishop's children were taken from the workhouse, where they had -been placed on the apprehension of their mother, and lodged in the -station house at Covent Garden, with a view to their giving evidence in -the case, one of them, a little boy, having told another boy, before -the murder was discovered, that he had some nice little white mice at -home, and that his father had broken up their cage to light the fire. -From the tender age of the children, however, it was determined not -to make witnesses of them; and they were accordingly sent back to the -workhouse at Bethnal Green. - -When Higgins, the police constable, was engaged in digging up the -garden-ground on Saturday, Bishop's eldest son, a boy about twelve -years old, was present; and when the officer looked suspiciously -towards the raised pathway, beneath which, it will be remembered, the -clothes were discovered, the little fellow told him to be cautious how -he dug there, as the cesspool was under that part of the ground; and if -he (Higgins) attempted to remove the earth, he would be sure to fall -into it. This fact which was stated by the constable would lead to the -belief that the child was aware of the clothes having been buried where -they were subsequently found. - -It is not improbable that the concealment of the articles took place -immediately after Bishop and his associates were taken into custody. - -It now became a subject of serious deliberation whether the case, as -it now stood against the prisoners, with whatever evidence might arise -in the interim, should be sent to the ensuing Old Bailey sessions, -commencing the 1st of December, or whether it might not be advisable -to await the issue of the second charge of murder which Mr. Thomas -preferred against the prisoners, Bishop and Williams. - -Mr. MINSHULL was in favour of keeping the case open for the reception -of fresh evidence; and the Recorder of London waited upon Mr. Minshull -to request that a case of such public importance might not be sent to -the Old Bailey unless the evidence was as complete as circumstances -would allow. The same anxiety was also, we understand, expressed at the -Home Office. - -The exertions of the police officers were now leading them to the -discovery of another murder committed by the horrid wretches, Bishop -and Williams; and which, perhaps, never would have been detected, but -for the discovery of the murder of the Italian boy. - -It will be remembered, that in consequence of the strict search which -Mr. Thomas caused to be made at the residence of Bishop, a quantity -of human flesh, together with the scalp of a woman's head, to which a -considerable portion of long brown hair was attached, were found in -the privy. It was at first conjectured that these were portions of -a subject which Bishop had procured from a churchyard, and that the -limbs had been sold to the surgeons separately,--a practice by no means -uncommon. Recent events, however, having raised a strong suspicion that -the residence of Bishop has been the scene of more than one murder, Mr. -Thomas, acting upon that impression, went yesterday (Wednesday 23rd) -to Bishop's house, with the view of making a still further search, and -appeared before Mr. Halls on the same day at Bow-street to communicate -the result. - -Mr. Thomas was accompanied by two females, mother and daughter, who -lived in the neighbourhood of Bishop's house. The mother had stated -to him, that about three weeks ago a daughter of hers had disappeared -in the most sudden and mysterious manner, and under circumstances -altogether unaccountable. She had taken tea with her mother and sister -on the evening of her disappearance, and went out to execute some -trifling errand. Her return was therefore expected every minute; but -from that time to the present she had neither been seen nor heard of. -There had been no previous quarrel to account for her absence; and her -relatives were under the dreadful impression that she had been waylaid -and murdered. - -Mr. THOMAS added, that in consequence of his having made further -discoveries that morning, in the house adjoining to Bishop's residence, -the mother and sister of the missing young woman, who were now present, -called upon him at the station-house, and upon showing them the hair -which was previously found in the privy, they both of them declared it -to be similar to that of the young woman, whose absence had given rise -to such dreadful apprehensions. - -Mr. THOMAS then called forward the mother and daughter, and asked -the latter to describe her sister's hair. She replied, that it was -of a dark brown colour, very long, and that it closely resembled her -mother's hair. - -Mr. THOMAS then drew the attention of Mr. Halls to the mother's hair, -and observed, that it was exactly like the hair which had been found -in the manner before described. He then added, from inquiries he had -previously made, he was enabled to prove, that about the time when -the young woman was first missed from her home, Bishop had sold two -subjects, one of them the body of a young female, at Guy's Hospital. -Having been engaged, however, at the time he ascertained this fact, in -the case of the Italian boy, he did not feel it necessary to make any -particular inquiries respecting the two bodies he had mentioned, but -he should now feel it his duty to cause such inquiries to be made. - -Mr. HALLS observed, that the circumstances stated by Mr. Thomas had -certainly a very suspicious appearance, and he told both mother and -daughter, that they might rest assured that every means would be taken -by Mr. Thomas to sift the matter to the utmost. The inquiry could not -be in better hands. - -Mr. THOMAS said it was not without good reason he had prayed for the -detention of Bishop's wife and sister, for he considered it quite -impossible that they could have been ignorant of what was passing in -the house. - -Mr. HALLS said he fully agreed in the propriety of detaining both women -in custody, and he was quite sure that Mr. Minshull would not part with -them until the latest moment that their detention might be necessary. - -Mr. THOMAS then observed, that he had that morning deemed it expedient -to examine the house immediately adjoining to that in which Bishop had -lived, which had been empty for a considerable time, and until a week -of Bishop's apprehension. The result was, that a woman's gown, shawl, a -pair of stays, chemise, and a pair of stockings were discovered in the -privy. - -Mr. HALLS asked if the mother and daughter had seen the articles. - -The mother replied, that she went to the place for the purpose of -seeing them, in order to ascertain if they were her daughter's clothes, -but she was not allowed a sight of them. - -Mr. THOMAS said, he would furnish her with a written order to inspect -the clothes, and at Mr. Halls' suggestion, he added, that he would send -a constable with her, to ensure her and her daughter an immediate view -of the articles. - -Mr. HALLS then asked a question as to the situation of Bishop's house, -observing, that he understood it lay in a very lonely situation. - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that Bishop's house formed one of what he might -almost call a colony of cottages, but although placed in the immediate -neighbourhood of each other, they were each divided by a low wooden -paling, enclosing a small space of garden ground, attached to the -separate dwellings. Bishop and Williams resided together in the same -house, for the last eighteen months, and as the house contained but -three rooms altogether, and those were very small, he was quite -convinced that all who were inmates in the house must have been aware -of what was passing in it. Besides, as he had before stated, Bishop and -Williams had the use of the adjoining cottage, and as the discovery -he had made that morning proved they had taken advantage of the -circumstance, in order more effectually to carry on their abominable -traffic, there was no doubt of their having chosen this very situation -expressly for the purpose. - -Mr. HALLS asked if the garden adjoining Bishop's had been dug up? - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that he had left some of his men engaged in turning -up the ground; but Bishop and Williams might have had access to nearly -fifty enclosed gardens besides that, as they had only to step across -some low palings to get from one to the other. - -Mr. HALLS observed, that it would be well to search the gardens of -some of the other cottages, and he supposed the persons who owned that -ground would have no objection. - -Mr. THOMAS replied, that it would be an easy matter to do so, for the -poor people who lived in the adjoining cottages were so panic-struck -with the recent discoveries, that many of them had left, and others -were following the example. - -Mr. THOMAS soon after retired, for the purpose of sending a constable -with the mother and sister of the girl who is missing, in order that -they might obtain an immediate inspection of the articles of clothing -which were found in the manner described. - -The clothes were accordingly inspected by the parties, who at once -declared that they were not the same which the missing girl had on -when she disappeared. The following is an accurate description of the -articles found, and their appearance justifies the belief, that to -whatever unfortunate woman they belonged, they had been violently torn -from her body, either immediately after death or in a struggle with her -murderers. A camlet cloak, a plaid gown torn up in front, a flannel -petticoat also torn up in front, with two large patches of blood near -the top, a shift torn up in front, a pair of stays cut up in front in -a zigzag manner, and laced in the back in the usual way, an old muslin -half handkerchief, a pair of black worsted stockings very coarse, black -cloth pockets, a pair of female's shoes, the tops made of black twilled -silk, and a pincushion of scarlet cloth. - -These articles were found made up into a bundle. The garden ground was -partly turned up, but nothing discovered. The house, it would appear, -had been occupied by the prisoner Williams, before he married Bishop's -sister. - -On Friday, the 25th, the prisoners, Bishop, May, Shields, and Williams, -were brought to the office, in Bow-street, for the purpose of being -finally examined on the charge of murdering Carlo Ferrari, the Italian -boy. Long before the hour appointed for the examination to commence, -the street in front of the office was nearly blockaded by crowds of -persons; and as the prisoners alighted from the van, at ten o'clock -in the morning, they were again assailed by the groans and hisses of -hundreds. The bench was crowded with magistrates, and the office itself -was filled in every part. - -At twelve o'clock the prisoners were brought in, guarded by a strong -body of constables, and placed in front of the dock. - -Mr. MINSHULL having intimated that he meant to confine the examination -exclusively to the murder of the Italian boy, - -Mr. CORDER said, he intended to produce five or six additional -witnesses, for the purpose of strengthening the case, and completing -the chain of evidence already made out at the previous examination. He -then called - -SARAH, the wife of John Trueby, who having been sworn, stated, that -she was landlady of the cottage which Bishop had lately occupied. The -houses Nos. 1, 2, and 3, Nova Scotia Gardens, belonged to her husband, -for whom she collected the rents. In the month of July, 1830, she let -the house, No. 3, to Bishop's wife. Bishop lived there until the 5th of -November, 1831. About four months since, she let the house adjoining, -No. 2, to the prisoner Williams, alias Head, and he lived there about -two months. The house stood empty for some time, but it was now in -the occupation of a man named Woodcock. The gardens of the two houses -were separated by a paling, about three feet high, and there was a -gate which opened from one to the other. Witness had frequently seen -Williams in Bishop's house and garden since he gave up the occupation -of the house next door. She had also seen Williams's wife there without -her bonnet. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--The question we want you to answer is this--Have you -seen the prisoner Williams residing at the house of Bishop? - -WITNESS.--I have seen him frequently there, but I cannot positively say -that he resided there. - -Mr. THOMAS said, that he took Mrs. Williams into custody at the house -of Bishop, where she appeared to be residing at the time. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Who paid the rent of Bishop's cottage? - -WITNESS.--It was sometimes paid by Mrs. Bishop, and sometimes by Bishop -himself. Williams paid his own rent, while he occupied the house next -door. - -Prisoner WILLIAMS.--She knows I took the house to work at the glass -trade. - -ROBERT MORTIMER, of Nova Scotia Gardens, tailor, was then sworn. -About two months ago he was employed to turn a coat for the prisoner -Williams, and frequently called upon him for payment at Bishop's house. -He appeared to be living there, up to the period of his apprehension on -the present charge. - -WILLIAM WOODCOCK sworn.--I am a brass-founder, and occupy the house -No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens, adjoining Bishop's cottage. I went to -live there on Monday, the 7th of October last. I had frequently seen -Williams in Bishop's house. I remember the night of Thursday, the 3d of -November. On that night I went to bed at half-past nine o'clock, and -about three or four hours after, I was awakened by a noise in Bishop's -house. I got up, and heard a scuffling or struggling. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Describe particularly the sort of noise you heard. - -WITNESS.--It was like men's feet; I can swear to three men. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--At what hour do you suppose this occurred? - -WITNESS.--I went to bed at half-past nine; and I suppose I might have -slept for about four hours, when I was awakened by the noise I have -described. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--You speak of the feet of three men;--how can you tell -the number? - -WITNESS.--I can account for it in this way. After I heard the scuffling -in the house, I listened, and heard the gate shut, and knew, from -the sound of the feet, that two men ran away through the gate, from -Bishop's house. They came back again almost immediately; and while they -were absent, I heard the heavy tread of only one man in Bishop's house. - -Mr. HALLS.--When you heard the scuffle you describe, did you at the -same time hear the voices of the men who appeared to be engaged in it? -did they say anything? - -WITNESS.--I heard the voices of men, but could not tell what was said. -I can speak to the voices of two of the men, but cannot speak as to the -third. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--To the best of your belief, were there three men? - -WITNESS.--There must have been three, for I distinctly heard two of -them run from the house, and at the same time I heard the foot of the -third man in the house. Everything was quite still at the time, and I -could have heard a mouse stir. - -Mr. CORDER.--Then it was before the two men ran from the house that you -heard the struggle? - -WITNESS.--It was when the two men returned to the house, that all was -still. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--How long was it before the two men returned? - -WITNESS.--About a minute, I should think. I thought it had been a -family quarrel, and that two of the party had gone to fetch the police. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Did you hear any female voices? - -The witness replied in the negative, and added, that as soon as all -was still, and finding that the noise was not in his own house, he went -to sleep, and thought no more about the matter. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Should you know the voices of the men again? - -WITNESS.--I cannot positively say that I could swear to the three -voices. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Are you familiar with the voices of the prisoners, May, -Bishop, and Williams? - -WITNESS.--I never heard the voices of either May or Bishop before that -time, but I think I can swear to the voice of Williams. I have reason -to believe that his was one of the three voices that I heard. - -Mr. HALLS.--Did it strike you at the moment that you heard the voice of -Williams? - -WITNESS.--Yes, it struck me at the moment that it was the voice of -Williams. Had I known that anything wrong was going on at the time, -I might have put my ear closer to the wall, and might have heard -everything that passed. - -Mr. BURNABY, the clerk.--In what part of the house did you hear the -scuffling? - -WITNESS.--It took place in the front parlour, and my bed was in the -front parlour of the house adjoining. - -The prisoner Williams here observed, that on the Thursday night spoken -to by the witness, Bishop kicked up a row, and broke his things. - -WITNESS.--The row of which you speak, when Bishop broke his things, was -on the previous Sunday night. - -WILLIAMS.--No, it was on the Thursday; and I went for the policeman, -who came with me to the palings, about two o'clock in the morning, but -refused to go any further. I took care of my wife's bonnet and shawl, -and also a looking-glass, to prevent Bishop from breaking them. The -policeman was present at the time. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--The explanation, prisoner, which you give is, that the -row, as you call it, took place on the night of Thursday, and not on -the Sunday night. - -WILLIAMS.--It was either Thursday night or Friday night. The women can -say which night it was. (Here Bishop whispered Williams, and the latter -said no more.) - -WILLIAM WOODCOCK, aged twelve, son of the witness Woodcock already -examined, was next called to prove that Bishop and Williams were joint -occupiers of the house, No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens. Witness remembered -Saturday, the 5th of November, because it was Guy Fawkes' day; and two -or three days before that he saw Williams smoking a pipe in Bishop's -garden. - -THOMAS WIGLEY, of No. 17, Cock Lane, Smithfield, was then sworn, and -stated that he lived next door to the Fortune of War public-house, in -Giltspur street, and was employed as porter at the Cross Keys Inn, -Wood-street. He remembered the night of the 4th of November. He went -into the tap-room of the Fortune of War about half-past six o'clock on -that night, and remained until half-past eight. About half-past seven, -Bishop and May came into the room. Bishop sat next to witness, and May -sat on the opposite side. Bishop said to May, 'What do you think of our -new one? did not he go up to him well? I told you he was a staunch one. -Don't you think he is a staunch one now?' (The face of Bishop became -suddenly flushed as the witness repeated the words attributed to him.) - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Did Bishop say anything more to May? - -WITNESS.--Yes, he said to May, 'Do you stick by me, and I will stick -to you. I know the other one is all right; he's nothing but a good -one.' In about an hour after this, Williams came in, upon which Bishop -said, 'I told you he would come; there's a good one.' (Here Williams -laughed.) - -Mr. MINSHULL asked the witness if May said anything in answer to what -Bishop said. - -The witness replied, that May said in reply to Bishop, 'I don't know -what you mean.' Soon after, Bishop and Williams got up, and said they -would go home. May said, I am going to stop a bit.' He then took up a -newspaper, and Bishop and Williams left the room together. - -Mr. CORDER.--Did you perceive that May, during this conversation, had -anything with him wrapped up in a handkerchief? - -WITNESS.--I saw that he had a handkerchief in his hand, which appeared -to contain something, but I cannot say what. The handkerchief was wet. - -The depositions of the witnesses previously examined were then ordered -to be read over. When the evidence of Davis, the porter at Guy's -Hospital, was read to him, he complained of a statement which, he said, -appeared in the morning papers of the preceding day, and particularly -in the Times. - -Mr. MINSHULL told the witness, that if he had any addition to make -to his evidence, he would willingly swear him; but he had nothing to -do with what was published in the newspapers. If anything had been -mis-stated, his proper course was to apply to the editors of the -papers, who would, no doubt, willingly correct any error. - -The reading of the depositions was then resumed, and having been -concluded, - -Mr. CORDER then read the statements made by the prisoners before the -Coroner, and which had been committed to writing by order of the -Coroner. - -Mr. HALLS asked if it was in evidence that the body which was offered -at the King's College was the same upon which the inquest was -subsequently held. - -Mr. HILL, of the King's College, who received the body there, and Mr. -Thomas, to whom it was afterwards delivered at the station-house, -proved that fact. - -Mr. CORDER said, that the whole of the evidence was now gone through, -as applying to the prisoners Bishop, Williams, and May. With regard to -the prisoner Shields, it was not intended to offer any evidence against -him. - -Mr. MINSHULL then directed that the prisoner Shields should be removed -from the bar, and brought round in front of the bench. The magistrate -told him he was discharged from this offence, but that he meant to -swear him as a witness. The oath having been administered to him, he -went into a long statement as to the manner in which he met Bishop, who -told him that he wanted him to do a little job on the Saturday morning. -He agreed, and went to Guy's Hospital, Bishop having previously -procured a hamper, for the purpose of conveying the body from that -place to the King's College. He accordingly carried it from Guy's -Hospital to the latter place on the Saturday, but knew nothing whatever -of what the hamper contained. Bishop was to have given him half-a-crown -for the job, but he had not 'as yet' received the money. - -Mr. CORDER observed, that the statement of Shields differed in several -points from the account which he gave before the Coroner. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--You say you were not aware of what the hamper contained; -do you still persist in saying so? - -SHIELDS.--Upon my word, your worship, I knew nothing of what the -hamper contained. I carried it as I would any other job. - -A MAGISTRATE.--Did you ever carry any load for Bishop or May before? - -SHIELDS.--No, your honour, never. - -Mr. BURNABY, the clerk.--You know, Shields, you have carried bodies -repeatedly to the hospitals. You should remember you are now on your -oath. - -SHIELDS.--I mean to say, that I did not know what the hamper contained -that May and Bishop hired me to carry. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Have you heard any conversation pass between the -prisoners relating to this murder, during any time you may have passed -in their company since they and you were apprehended? - -SHIELDS.--None whatever, your worship, except that I heard Bishop say -he got the body from the ground. - -Mr. CORDER.--It is quite clear that this man cannot be believed on his -oath, and therefore it would be useless to make a witness of him. - -Mr. MINSHULL said, he certainly should not allow him to give evidence; -for every word which he had as yet spoken went for nothing. If he -discharged him now, it would be on the condition of his undertaking to -communicate to Mr. Thomas where he went to live, in the event of his -removing from his present residence. - -Mr. CORDER submitted, that Shields ought to be detained, at least for -the present. - -Mr. MINSHULL then told Shields, that as there might be a charge of -another description against him, he certainly should not now consent -to his discharge. He would take time to consider how he ought to be -disposed of. - -Shields was then removed in custody. - -Mr. MINSHULL then addressed Bishop, saying, 'John Bishop, you have -heard all the witnesses who came to give evidence against you. The -whole of that evidence is now completed; and therefore, if you wish to -say anything, now is your time, as this is the last opportunity you -will have of appearing before me. - -BISHOP.--No, Sir, I have nothing to say at present. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--James Williams, alias Head, have you anything which you -wish to say? - -WILLIAMS.--Nothing, Sir. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--John May, is it your wish to speak before you are -finally committed? - -MAY.--I have nothing more to say, Sir, than what I said already at the -Coroner's inquest. This man, Bishop, can clear me of everything, if he -likes to speak the truth. He knows I am innocent of the charge. The man -says he got the body from the ground, but he don't like to say where, -because he is loth to injure the two watchmen left to guard it. Things, -however, are come to such a crisis now, that he ought to speak the -truth, and I wish him to speak the truth--(he added, looking full in -Bishop's face)--for I defy him to say anything to implicate me. I knew -nothing of the body until I went to take it from Bishop's house. - -BISHOP, in a low tone, said, I have said nothing against you. It is -true what you say, you knew nothing of it till then. - -MAY.--I did not; that is the truth. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Have you anything more to say? - -MAY.--No, your worship, not now. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Prisoners, you will all be committed to Newgate, to take -your trial at the ensuing sessions at the Old Bailey, commencing on -the 1st of December next, for the Wilful Murder of CARLO FERRARI; and -there will be another count in the indictment, charging you with the -wilful murder of a person unknown. You are now committed accordingly. - -The prisoners were then about to be removed, when Williams requested -that his friends might be allowed to see him; adding, that he had -nothing to say to any person that he would not be willing should be -heard in the presence of the officers of the jail. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--You will be lodged in Newgate, and whatever -accommodations are customary there, will, I have no doubt, be afforded -you. I have no power to interfere. - -The prisoners were then removed from the bar, strongly guarded. - -Mr. CORDER then, addressing the magistrate, observed, that he had done -all he could to assist the prosecution, and on the part of the parish -which he represented, he should, of course, proceed. He was, however, -instructed to say, that the expense of prosecuting this case fell -rather hard upon the parish, inasmuch as the body was not found in -it; neither had the boy come by his death in the parish. He was aware -that it was necessary that the body should have been removed, for safe -custody, to the station-house, and therefore that, so far, the thing -was unavoidable. The parish, however, was not in a very prosperous -state, and he was fearful, from an interview he had had with a member -of the government at the Home Office, that no pecuniary assistance was -to be looked to from that quarter. - -Mr. HARMER said, that being aware that the parish of St. Paul, Covent -Garden, was not at present in the most flourishing condition, he had -offered the parish officers his humble efforts gratuitously to conduct -the prosecution. - -Mr. CORDER said, he was bound to acknowledge the able assistance which -he had received from Mr. Harmer. - -Mr. HARMER said, that the difficulty of prosecuting such a case, in -which there were so many witnesses, would be considerably lessened by -the manner in which the evidence was taken and arranged by the clerk. - -Mr. MINSHULL then directed the jailer to bring in the wives of Bishop -and Williams. - -They were accordingly brought forward, and Mr. Minshull told them they -were discharged, and might go where they pleased. The cottage, however, -in which they had lived was in the possession of the police; and, under -all circumstances, he supposed they would not think of returning there. - -Mrs. BISHOP said, they certainly would not. - -They were then removed, and ordered to be taken care of by the jailer, -and on no account to be allowed to go into the street while it was -crowded by so large a concourse of people. - -Mr. Thomas had previously told Bishop that his wife would be discharged -that day. His reply was, 'I thank you, Sir. I hope you will look to -her, and see that she is not insulted by the mob.' Shields was ordered -to be detained for a similar reason; and it was not until late on the -same night that he was liberated, after the crowds had left the street. - -Notwithstanding the heavy rain that fell during the whole of the -afternoon, the concourse of persons in Bow-street remained undiminished -until the arrival of the van, when considerable difficulty was -experienced by the officers to get the prisoners conveyed with safety -into the vehicle. The yells and hootings which the mob set up on -their appearance was deafening; and but for an additional guard of -constables, the consequences might have been very serious. Williams -and Bishop cowered down, as if to avoid at once the fury and the gaze -of the assembled crowds. May, however, stood more erect, and jumped -lightly into the van, which immediately drove off to Newgate, followed -by the shouts and execrations of the people. - -When May was removed to the lock-up room, after he was taken from the -bar, he burst into tears, and declared solemnly to Dodd, the jailer, -that he knew nothing whatever of the boy's death, and never saw the -body until Bishop showed it to him in the box. He then said, that an -acquittal would almost be as bad as a conviction to him; for where -could he find employment after this charge? Bishop and Williams, on -the contrary, were by no means cast down. They appeared to rally their -spirits, and assumed a levity of manner, which, however, was but of -short duration. - -On the prisoners being conveyed in the prison van from Bow-street to -Newgate, they were followed by a mob of between two and three hundred -persons, hooting and yelling. In order to evade the mob, the van drove -out of Fleet-street, through Chancery-lane, towards the House of -Correction, where two or three other prisoners were disposed of, whence -the van proceeded towards the Old Bailey; and the mob still increasing, -on arriving at Newgate, it was with the greatest difficulty that a -number of officers could clear the way before the felon's door for the -admission of the prisoners. The discordant yells were so tremendous as -to frighten several horses in the different vehicles as they passed by. - -It will be remembered that, previously to the final committal to -Newgate of Bishop, Williams, and May, for the murder of the Italian -boy, the entire dress of a woman was found in the privy of the house -adjoining to that which Bishop and Williams occupied at the time -of their apprehension. The articles so found were, on Saturday, the -26th of November, fully identified as having belonged to a poor woman -named Frances Pigburn, who suddenly disappeared about six weeks -ago; and a warrant, charging Bishop and Williams with her murder, -was lodged in Newgate on the evening of that day. Mr. Thomas was -since that time unremitting in his exertions to procure additional -evidence; and on Monday night Michael Shields, the porter, who was -discharged from custody on the previous Friday, came to Mr. Thomas at -the station-house; and having declared that he wished to do all in his -power to forward the ends of justice, made a voluntary statement, which -Mr. Thomas took down in writing, and of which the following is the -substance:-- - -He said he was employed by Bishop and Williams early in the morning -of Sunday, the 9th of October last, to go, along with Bishop's sister -(Rhoda Head, alias Williams), into the Borough to carry a trunk. Bishop -and Williams called upon him at his lodgings in Eagle-street, Red -Lion-square, and called him up. He then accompanied them to Bishop's -house in Nova Scotia Gardens, and when he got there, Bishop placed a -trunk upon his knot. It was the same trunk which Mr. Thomas produced -at Bow-street, in the late inquiry. They all left Nova Scotia Gardens -together, namely, Bishop, Williams, Mrs. Williams and himself, and -proceeded to St. Thomas's Hospital in the Borough. Bishop and Williams -walked on one side of the way, and Mrs. Williams walked by the side -of informant, carrying a band-box, tied up in a handkerchief, for -the purpose, as informant verily believes, of giving the journey the -appearance of a servant going to her situation. On arriving at St. -Thomas's Hospital, he was joined by Bishop and Williams, and they -entered the hospital together, while Mrs. Williams stopped outside. The -trunk having been deposited in the hospital, they all went together -to a public-house to have some refreshment. Bishop, not being able -to sell the body at St. Thomas's Hospital, resolved on going to Mr. -Grainger's dissecting-rooms, and he (Shields) walked with him, leaving -the trunk behind. When they reached Mr. Grainger's anatomical theatre, -Bishop held a private conference with Mr. Appleton, the porter to the -dissecting-rooms, which lasted a few minutes. They then returned to St. -Thomas's hospital, and fetched the trunk from thence to Mr. Grainger's -rooms. On arriving there, Bishop took a body from the trunk for Mr. -Appleton's inspection. It was that of a middle-aged female. It was -a particularly fresh subject, and had not the appearance of a body -taken from a grave. There was no dirt upon it, and informant observed, -that the hair of the corpse was dark and short, and that the subject -altogether was thin, and remarkably light in weight. Mrs. Williams was -not present then, but remained at the public-house as a kind of pledge -for what was drank, until the money should be procured. Mr. Appleton -and Bishop bargained for some short time, and a price being agreed -on, Mr. Appleton paid Bishop part of the money, and promised to pay -the remainder on the following day. Gin was then sent for, and Mr. -Appleton and all of them partook of it. Bishop, Williams and informant -then went back to the public-house, and found Mrs. Williams crying, on -account of her having been questioned about the reckoning. Bishop went -into a great rage, and paid it, saying he never would enter the house -again, nor should any of his friends. They then went away together, -and returned over London-bridge as far as Bishopsgate-street, and had -some gin at a public-house there, where coaches stopped. Bishop paid -for the gin, and informant then went away. Mrs. Williams still retained -possession of the band-box, and it was just in the same state as when -she took it from home. Bishop paid informant ten shillings for the job, -and said if that did not satisfy him, he might have more to-morrow. - -Shields, having made this statement, said he was so frightened when in -custody, that he did not know what to say, and was fearful if he let -slip any thing it might implicate himself. He now, however, wished to -atone, as far as lay in his power, for the part which he had taken in -that and the other transactions. - -Mr. THOMAS, perceiving that the statement of Shields corresponded not -only with the time of the disappearance of Fanny Pigburn, (she having -been seen last alive on the night of the 8th of October, and Shields -dating the above transaction on the 9th,) but also with the description -of her age and personal appearance, as described by her sister, and -other witnesses, felt that the information was important, and that Mrs. -Williams was sufficiently implicated in the transaction to warrant -her apprehension. He accordingly proceeded to Newgate on Tuesday the -29th of November, and having taken her into custody there, while she -was waiting to see her husband, immediately conveyed her to Bow-street -police-office, and charged her before Mr. Minshull, as an accessary -after the fact, in the wilful murder of Frances Pigburn, adding, that -he took the prisoner into custody, in the lodge at Newgate, about half -an hour before; and that, on a future day, he expected to produce -further evidence against her. - -The prisoner wept bitterly while the clerk was writing down the charge -against her, and when it was entered, - -Mr. MINSHULL asked her if she wished to say any thing, at the same time -cautioning her that whatever she said would be taken down in writing, -and might be made evidence against her. - -The prisoner replied, 'I thank you, sir, but I want to say what I -know--I wish to speak the truth. She went on to say, that her father -(meaning Bishop, but there must be here some mistake in the report, -for Mrs. Williams is the sister of Bishop, not his daughter) called -her up on Sunday morning at six o'clock, about six or seven weeks ago. -They were then living at No. 3, Nova Scotia gardens. He asked her if -she would carry a bandbox for him; she asked in reply, where did he -want her to take it? He replied to the Borough. She then went along -with Bishop, her husband and Shields over London bridge, and when they -got a little way over the bridge they came to a public-house, and -Bishop told her to go in there and wait until they returned. They came -again in about half an hour, and then they went together to another -public-house, and had a pot of half and half, and some pipes. There -was no money to pay the reckoning, and her father left her there, and -told her to stop until he should return. He came back and paid for the -beer, and then they all went to Bishopsgate-street, and called for some -gin in a public house there. Shields then left Bishop, her husband and -herself, and, after that, they all went home together. The prisoner -added, that is all I wish to say. I have nothing more to add. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--It will be my duty to commit you for further examination -upon this charge, to this day fortnight. - -Mr. THOMAS said, he thought he should be able to produce further -evidence in a week. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Then let the re-examination of the prisoner stand for -this day week. As the prisoner was about to be removed, Mr. Thomas -said, he believed she had not had any food that day, and as she was now -about to leave his custody, he hoped that she would be allowed some -refreshment. - -Mr. MINSHULL.--Most certainly; the jailer shall provide her with what -is necessary. No prisoner shall want food, whilst I sit here as a -magistrate. - -The prisoner was then removed in custody. - -While these proceedings were carrying on, the public alarm was -increasing in every direction; the medical profession was visited with -the most severe, and we think, unjust indignation, inasmuch as it was -believed to be the secret encourager of a system by which human life -was sacrificed with the most heartless indifference, and the detection -of the crime became a matter of extreme difficulty, almost amounting -to impossibility, on account of the secrecy with which the proceedings -are carried on in the hospitals and the private dissecting-rooms. It -is at once evident that, from the present mode of supplying subjects -for dissection, no man's life is secure. The murderer may disguise his -victim by laying out, and for a time burying the corpse, by cutting off -the hair, or by knocking out the teeth, and then his market is as safe -as it is sure; or, if the assassin be more timid than usual, he has -only to dismember the subject, and the sale by piecemeal will turn in -an equal profit, and defy detection. - -This is a state of danger to the public, the toleration of which would -be criminal. The medical profession must arouse from its equivocal -silence, and take such measures as may prevent its being, in a -secondary sense, accessary to murder. - -That the medical profession feel sore at the imputations which are cast -upon them is not to be wondered at, and they very industriously throw -the blame upon the existing laws, which, on account of their pretended -impolicy, are themselves the cause of the different murders which have -been committed, for the purpose of supplying the anatomical schools -with subjects for the pupil. Thus Dr. Southwood Smith, in concluding -that branch of his lectures on forensic medicine, which includes the -extinction of life by intentional human agency, and illustrating the -several points which demand the attention of the medical witness, on -the examination of the body after death, from poisoning, drowning, -hanging, strangulation, bruises and wounds, adverted to the real -position in which the medical profession and the public are placed by -the present state of the law relative to the study of anatomy, and -after drawing a strong picture of the consequences that would result -to the community, from the general neglect of this pursuit by the -profession, spoke nearly as follows:-- - -'You dare not practise without a knowledge of anatomy,--you cannot -prescribe for a patient, you cannot undertake the management of any -surgical or medical case without a direct violation of the law, until -you have adduced, before legally appointed authorities, evidence that -you have studied anatomy with such effect, as to be able to stand a -searching examination. But the same law that makes it imperative on you -to study anatomy, in order to acquire a legal right to practise your -profession, renders the possession of the means of pursuing the study -illegal. Human anatomy cannot be known without the dissection of the -human body, yet the possession of a body that has been exhumed, for -the purpose of dissection (no body except that of the murderer being -obtainable in any other mode) is penal. So that you are to be punished -for not conforming to a law, which you cannot qualify yourself for -obeying without breaking! Did ever any civilized country witness such -a situation as that in which the law has placed you and the public? -It has contrived to raise the price of a dead body to such a height, -as absolutely and appallingly to endanger the safety of the living. -Of this danger, both the public and the legislature have been long -and earnestly warned. Several years ago, before any instance of the -actual perpetration of the crime had been discovered, the temptation -and the consequent danger were fully brought to view in a pamphlet, -entitled "The Use of the Dead to the Living." Investigation was set -on foot, a parliamentary inquiry was obtained, the medical profession -performed its duty in the fullest manner, and stated, without reserve, -all the odiousness and all the danger of exhumation. It laid open the -true character of the hardened and the desperate men engaged in this -employment. It had not yet occurred to those men, that it might be more -easy to murder the living than disturb the dead, but the possibility -of the occurrence of such a thought, and the probability of their -acting upon it, were distinctly foretold. Over and over again it was -stated, that the price always to be obtained for a subject, from -ten to fifteen guineas, was a temptation to murder not likely to be -resisted, and with an earnest voice the profession implored that this -risk might be no longer incurred. The administration was impressed--the -public was excited--something was promised--a little was attempted, -but nothing was done. Then came on the Edinburgh horrors; and now we -are thrown into a state of intense alarm, lest the same horrors should -be perpetrated, and are perpetrating, at our own doors. And knowing -this, it is said, it behoves the teacher and the medical profession in -general to be extremely cautious, to examine with the utmost vigilance, -whether any thing suspicious appear, and if it do, to investigate it -to the bottom; and that it is now become an imperative duty, there can -be no more question than there can be that it will be faithfully and -rigidly observed in all schools, and throughout the profession. But -when you come seriously to consider what it is in the power of the -anatomist and physiologist to do--when, from the preceding statements, -you see the utmost they can do, the truth is not more true than it is -dreadful. If then it be made worth while to pursue murder as a trade, -it can be carried on to a prodigious extent without detection. But -men, even the desperate men, called body-snatchers, will not murder -without a motive; but they will murder upon system, and to an extent -to which no limit can be fixed, if the temptation be great, and the -chance of escape considerable. It is in vain to look for protection to -the law--no law can restrain them; no punishment will deter them:--the -only effectual remedy is the removal of the temptation, the taking -away of the motive, by rendering the dead body so cheap, as to be -in fact without value as an article of sale; and the mode of doing -this is simple. All that is necessary is, to repeal the existing law, -which renders it illegal to possess a dead body for the purpose of -dissection; and to enact a law, rendering the possession of a body -for the purpose legal. Every thing would then be accomplished without -exhumation, without danger, without any feeling being shocked, without -any injury or indignity being done to any human creature. Those who -from ignorance or childish prejudice--prejudice now confined to the -highest and the lowest vulgar, raise a clamour against this and all -similar expedients--assist and aid every future murder of this kind -that may be committed, as really, though not as intentionally, as -though they assisted at the strangulation.' - -On this highly-interesting subject, and which now embraces the -attention of all ranks of the community, we shall not be accused -of diffuseness in giving the sentiments of another most celebrated -surgeon, especially as many hints are there thrown out, by which the -present system of obtaining dead bodies may altogether be exploded. - -Mr. Brodie (for we ascribe the following remarks to him, although -he has not affixed his name to them) says, 'Such is the importance -of anatomy, that those who are engaged in the study of medicine and -surgery will always endeavour to learn it, as far as it lies in their -power to do so; and if subjects for dissection cannot be procured -by decent and legal means, they will be procured by means that are -indecent and illegal. The present system of procuring them by the -robbery of churchyards, is attended with very great mischief in -various ways. It disgusts and alarms not only the surviving friends, -but the whole of society. Some are rendered miserable, because they -know that the bodies of their friends have been stolen from the grave, -and carried to the dissecting-room; and others, because they are -apprehensive that the bodies of their friends may be served in the -same manner. The men who are employed to exhume bodies are of the very -worst description; they are outcasts of society, who being pointed at -as resurrection-men, are unable to maintain themselves by any honest -employment; and are thus driven to become thieves and house-breakers, -because, when not actually employed in stealing bodies, they can do -nothing better. - -'The price of subjects at this moment is as high as eight, ten, or -twelve guineas, and it has been as high as fifteen guineas. But many -a person has been murdered for a much smaller sum than the least of -these. Here then is an inducement to commit actual murder; and in -addition to the mere gain, there is this further inducement, namely, -that the murder is committed under circumstances peculiarly calculated -to effect its concealment: as the bodies in the dissecting-room soon -become disfigured, so that they cannot be recognized, it is not to -be supposed that the teachers of anatomy, except under peculiar -circumstances, can distinguish the bodies of those who die a natural -death. It may be observed further, that it is impossible for the -teachers to spare, from their other occupations, the time necessary to -make an accurate examination of each individual subject that is brought -into the dissecting-room, and that if such examinations were made, they -would have the effect of preventing the students making some of the -most important and useful dissections afterwards. The subjects must be -handed over to the students untouched; the teachers and senior students -may and ought to be as vigilant as possible, but it is equally absurd -and unjust to suppose, that an absolute responsibility can rest upon -them. - -'The commission of murder for the purpose of obtaining subjects for -the anatomical schools, is now found to be no imaginary evil. But the -public need not be surprised that it has occurred. It has been foreseen -by medical men, whose attention has been directed to these inquiries -for some years, and the danger has been long ago pointed out to many -members of the legislature; nor can all the activity of the police, nor -all the watchfulness of the teachers of anatomy, prevent it recurring -some time or other, if there be no easier method of supplying -subjects for dissection, than that which is now resorted to, and if -they continue, in consequence, to produce the enormous sum which they -produce at present. - -'One effect of the existing difficulty of procuring subjects in this -country is, that a large proportion of medical students visit the -Continent, and reside in Paris, or elsewhere, for the purpose of -dissection. It may not be very creditable to us as a nation, that we -should not possess among ourselves the means of instruction in so -important a branch of knowledge as anatomy; but there is another and -a stronger reason for lamenting the emigration of medical students. -There is no class of society, in whose honour and integrity, and good -principles, the public are so deeply interested, as in those of the -medical profession. The members of it are admitted to a degree of -confidence which is not given to any other individuals; circumstances -are of necessity made known to them, which are not intended for the -world, and the disclosure of which would, in many instances, destroy -the peace of a family. They visit their fellow-creatures, labouring -not only under the bodily, but the mental weakness of disease, and a -depraved or dishonest person will easily convert those opportunities -to some base purpose of self-advancement or self-gratification. We -need not insult our neighbours by asserting that there is more vice in -Paris than in London. Be that as it may, there is still good reason -to suppose, that a number of young Englishmen are more likely to fall -into vicious and dissipated habits in the former city than in the -latter. Even if their parents reside in a distant county, they have -in all probability relations, and at any rate they have acquaintance -in London, and while in London, they are in constant communication -with their families in the country, and they are in a greater or -less degree under the _surveillance_ of their friends. But while they -reside in Paris, these restraints are removed; they are left entirely -to themselves, and that at a period of life when temptations are new -to them, when their passions are strong, and when good counsel and -good example are of more importance than at any other period, either -earlier or later. Can any one regard this as a favourable condition -for young men, who, in the subsequent part of life, are to have such -trust reposed in them, as necessarily must be reposed in medical -practitioners? - -'Anatomical knowledge is necessary to a right understanding both of -medicine and surgery. But the law declares that the having a dead body -in your possession is a misdemeanour; and the judges lay it down as -a maxim, that there is only one legal way of possessing a body for -dissection, namely, by procuring that of a man hanged for murder. The -anatomical students are compelled to deal with people who steal bodies -from churchyards, and who are liable to be punished for so doing. But -the College of Physicians, the College of Surgeons, and the Company -of Apothecaries, all require that those who present themselves for -examination, should have attended anatomical lectures, and should -have performed dissections. Thus it appears, that the laws forbid -the student to dissect, and the constituted authorities, under the -sanction of the laws, require that he should dissect. The medical -student, in the first instance, is persecuted on account of his -endeavours to obtain knowledge; and afterwards, when he is engaged in -practice, he is persecuted for not having obtained it, and, to make the -inconsistency still greater, there is not an individual amongst those -who make the laws, nor amongst those by whom they are administered, -who hesitates, when his life is in danger, to apply for assistance to -those individuals, who would not have it in their power to relieve him, -if they had not devoted a considerable portion of their lives to these -forbidden studies. - -'But it is to no purpose to point out the evils which exist, unless it -can be shown at the same time that those evils admit of being removed. -The next question then is, how can a more abundant supply of subjects -be procured, in a manner less offensive to the community? - -'As the laws are now construed by the law authorities, the possession -of a body for the purpose of dissection, is in itself a misdemeanour, -except it be that of a person hanged for murder. The first thing -then to be done, is to declare, by an act of the legislature, that -dissection, for the purpose of procuring knowledge, that may be useful -in medicine and surgery, is legal and proper. - -'2. That a dead body should be dissected, is of no consequence to -the individual who is no more, but a knowledge of it being so may be -distressing to the feelings of the sorrowing friends and relations. - -'This sufficiently points out what are the proper subjects for -dissection; namely, the bodies of those who die without any friends -or relations. In small towns and villages, probably, there are none -who die under those circumstances; but in large cities, and especially -in the metropolis, there are a great number. Whoever will take the -trouble of referring to the Anatomical Committee, will find that, in -London, the number of those amount to many more than would be required -for the supply of all the anatomical schools. These bodies are now -buried at the expense of the public; and, if authorised to do so, the -churchwardens and overseers would, in most instances, readily give them -up to the teachers of anatomy. - -'But it may be argued, in opposition to the adoption of the plan -proposed, that it may be considered as a very harsh and arbitrary -measure on the part of the legislature to point out any particular -class of society as furnishing subjects for dissection, while the other -classes are exempt. This objection relates, of course, not to the sense -and deliberate judgment, but to the feelings of the public; and it is -easily answered. Let it be declared, not who are, but who are not to -be dissected. Let it be enacted that dissection is lawful, but that no -one is to be dissected contrary to the wishes of his friends or nearest -relations. The result will be the same, but the offence to the public -feeling, in this last case, will be none at all. - -'It may be said also, that there are some individuals who have a horror -at being dissected after death, and that it will sometimes happen that -a poor man, dying in a workhouse, with no friends around him, will have -his sufferings much aggravated, if he believes that his helpless and -friendless condition is to lead, as soon as he has breathed his last, -to his body being conveyed to an anatomical school. Undoubtedly such -feelings ought to be respected. It would be cruel to disregard them; -and it is very easy to meet the objection which arises out of them. -Let it be declared further, that no one is to be made the subject of -dissection who has declared, by his last will and testament, his wish -to the contrary. - -'Again--it may be considered as wrong, on religious grounds, that any -individual should be denied the act of sepulture, and the performance -of the funeral service after death. It may be answered to this -objection, indeed, that these are mere human institutions, concerning -which not one word is said in the Old and New Testament. But there is -no occasion to meet it thus. After the body has been dissected, let -the remains be inclosed in a coffin, and conveyed to the grave in the -usual manner, and with the usual ceremonies; or the funeral service may -be read over it previous to dissection. - -'There may be some who will, probably, still urge another objection; -namely, that the public feeling is so strongly opposed to dissection, -and that the lower orders especially are so much prejudiced against -it, that a general clamour will be raised if there be any kind of -legislation on the subject. But those who argue thus, must have formed -their opinions on what they have heard and seen in the country, in -villages, and the smaller provincial towns, and can know little of -the state of feeling in the larger towns, and especially in London. -The fact is, that in London there is no horror of dissection in the -abstract. The thing has, in some measure, become familiar to the minds -of the inhabitants, and especially of those who belong to the lower -orders. Persons who reside in the neighbourhood of an anatomical -theatre, continually see boxes and hampers taken into it, which they -know to contain subjects for dissection; and such an occurrence -scarcely causes an observation among them. It is only when the bodies -of their friends and relatives are exhumed and dissected, that their -feelings are excited; and, instead of being excited further, these -feelings are likely to be allayed by the adoption of a plan for -dissection of the unclaimed bodies, inasmuch as it would put a stop to -the present traffic with the resurrection-men, and the robbery of the -churchyards. - -'Nor is the plan proposed to be regarded in the light of a mere -experiment. It has been already tried in most parts of the continent -of Europe, in Protestant countries as well as Catholic, and it has -succeeded perfectly. And surely there is no such peculiarity in the -English nation as ought to lead us to believe that that which has -succeeded in nations so different as the French and Prussians, the -Dutch and the Italians, would not succeed in England also. - -'Of course these observations are founded on the supposition that -dissection is carried on in a discreet and decent manner; and if it -should be recognized by law, and a more abundant supply of subjects -should be procured under the sanction of the state, some precautions -may be necessary to prevent the evil which would arise from its being -too openly practised, or being brought under the notice of the public -in a disgusting or offensive shape. It will not be unreasonable to -require of the teachers of anatomy that they should preserve a register -of all the bodies which they receive for dissection, naming the source -from whence they are obtained. It may be proper, on all accounts, -to insist that those who undertake to be teachers of anatomy should -prove their fitness for the office, by passing a rigid examination -before the College of Surgeons of London, Edinburgh, or Dublin, or -some other competent tribunal. This will, at any rate, limit the -number of anatomical teachers in the best possible manner, namely, by -the exclusion of uneducated and ignorant pretenders, and by confining -this department of medical instruction to men of industry and science. -It may be admitted as a question also, whether, in addition to these -measures, it will not be advisable to insist that no one should be -permitted to open dissecting-rooms for the admission of students, -without a license to do so from the Secretary of State, or from some -person specially appointed for the purpose, to whom a satisfactory -security must be given for the proper regulation and conduct of the -establishment. - -'Of the foregoing observations, there are, probably, very few which -have a claim to the merit of originality; the subject having been so -frequently discussed, especially among medical practitioners, with -whom the present obstacles to anatomical instruction have long been a -subject of serious anxiety. - -'This last circumstance has led to a misapprehension on the part of the -public. It is very generally believed that the members of the medical -profession are a party concerned, and that they have an interest beyond -that which others have in obtaining greater facilities of dissection. -This is true, as far as it relates to the teachers of anatomy and the -students; but the former are very few in number, and the latter are not -of sufficient importance, and are too limited in their acquaintance -and connexion for their sentiments to be much regarded, or even to -be known. It is not true as to medical practitioners generally: they -have laid in their store of knowledge; they rarely find it necessary -to return to the labours of the dissecting-room; or if they wish to -inspect the dead body for the purpose of satisfying themselves as to -a particular point, they have ample opportunities of doing so in the -_post mortem_ examinations made for the purpose of ascertaining the -cause of a patient's death. - -'If the existing race of medical practitioners were so narrow-minded as -to consult only their own private interests, they would be pleased to -see the rising generation brought up in comparative ignorance, inasmuch -as it would make it more difficult for themselves to be superseded in -their practice as they advance in years. If they have been more active -than others in calling the attention of the legislature to the subject, -it has been on purely public grounds; not because they expect or can -expect any benefit to themselves, but because their peculiar situation -makes them more competent than other individuals can be to form a -judgment of the mischiefs which may ultimately arise to the community, -if nothing be done to remove the existing evil.' - -It must be admitted that the foregoing remarks, emanating from so -eminent a man as Mr. Brodie, cannot but possess, at the present -juncture, considerable value, as the subject has been again brought -before the legislature by Mr. Warburton, and no doubt now exists that, -from recent circumstances, some enactments will be passed to legalize -dissection, and to facilitate the procuring of bodies for the supply -of the anatomical schools. As we shall have occasion to recur to -the subject in a future part of our work, we shall now refrain from -making any further comments on it, and proceed to the trial of the -resurrectionists, for the murder for which they were committed. - -The 2nd of December was the day fixed for the trial of the prisoners -charged with the murder of the Italian boy; and as early as eight -o'clock in the morning the court was crowded to excess. - -We cannot but here speak in terms of reprobation of the vexatious -conduct pursued by some of the city officers in regard to the admission -of persons to the body of the court and the galleries, who, in some -respects, had a title to be admitted. Personally speaking, when we -presented ourselves at the gate, demanding entrance, as having the -key of the box appropriated to the Committee of the City Lands, we -were told, in the first place, that the box was full; this was at -half-past eight in the morning. On remonstrating with the officer, and -expressing our opinion that he was acting reprehensibly in refusing -admittance to a person having the key of one of the committee to whom -the box belonged, we were met by the objection, that it was by no -means improbable but that the common-councilman would come himself. -This we declared to be almost an impossible case; for, as we were -in possession of his key, it amounted to the proof that he had for -that day relinquished his right, and that we were to be regarded, in -every respect, as his substitute. Mr. Cope was then sent for, and he -declared also that the box was full; that nine persons had obtained -admission with _one_ key, and that were he to admit us, we should -not be able to find room. We then asked Mr. Cope, how he would act -if the common-councilman appeared himself, demanding admittance, and -whether he was invested with any power to refuse such an admission to -an accredited member of the Corporation, who, as such, possessed a -positive right to a seat in that box, of which it was not in the power -of Mr. Cope to divest him. Still the plea of the fulness of the box was -urged; and finding all remonstrance to be vain, we despatched a friend -for the common-councilman himself to come and insist upon his right. In -the interval, however, the gate was opened, as if by some talismanic -power, and on our entering the box, we found the statement of its being -full completely false--two out of the five benches were not occupied at -all, nor during the whole of the day was the box ever full. - -We have merely adverted to this circumstance, as it may operate as a -warning to those who so unjustifiably took upon themselves the power -of refusing admittance to a court of justice to individuals invested -with an authority to exact admission, and by which act they were, in -reality, setting themselves up in opposition, and in actual defiance of -the very persons by whom they had been appointed to the offices which -they hold. - -At nine o'clock the deputy recorder, Mr. Sergeant Arabin, came into -the court, when the prisoners, John Bishop, Thomas Williams, and James -May, were placed at the bar; and the indictment having been read over, -charging them, in one count, with the Wilful Murder of CARLO FERRARI, -otherwise Charles Ferrier; and in another with the Wilful Murder of a -male person, whose name was unknown. They severally pleaded Not Guilty. - -The jury was then sworn, and a short case having been disposed of, at -ten o'clock Chief Justice Tindal, Mr. Baron Vaughan, and Mr. Justice -Littledale entered the court, with the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs. - -The bench was crowded with persons of rank, amongst whom we perceived -the Duke of Sussex. - -The prisoners were again put to the bar. They seemed but little moved -by the awful situation in which they were at that moment placed, and -they encountered the inquisitive glances of the assembled crowd with -a careless air. Their appearance rather indicated low cunning, than -hardened ferocity. In the countenance of Williams, there was something -unusually repellent, and on the Duke of Sussex taking his seat, and -applying his glass to his eye, Williams appeared to direct his stare -full upon his Royal Highness with all imaginable impudence, as if he -were almost determined to stare him out of countenance. - -Mr. BODKIN having opened the case, - -Mr. ADOLPHUS proceeded to state the leading facts of it to the jury. -In doing so, he said, that he did not feel it necessary to solicit -their most serious attention to it, for he knew it would receive such -attention from them, being a case in which the three prisoners at the -bar stood charged with the foul crime of murder; and one of which, as -persons living in society, they must have heard a great deal for many -days past. After paying the usual compliment to the jury, on the ground -of their respectability, which, by the bye, would be 'more honoured -in the breach than in the observance,' and declaring, as usual, that -he never had the honour of addressing a jury more competent by their -talents and station in life, to deliver a true and conscientious -verdict; he also, as usual, declared himself to be a very humble -individual, and that he was fully impressed with the conviction, that -a case of such great importance might have been entrusted to far more -abler hands than his own. After this positive compliment to the jury, -and the negative compliment to himself, the learned counsel proceeded -to state, that he was fully aware that the jury knew this to be a case -of the greatest and most important interest, and he felt certain, -that the gentlemen of the jury required no suggestions from him to -induce them to pay the strictest attention to all its details; and -having alluded to the interest which it excited out of doors, he was -sure that he need scarcely remind them, that they should not allow -themselves to be at all swayed by any thing that they might have heard -with regard to this case, previously to their entering that box, but -that their duty there was merely to judge the case by the evidence -which should be laid before them. When he spoke on their deciding on -this case according to the evidence which should be laid before them, -he begged to say, that there was one point on which he was anxious to -call their serious attention. In cases of murder, it often happened -that the direct evidence of eye-witnesses could not be produced as to -the blow which had been struck or the injury which had been inflicted, -and the infliction of which constituted the crime; but it was settled -by the constitution of this country, that, in all cases of this kind, -a jury might select from the circumstances of the evidence laid before -them, such facts as might produce a conviction in their minds as to -the guilt of the prisoners charged with the offence. The application -of the facts and circumstances of a case for such a purpose was, by -the law of the land, vested in a jury constituted as they now were; -and it was for them to decide according to the evidence which should -be laid before them, as it appeared in their minds; and it was for -them, after they had heard the great body of evidence which would be -submitted to them in this case, to say whether the prisoners were or -were not guilty of the heinous crime laid to their charge. If the -facts which would be laid before them, should produce in their minds a -conviction of the guilt of the prisoners, he was sure that they would, -without hesitation, pronounce a verdict which would consign some, if -not all of them, to a certain, speedy, and ignominious death; and he -was equally sure, that if an opposite conviction was the result of -the evidence, the jury would at once acquit the prisoners at the bar. -Without further introduction, he would proceed to state to them the -facts which had given rise to this painful and extraordinary inquiry, -as he felt justified in calling it, for the murder, to which it had -reference, did not appear to have been committed through any of those -motives that have ordinarily occasioned the commission of such a crime -in this country. It was not to gratify revenge for a wrong done, that -the unfortunate victim in this case had been deprived of existence. -The minds of his murderers were not stimulated by any passions of that -description to the commission of the dreadful deed. Neither wealth nor -the other common allurements which influenced the actions of wicked -men under such circumstances had impelled them to perpetrate this -crime. Nothing but the sordid and base desire to possess themselves -of a dead body, in order to sell it for dissection, had induced the -prisoners at the bar to commit the crime for which they were now about -to answer before a jury of their countrymen. The learned gentleman -then proceeded to detail the facts of the case, as they were afterwards -stated in the evidence subsequently produced. He dwelt in terms of -well-deserved eulogy on the meritorious exertions of Mr. Thomas, the -superintendent of police, and of Mr. Corder, the vestry-clerk of St. -Paul's, Covent Garden, in prosecuting the inquiry which had led to -the trial. He acknowledged that the case depended upon circumstantial -evidence, but he contended that a large and well-connected body of -circumstantial evidence was, in many cases, superior to the positive -testimony of an eye-witness. The judgment of an eye-witness was, in -several instances, liable to be deceived; but it was impossible that -the jury, after putting all the circumstances of the case together, and -weighing them seriously and deliberately, could be mistaken in their -judgment. It was for them to say, after doing so, whether the prisoners -at the bar were or were not guilty of the crime with which they stood -charged. He concluded by repeating his confident expectation that they -would give to this important case the deep and serious attention which -it deserved, and by expressing his complete reliance on the integrity -and good sense of a British jury, which a long life of practice had -left him no room to doubt. - -WILLIAM HILL, the first witness called, was then examined by Mr. -Clarkson. The witness stated, that he is porter to the dissecting-room -at the King's College. At a quarter before twelve o'clock on Saturday, -the 5th of November, the bell of the dissecting-room having been rung, -he answered it; and having opened the door, he found the two prisoners -at the bar, Bishop and May, there. He had known the prisoners before. -May asked him if he wanted anything, and he said 'Not particularly.' -Witness asked him what he had got; he said, 'A male subject.' -Witness asked him what size. He said, 'A boy about fourteen;' and -he demanded twelve guineas. Witness said they could not give that -price, for they did not particularly want it; but if he would wait, he -would acquaint Mr. Partridge, the demonstrator of anatomy, with the -matter. He accordingly went to Mr. Partridge, who said he would see -them. Witness then went back to them, and told them to go round to -the place appropriated for them. When he had got them into the room -appropriated for them, Mr. Partridge joined them. They could not agree -as to the price. Mr. Partridge said that he would not give twelve -guineas for the subject. Witness then heard May tell him he should have -it for ten guineas. Mr. Partridge then left them, and went into the -dissecting-room. The prisoners then asked witness how it was to be, and -whether he would have the subject? Witness then followed Mr. Partridge, -and, in consequence of what Mr. Partridge said to him, he returned to -the prisoners, and told them that Mr. Partridge would only give nine -guineas for the subject. May said, he would be d--d if it should come -in for less than ten guineas. May was intoxicated at the time. On his -going out to the door, Bishop, taking witness aside, said to him, -'Never mind May, he is drunk. It shall come in for nine guineas in the -course of half an hour. They then went away. About a quarter past two -o'clock on the same afternoon they returned, in company with the other -prisoner, Williams, and a man named Shields. They had a hamper with -them. Shields appeared to be employed as the porter for carrying it. -May and Bishop carried the hamper into another room, while Williams and -May remained where they were. On opening the hamper, a sack containing -the body was found in it. May and Bishop remarked that it was a good -one, to which observation the witness assented. May, being tipsy, then -turned the body very carelessly out of the sack. The witness perceived -that the body was unusually fresh; and, in consequence of what struck -him with regard to the appearances of it, he went to Mr. Partridge. -Previously to his doing so, he asked the prisoners what the subject -had died of? They said, they did not know, and that it was no business -either of his or theirs. Witness replied, that it certainly was not. -The appearances with regard to the body with which he was particularly -struck were these:--It appeared different from a body that had been -laid in a coffin. The left arm was turned up towards the head, and -the fingers of the hand were firmly clenched. In consequence of the -opinion which he formed from the appearance of the body, he went to Mr. -Partridge, and detailed to him what he had seen, and what he thought -about the matter. Mr. Partridge accordingly returned to the room where -the body was lying, to have an inspection of it. The prisoners had been -removed from that room to the room into which they were originally -introduced, and where the other two men were also. Mr. Partridge, -without seeing them, after seeing the body, went to the secretary's -office. In the mean time, several of the gentlemen connected with -the College saw the body, and their suspicions were also excited. -Mr. Partridge having returned to the place where the prisoners were, -showed them a fifty pound note, and told them he must get that changed, -and that then he would pay them. Mr. Partridge having pulled out his -purse while speaking to them, and there being some gold in it, Bishop -said, 'Give me what money you have, and I will call on Monday for the -remainder.' May proposed that Mr. Partridge should give him the fifty -pound note, and he would go out and get it changed. Mr. Partridge, -smiling, said, 'Oh, no,' and then left them. The prisoners remained -waiting after Mr. Partridge had gone. In about a quarter of an hour -Mr. Mayo, the Professor of Anatomy at the College, came down with Mr. -Rogers, the Police Inspector, and a body of police, and the prisoners -were all taken into custody. Before that took place, and while witness -was in the room with Bishop, Bishop said to him, 'Pay me only eight -guineas in the presence of May; give me the other guinea, and I will -give you half-a-crown.' The body was then delivered by the witness to -the police, together with the hamper and sack; and having accompanied -them to the police-station, in Covent Garden, he saw them delivered -into the hands of Mr. Thomas, the Superintendent of Police. Judging by -his experience with regard to dead bodies, it was his opinion that this -body had not been buried, nor laid in a coffin. He observed that there -was no saw-dust about the hair of it. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--The first conversation he had was with -May and Bishop only; Williams did not appear. Williams was in the -College, but not in the same room. - -Mr. RICHARD PARTRIDGE examined by Mr. BODKIN.--Witness is Demonstrator -of Anatomy at the King's College. He was there on Saturday, the 5th -of November. A body was brought there that day, and a communication -was made to him about it by the witness Hill, about two o'clock in the -afternoon. He accordingly went and looked at it. None of the prisoners -were present at the time. The body externally exhibited some suspicious -appearances, and it was those appearances that induced him to go for -the police. The suspicious appearances were a swollen state of the -face, bloodshot eyes, freshness of the body, and the rigidity of the -limbs. There was likewise a cut over the left temple. The lips were -also swollen. There was nothing else in the external appearance of -the body that excited his attention. After he had examined the body, -he did not recollect whether he went to the place where the prisoners -were before he called in the police. He was certain, however, that he -went for the police before the circumstance with regard to the fifty -pound note took place. On returning to the College, after going for -the police, he showed the fifty pound note to May and Bishop, where -he found them at the bottom of the stairs, leading to the anatomical -department. He then proposed to them that change should be got for the -fifty pound note, with the view to detain them until the police arrived. - -The following day he made a more minute examination of the body at the -police-station, in the presence of other medical men--the external -appearances near the muscles were rigid, though less so than on the -preceding day, and there was a superficial wound on the temple. Beneath -the scalp and the bone there was some contused blood. On opening the -body, he found the whole of the chest, breast, &c., in a healthy -condition; the stomach was full. The spinal cord and brain were then -examined--the brain was perfectly healthy. In cutting through the skin -that covers the spinal cord, he found a quantity of coagulated blood -in the muscles, and on removing the back part, blood was found on the -membrane that envelops the spinal cord. The spinal marrow appeared to -be perfectly healthy. From these appearances he thought the external -marks of violence were sufficient to produce death. The violence -exerted had had an effect on the spinal cord. The violence must have -been on the back of the neck. A blow from a stick, he believed, would -have caused the appearances he had described. The injuries might not -produce instantaneous, but would cause a speedy death. - -By Chief Justice TINDAL.--Witness believed that the appearances of -external violence to the spinal marrow had been caused by a blow or -some other species of violence inflicted on the back of the neck. - -Examination continued by Mr. BODKIN.--It was the opinion of witness, -that the blow of a stick at the back part of the neck might have caused -such appearances. He would not positively say, that such an injury -would produce an instantaneous death; but he believed that it would -cause a very speedy one. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--On the external examination of the -body, he could not discover anything that would have been sufficient -to produce death. The extravasation of the blood in the spinal marrow -might have produced death. He would not positively say that it did -so, but his conclusion was, that it did. He could only arrive at -belief, and not at certainty on the subject. He did not think that -the appearances which he had mentioned could have been produced by -pressure, or any other means besides a blow. At the same time they -might have been produced by a blow of something else as well as a stick. - -Re-examined by Mr. BODKIN.--On examining the heart, he found it was -empty, which was an unusual circumstance. The face too was swollen -and flushed, and both these appearances, namely, the empty state of -the heart, and the swollen state of the features, have been found in -persons who have died suddenly, but not from violence. They have been -found in persons who have met with a sudden but a natural death. But -the appearances about the spinal cord, and the coagulated blood at the -back of the neck, have not been found in persons dying a natural death. - -Mr. GEORGE BEAMAN, Surgeon, examined by Mr. ADOLPHUS.--I am a surgeon -to the parish of St. Paul's, Covent-garden. On Saturday night, 5th of -November, I first saw the body of the deceased. I examined it with -other surgeons. The weather, I should remark, at that time was very -favourable to the preservation of dead flesh. The body appeared to have -died very recently. I should judge that it had died within thirty-six -hours. The face appeared swollen, the tongue was also swollen, the eyes -prominent and blood-shot, and the tongue was protruding between the -lips. The teeth had been all extracted, the gums bruised, and portions -of the jaw-bone had been broken and removed with the teeth. There was -also the appearance of blood having issued from the gums. Judging from -all these circumstances, I should say, that the teeth must have been -taken from the gums within two or three hours after death. I examined -the throat, neck, and chest, very particularly, and I found no external -marks of violence there. On this occasion I observed there was a wound -on the forehead, over the left eyebrow: it was about three-quarters of -an inch long, and it penetrated through the skin to the bone. A small -quantity of blood had oozed from the wound, but that circumstance might -have been occasioned by the body falling out of the sack after death. -The blood was uncoagulated. I again examined the body on the following -day (Sunday) about two o'clock in the afternoon, but I found no further -marks of external violence. The limbs, which were decidedly stiff on -Saturday night, were not so much so on Sunday. The appearances of the -body were such, in my opinion, as to leave no doubt that it had not -been regularly laid out. About eight o'clock on the Sunday evening, -I examined the body, assisted by Mr. Partridge and others. I washed -the throat and neck with a sponge and water carefully, but I found no -scratch or mark of violence there. On removing the scalp on the top -of the skull, I detected some blood about the size of a crown. Such -an appearance as that must have been produced by a blow, given during -life. The brain was also examined, and its appearances were precisely -such as Mr. Partridge has described. The body was then turned, for -the purpose of examining the spinal marrow, and on removing the skin -on the back part of the neck, a considerable quantity of coagulated -blood, I should think from three to four ounces, was found amongst the -muscles there. That blood must have been effused while the subject was -alive. On removing a portion of the spine, for the purpose of examining -the spinal marrow, a quantity of coagulated blood was found lying in -the spinal canal, which, by causing a pressure on the spinal marrow, -must have produced death. The bones of the spine were uninjured. The -appearances which I have described would be likely to follow from a -heavy contusion on the spine, or from the blow of a heavy instrument. -There was about an ounce of blood found in the spinal canal. The heart -was empty, which is an unusual circumstance, and one that, in my -opinion, denotes a sudden death. I mean by a sudden, an instantaneous -death, or nearly so, one that takes place in at least two or three -minutes. The stomach contained a tolerably full meal, and the contents -smelt slightly of rum. Digestion was going on at the time of death. I -should think that death occurred about three hours after the meal. On -examining the coats of the stomach, after removing its contents for -the purpose of having them analyzed, I found them perfectly healthy. -From the whole of my observations on the body, I ascribe the death -to a blow given on the back of the neck. This observation I have seen -verified from experiments which I have witnessed in animals, where the -same appearances have followed that species of injury. - -Cross-examined by Mr. BARRY.--I found no external appearances of -violence at the back of the neck. It does not, however, necessarily -follow, that the severe blow of a stick on the back of the neck would -be followed by a contusion or external marks of violence. It would have -produced such a mark if the boy had lived some time after the blow had -been given. I agree with Mr. Partridge in the statement, that a flushed -appearance of the countenance, and an emptiness of the heart, have been -found in cases of sudden death, where no injury has been inflicted. In -the course of my practice, I never found the heart empty after death. -I do not think that any blow on the top of the head would present the -appearances which were found on the back of the neck. Any violence -applied to the back of the neck itself, however, whether considerable -or not, might produce it. I can hardly think that such appearances -would be produced by the falling down of a person in a fit of apoplexy. -I will not say that it would be impossible, supposing that his head -fell against a hard projecting body. A fall on a hard projecting point -might produce such appearances. I will not swear as to the time when -the teeth were removed, but I think it highly improbable that twelve -hours elapsed after death before their removal. - -Re-examined by Mr. ADOLPHUS.--Forming my opinion as to the best of -my judgment and experience, I would say that the teeth were removed -within two or three hours after death. I have never seen a person die -of apoplexy, in which the brain was not injured, but I believe that -such cases have occurred in what is called serous apoplexy. There was -no serum effused on the boy's brain, nor did it present any unhealthy -appearance whatever. He was apparently about fourteen years old, and in -no respect did he seem inclined to apoplexy. - -By Mr. Baron VAUGHAN.--I have examined the bodies of many persons that -have died of apoplexy, and have always found appearances to account -for the death. There have been cases of serous apoplexy recorded, in -which it is stated, that no such appearances could be discovered. If -the subject, in this instance, died of apoplexy, it did not present any -appearance of it. - -Mr. FREDERICK TYRRELL, examined by Mr. Clarkson.--I am one of the -surgeons of St. Thomas' Hospital. I have heard the evidence of Mr. -Beaman with regard to what he found, and the conclusions that he came -to, and in all material points I agree with him. I have never known -a case of serous apoplexy in which the appearances on the brain did -not sufficiently denote its occurrence. I have been always able to -ascertain that a quantity of fluid has been effused in what is termed -serous apoplexy, and that itself is sufficient to denote death. I am a -lecturer on anatomy and physiology in St. Thomas' Hospital, as well as -a surgeon to that institution. - -By Mr. Baron VAUGHAN.--The appearances described in the spinal canal -might have been produced by violence, without there being marks of -violence on the skin. - -JOHN EARLE ROGERS, examined by Mr. Bodkin.--I am an inspector of -police. On Saturday, the 5th of November, I received the body and the -hamper from the witness Hill, and gave them into the custody of Mr. -Thomas, the superintendent. - -JOHN WILSON, a police-officer, sworn.--I apprehended the prisoners at -King's College. May resisted a great deal, and struck me, because I -would not let him and Bishop talk together. - -JOSEPH SADLER THOMAS, examined by Mr. Adolphus.--I am Superintendent -of the division of police F. On the afternoon of Saturday, the 5th of -November, from certain information I received, I despatched Rogers and -Wilson to the King's College. They returned with May and Williams. -Before them, Bishop and Shields were brought to the station-house. -Rogers also brought the body, sack, and hamper. The body was placed in -the back-room in the station-house, with the hamper. The prisoners were -all together in the outer room. I asked May what he had to say, for he -was charged with having come into the possession of the subject in an -improper manner. He replied, 'I have nothing at all to do with it. The -subject is that gentleman's, (pointing to Bishop). I merely accompanied -him to get the money for it.' I then asked Bishop whose it was; and he -said that it was his, and that he was merely removing it from Guy's -Hospital to King's College. I then asked Williams what he knew about -it. He replied, that he knew nothing about it, and that he had gone -with them to the King's College to see the building. I asked Bishop, -in the first instance, what he was, and his answer was, 'I am a b--y -body snatcher.' I think that all the prisoners at the time, Bishop and -May in particular, were labouring under the effects of liquor. May was -carried into the station-house on all-fours, and with his smock-frock -over his head. The body was taken out of the hamper in my presence, -and placed on the table. It struck me as the body of a person that -had recently died. I perceived that the teeth had been extracted from -it. In consequence of information, I went, on the following Tuesday, -to Mr. Thomas Mills, Newington Causeway, and I received twelve teeth, -which I now produce. I also went, previously to my going to Mr. Mills, -to No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens, and on the back-room ground-floor found -a trunk, now produced. On the 20th of November I went to the same -cottage, and making a further search, I found a hairy cap in the front -parlour, amongst some dirty linen. I now produce it. I also found a tin -can there. Mr. Thomas also produced the sack and hamper in which the -body had been brought to the station-house in Covent Garden. - -HENRY LOCK, examined.--I was, in November, waiter at the Fortune of -War public-house, Giltspur-street. On Friday, November the 4th, I saw -the prisoners there at eleven o'clock in the morning. They had some -drink, and went away together about twelve o'clock. There was a strange -man with them. About three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day -they came again, and remained until about five, and then all three -went away together. About eight o'clock on the same evening, they all -returned with another man, who appeared to be a coachman. Before the -coachman left, one of the prisoners said they had had a ride. About -nine o'clock May went to the bar, with something in a handkerchief, -which proved to be teeth. I saw him pour water upon the handkerchief, -and rub it with his hands. He afterwards opened the handkerchief, and I -saw the teeth. I observed to him, that they appeared to be young ones, -and were worth two shillings. May said they were worth two pounds to -him. The prisoners shortly afterwards left. On the following morning, -about eight o'clock, I saw Bishop and Williams, accompanied by Shields. -Bishop, addressing Williams, asked, 'What shall we do for a hamper?' -Williams made no answer. Bishop requested Shields to go over to the -hospital (St. Bartholomew's) to get a hamper, but he refused to go. -Bishop then went himself for it, and shortly returned with a hamper. -They then all left together, and I never saw them again until they were -in custody. - -THOMAS WIGLEY, examined.--I am a porter at coach offices. On the 4th of -November, about half-past seven o'clock in the evening, I was in the -Fortune of War public-house, when Bishop came in, and was followed, in -a few minutes after, by May. I heard Bishop say, 'What do you think -of our new one? did he not go up to him well, and collar him? was he -not a game one?' May said, 'I don't know what you mean.' Bishop said, -'That's all right.' May saw me sitting in the corner of the room all -the time. May got up, and went out, and in a few minutes returned, with -a handkerchief in his hand, which he was rubbing with his hand. In a -few minutes Williams came in, and Bishop observed, 'Here he comes; I -knew he was a game one.' Bishop said to May, during the conversation, -and before they went away, 'You stick to me, and I will stick to you.' - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--I do not know what Bishop meant by -saying to May, 'What do you think of our new one? was he not a game -one?' - -JAMES SEAGRAVE, driver of a cabriolet, sworn.--On the evening of -Friday, the 4th of November, I was, with my cabriolet, on the stand in -the Old Bailey. It was about six o'clock in the evening, and having -put my nose-bag on my horse, I went into the watering-house to take -my tea. I was called out, and saw May and Bishop. May asked me if I -wanted a job, and said he had a long job. He took me on one side, and -said he wanted me to fetch 'a stiff un,' which I understood to mean a -dead body. I told him I did not know, but asked what he would stand? He -said he would stand a guinea. I said, that I had not finished my tea, -and that my horse had not done his corn. He said, that we would take -tea together. I went into the public-house, followed by May and Bishop. -They took their seats, and called for tea for two. Some person in the -room jogged me by the elbow, and hinted that the men were snatchers, -and I determined not to go with them. After tea I went out, and drove -my cabriolet to the bottom of the rank. I afterwards saw May and Bishop -going up the rank amongst the coaches, and I drove off, leaving them, -apparently, making a bargain with the coachmen. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--I knew that the circumstances which I -have mentioned took place on Friday, the 4th of November, because I had -to attend on a summons that day, from ten o'clock till three, before -the Commissioners in Essex-street. There were four or five persons in -the parlour at the watering-house when May and Bishop were there. - -Re-examined.--The conversation which I had with May took place outside -the watering-house. - -THOMAS TAVERNER, the waterman at the coach-stand in the Old Bailey, -corroborated the evidence of the preceding witness, as to the -application of the prisoners May and Bishop to him for the hire of the -cab. - -EDWARD CHANDLER examined.--I was, on the 4th of November, a porter at -the King of Denmark public-house, in the Old Bailey. May and Bishop -came in with Seagrave, the cabriolet driver, and they had some tea and -a pint of gin together. I observed May put some gin into Bishop's tea, -and Bishop asked him, are you going to _hocus_ me, or _Burke_ me? I -cannot say whether it was _hocus_ or _Burke_. I knew May and Bishop -before. I do not know what _hocus_ means. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--I cannot say whether Seagrave had part -of the gin or not. - -HENRY MANN, hackney-coachman, examined.--On Friday, the 4th of -November, about five o'clock in the evening, I was on the stand, in -Bridge-street, Blackfriars; May and a strange man came to me; May -asked, if I would take a fare, and go with him to Bethnal Green. I -refused to go. I refused to go because I knew what May was. - -GEORGE GISSING, a boy, examined.--I am twelve years old. I go to school -and to church. My father keeps the Birdcage public-house, Crabtree -Road, near Nova Scotia Gardens. On the evening of the 4th of November, -about half-past six o'clock, I saw a yellow hackney-chariot draw up, -opposite my father's house. It is very near Nova Scotia Gardens. I know -Bishop's cottage in Nova Scotia Gardens. It is but a short distance -from my father's house. I did not see who got out of the chariot. I -afterwards saw the prisoner Williams standing on the fore-wheel of -the chariot, talking to the driver. The chariot waited ten or fifteen -minutes. The door was open all the time. Williams went down Nova Scotia -Gardens, and in ten or fifteen minutes he returned, and got into the -chariot; then I saw a strange man carrying a sack in his arms, and -Bishop holding up one end of it, they put it in the chariot; Williams -put out his hand to help it in. The sack appeared to be heavy, as -if something heavy was in it. Bishop and the other man got into the -chariot with Williams, and they drove up Crabtree Road, and towards -Shoreditch Church, on the road to the city. The strange man was not one -of the prisoners, but he had a smock-frock on. Bishop is believed to -be Williams's father-in-law, and they kept their wedding at my father's -house. - -THOMAS TRAINER, another boy, corroborated the last witness's -evidence.--He saw the prisoners, Bishop and Williams, who were -both known to him, on the occasion mentioned. Two of the men had -smock-frocks on. A woman, named Ann Channell, was present with witness -at the time. - -ANN CHANNELL examined.--I was passing by the Birdcage public-house, on -the evening of Friday, the 4th of November. I saw a hackney-coach stop, -and three men get out of it. They went down Nova Scotia Gardens. I did -not remain there. Two of the men had smock-frocks on. I did not notice -them sufficiently so as to be able to know any of them again. - -THOMAS DAVIS sworn.--I am porter to the dissecting-room, Guy's -Hospital. On Friday evening, the 4th of November, about seven o'clock, -May and Bishop came to the hospital, May carrying a sack. I knew them -before, they asked me if I wanted to purchase a subject. I declined to -purchase it, and they asked me if I would allow them to leave it in the -hospital until the following morning. I acceded to their request, and -locked the body up in a room during the night. Next morning, between -the hours of eleven and twelve, I saw May and Bishop in the hospital. -Having been out, I returned to the hospital, and ascertained that the -body had been taken away. I had only seen a foot out of the sack, and -I believed it was either that of a boy or a female; it was not large -enough for that of a man. The sack produced is similar to that in which -the body was. - -Cross-examined by Mr. BARRY.--I only saw May and Bishop on that -occasion. I never saw Williams until the other day. - -JAMES WEEKS, assistant to the last witness, examined.--On Friday, the -4th of November, I saw Bishop and May bring the sack with a body in it -to Guy's Hospital. The sack produced has a hole in it, and resembles -that in which the body was brought. The sack was left at the hospital -all night. The following morning Bishop, May, Williams, and Shields, -came for the body, and I delivered it to them in the same state as I -had received it. The night before, May and Bishop directed me not to -let it go unless they were both present. They took it away in a hamper, -which they brought with them. Shields acted as porter, and carried the -hamper. I believe the hamper now produced to be that in which they -carried the body away. - -Mr. J. APPLETON, curator of Grainger's Anatomical Theatre, Webb-street, -Borough, examined.--I know the three prisoners. On Friday, November -4th, about half-past seven o'clock in the evening, Bishop and May came -and said they had a subject for sale. I asked what it was; they said -that it was a fresh subject. I asked whether it was male or female. -They replied a boy about fourteen years of age. I declined to purchase -it. The next morning they called to make the same offer, but I again -declined it. They had not the body with them. - -Mr. THOMAS MILLS examined.--I live at No. 39, Bridge-house-place, -Newington Causeway, and am a dentist. On the 4th of November, between -nine and ten o'clock in the morning, May called and offered a set of -teeth for sale; they were twelve human teeth, six for each jaw. I -observed that one of the front teeth was chipped. He offered the set -for a guinea. It was then that I observed that one of them was chipped, -as that lessened their value. I said that I would give twelve shillings -for them, and I remarked that they did not belong to one set. He said, -"upon my soul to God, they all belonged to one head not long since, -and that the body had never been buried." I gave him twelve shillings -for the set. On examining them afterwards, I found that some part of -the flesh of the gums was so firmly attached to them, that I imagined -they had been violently taken from the head. I found great difficulty -in detaching it from them. I remarked to May, that the teeth either -belonged to a boy or a female. He replied that they had belonged to a -boy, between fourteen and fifteen years of age. Those are the teeth now -produced, which I delivered to the superintendent Mr. Thomas. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD.--I will swear that the expression used -by May was not that the teeth were as fresh as if the body from which -they had been taken never was buried. - -AUGUSTINE BRUN (examined through an interpreter, Parragalli, who is -also one of the witnesses) deposed, that he was acquainted with the -Italian boy, Carlo Ferrari. Witness brought him to this country about -two years ago. Carlo stayed with him but about six weeks. Has not -seen him since the 28th of July, 1830. Was shown the body of a boy at -Covent-garden station-house, on the 19th of November. Recognized it to -be the body of the boy Carlo--that is, to the best of his belief. Could -not swear positively, the face was so disfigured, and the absence of -the teeth so altered the usual expression of the boy's countenance. -The hair, size, and form, perfectly corresponded. Had not seen the boy -alive since July, 1830; could not, if he was dead. - -The last remark occasioned a laugh in the court; but it arose from -the inaccurate manner in which Parragalli, the interpreter, put the -questions to the witness. In several instances the questions, as put by -Parragalli, were wholly different in sense and meaning to those given -by the counsel, and thus a degree of perplexity and confusion arose in -the answers, which gave an opposite character to the examination than -was in reality intended. The interpreter was frequently checked by -the court, in consequence of the comments in which he indulged in the -answers given by the witness, and in which he appeared to display a -zeal, which broke out sometimes into a certain degree of impertinence -and frivolity, not at all in character with the solemn investigation -which was then pending. - -AUGUSTINE BRUN was cross-examined by Mr. Curwood, when he said, that -if he had not heard of the death of the boy, he should have given -precisely the same evidence, namely, that he could have inferred from -the general appearance of the body, and colour of the hair, that it -was that of 'my boy' Carlo Ferrari. If asked at once to whom the body -belonged, I should have experienced some difficulty in determining, in -consequence of the disfigurement of the face. - -JOSEPH PARRAGALLI, the interpreter to Brun, was then admitted as -a witness. Obtained his livelihood by playing an organ and the -pandean-pipes. Knew the boy Carlo for the last two years. Saw him alive -at half-past two o'clock, in the Regent's Quadrant, on the Saturday -four weeks before he saw him dead at the Station-house. Carlo had then -a cage with two white mice about his neck; was sure that the boy, whom -he saw dead, was the same whom he saw thus accoutred in the Regent's -Quadrant (the cap was here put into witness's hands). Would swear that, -to the best of his belief, it belonged to the boy Carlo. - -Cross-examined by Mr. BARRY.--Witness did not know any Italian boys who -obtained a livelihood in the manner of the boy Carlo. - -[Illustration: CARLO FERRARI. THE ITALIAN BOY. - -_Drawn by Mr. Tillotson in St. Paul's Church Yards_] - -MARY PARRAGALLI, wife of the last witness, also knew the boy Carlo -Ferrari. Saw him last on Tuesday the 1st of November, in Oxford-street, -at a quarter past twelve o'clock; he had a cage, like a squirrel-cage, -with two white mice in it. Did not speak to him; he wore a cap. When -shown a dead body at Covent-Garden station-house, on the 6th of -November, was positive that it was that of the boy Carlo. - -ANDREW COLLA knew the boy Carlo by sight. Saw him in Oxford-street on -Tuesday the 1st of November. On the following Monday saw a body at -the station-house, Covent-Garden, which he believes to have been that -of Carlo (a cap was here put into the witness's hands). To the best -of his belief, it was the cap worn by the Italian boy when he met him -in Oxford-street. Carlo had on him a blue coat and grey trowsers. The -trowsers had a patch on the knee (a pair of trowsers was here shown -to the witness). Believes them to be those worn by the boy Carlo. Is -strengthened in his belief by the peculiarity of the stitching. Has not -seen the trowsers since the day he met the boy in Oxford-street. - -JOHN KING, aged ten in December, was acquainted with the nature of -an oath.--Lived near Nova Scotia Gardens. On the Thursday before Guy -Fawkes's day, saw a boy standing at the corner of the gardens. The boy -had a cage suspended by a string round his neck. Had a brown hairy cap -(a cap was put into witness's hands). Believes the cap to be that worn -by the boy. Knew it by the green facing. - -MARTHA KING, aged eleven years, sister of the last witness, gave -evidence precisely to the same effect. - -REBECCA BAYLIS lives at No. 1, Virginia-row, Bethnal-green. Her -husband is a cabinet-maker. Remembers to have seen, on Thursday the -3d of November, an Italian boy, standing close to the window of her -residence. Saw a box suspended from his neck, on the boy's arms. (The -cap which had been shown to the preceding witnesses, was here shown -to this witness.) Believes the cap to be the same with that worn by -the Italian boy. In about a quarter of an hour after, had occasion to -go out, I saw the Italian boy standing within two doors of Bishop's -residence. The trowsers appear to be like those worn by the boy; could -not speak with the same degree of certainty respecting the jacket. The -colour was more inclining to the green than that now produced. - -JOHN RANDALL, labourer, lived in Bethnal-green, near Nova Scotia -Gardens. Remembers to have seen, on Thursday the 3d of November, an -Italian boy standing under the window of the Bird-cage public-house, -Nova Scotia Gardens. The boy had a cage with two white mice in his -arms. The cage had a box in one part, the other part went round like a -squirrel-cage. The boy had on him a brown cap: the cap (here shown to -witness) is like that worn by the boy. - -SARAH TRUBY is wife of the landlord of the cottages, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, -in Nova Scotia Gardens. On the part of her husband, she let in July, -1830, the cottage No. 3 to Bishop's wife. Bishop and his wife lived -there since; let the cottage No. 2 to the prisoner Williams in July -last. Williams then went by the name of Head. Williams lived there for -six or seven weeks; let the cottage since to a person named Woodcock. -There was a well in the garden attached to Bishop's cottage, with a -passage to it from the other two cottages. There is a privy at the -bottom of the garden of No. 3, which was not open to Nos. 1 and 2, but -was to her (witness's) own residence. Has seen Williams frequently, -since he left No. 2, in the prisoner's (Bishop's) cottage. - -WILLIAM WOODCOCK, about twelve years of age, lived with his father -at No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens, next door to the prisoner Bishop's -residence. Has seen Williams and his wife frequently of late, in -Bishop's cottage; the last time he saw Williams there, was a couple of -days before Guy Fawkes' day. - -ABRAHAM KEYMAN keeps the Feathers public-house, Bethnal-green.--On -Thursday night the 3d of November, at about a quarter before twelve, -Bishop, accompanied by a man in appearance like the prisoner Williams, -came to his house and took with him half a gallon of beer, and a -quartern of rum: lent them a can to carry the beer; lives within two -hundred yards of Bishop's residence (a can was here shown to witness); -that was the can he lent to Bishop. - -WILLIAM WOODCOCK went to reside at No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens, next -door to the prisoner Bishop, on the 17th of October last; lived there -till the prisoners were apprehended, but not since; had reason to -believe that the prisoner Williams lived along with the prisoner -Bishop; does not recollect ever to have seen the prisoner Bishop till -he saw him at Bow-street; but saw Williams on two Sundays. On one -of these occasions witness was digging in the bottom of the garden -attached to his residence No. 2, when he was accosted by the prisoner -Williams, and recommended not to dig in that part of the garden, but -in another which he pointed out. On the night of Guy Fawkes' day, went -to bed about half-past nine. Had been asleep about four hours when he -awoke, and heard a noise in the adjoining (Bishop's) cottage. He then -roused himself completely from sleep, and distinctly heard the sound -of three footsteps. He did not rise, because the noise was not in his -own house. He heard a scuffle which lasted for a couple of minutes, -when all became silent. After the silence, and before he went again to -sleep, he heard the side-entrance door to No. 3 open, and distinctly -heard the footsteps of two persons run by his (witness's) window. He -also heard the footsteps of one person in No. 3, before the other two -returned. There elapsed but about one minute between their going out -and return. He then recognized the voice of the prisoner Williams. The -partition wall between the cottages was about four inches thick. - -On cross-examination, the witness said that he had no particular reason -for saying or believing that Williams lived with Bishop, other than he -heard it reported, and because he knew him to be his son-in-law. When -he heard the scuffle, he did not rise, supposing it to be some family -quarrel, with which he had no concern. - -ANNA WOODCOCK, wife of the last witness, gave evidence to the effect -that the prisoner Williams was an inmate of Bishop's cottage. - -JOSEPH HIGGINS (of the New Police) was sent by his officer to the -cottage, No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens, tenanted by the prisoner Bishop; -and on searching it, found a chisel and some tools. He then went to the -prisoner May's lodgings, near the New Kent-road, and found these awls -and screws (here shown to the jury). On one of the awls he discovered -drops of blood apparently fresh. He also found a pair of breeches, with -marks of apparently fresh blood upon them. - -Mr. MILLS, the dentist, was here recalled for the purpose of examining -the awls and tools found at the prisoner May's residence. They were -such as would serve to extract teeth in the coarse manner in which -those sold to him had been evidently extracted. - -JOSEPH HIGGINS'S examination resumed.--On the 19th of November, he -again went to Bishop's residence, accompanied by another policeman. -They minutely searched the premises, and with an iron rod probed the -garden in several places. The rod met with resistance in one part -of the garden, and on digging they discovered a jacket, a pair of -trowsers, and a small shirt. In another part they dug up a blue coat, -a drab striped waistcoat, altered from man's size so as to fit a boy, -and a pair of trowsers with the braces attached to them. The waistcoat -had stains of blood on the collar and shoulders. They were buried about -twelve inches under the surface, and were covered with cinders and -ashes. - -The clothes thus dug up were shown to the jury. The trowsers and coat -sworn to by preceding witnesses as like to those worn by the Italian -boy were part of them. - -The evidence of this witness was corroborated by that of James Wadey, -the police-officer who accompanied him in his search. - -EDWARD WARD, a child aged six years and a half, was next called. He was -previously to being sworn examined as to the nature of an oath. The -child, with infantine simplicity, said that he knew it to be a very bad -thing to tell a lie; that it was a great sin; and that he who would -swear falsely would go to h--l, to be burnt with brimstone and sulphur. -He was then sworn.--He stated that he lived with his father near to -the Nova Scotia cottages. That a few days before Guy Fawkes's day, his -mother having given him a half holiday, he went to Bishop's cottage to -play with Bishop's children, three in number, a boy older than himself, -a little girl, and a boy about his own age. As a toy, Bishop's children -produced a cage, which went round, and which contained two white mice. -He never before saw either a cage or mice with Bishop's children. On -his return home, he told his brother, who is much older than himself, -all the circumstances. - -JOHN WARD, brother of the last witness, deposed to the fact of his -young brother having told him that he had been playing at Bishop's -cottage with Bishop's children, and that their toy was a cage -containing two white mice, which went round and round. - -Mr. JAMES CORDER (the vestry-clerk of Covent-garden) was apprised of -the discovery of the body of an Italian boy at King's College, at five -o'clock of the evening of Saturday on which it was brought there. At -the instance of the parish, a coroner's inquest was held on the body, -and proceedings instituted. At the inquest the prisoner Bishop was -examined, and was told that he was not called on to criminate himself, -to be cautious in his answers, for that what fell from him would be -taken down word for word, and might be used so as to affect his life. -Witness here read the declarations of the prisoners Bishop, Williams, -and May, as given at the coroner's inquest, to the following effect:-- - -'I dug of the body out of the grave. The reason why I decline to say -the grave I took it out of is, that there were two watchmen in the -ground, and they intrusted me, and being men of family, I don't wish to -"deceive" them. I don't think I can say anything more. I took it for -sale to Guy's Hospital, and as they did not want it, I left it there -all night and part of the next day, and then I removed it to the King's -College. That is all I can say about it. I mean to say that this is the -truth. I shall certainly keep it a secret where I got the body. I know -nothing as to how it died.' - -'May said he wished to say what he knew, and would speak the truth. He -then said his name was James May, and that he lived in Dorset-street, -Newington. He went into the country on Sunday week, and returned on -the evening of Wednesday, and went to Mr. Grainger's, in Webb-street, -with a couple of subjects. On the following morning (Thursday) he -removed them to Mr. Davis's, at Guy's, and after receiving the money he -went away to the Fortune of War, in Smithfield, and stayed there about -two or three hours. Between four and five o'clock, to the best of his -recollection, he went to Nag's-head-court, Golden-lane, and there he -stopped with a female until between eleven and twelve o'clock the next -day (Friday). From Golden-lane he went to the Fortune of War again, -and stopped drinking there until six o'clock or half-past. Williams -and Bishop both came in there, and asked him if he would "stand any -thing" to drink, which he did. Bishop then called him out, and asked -him where he could get the best price for "things." He told him where -he had sold two, meaning Guy's, and he (Bishop) then told him that he -had got a good subject, and had been offered eight guineas for it. He -(May) replied, that he could get more for it, and then Bishop said that -all he could get over nine guineas he might have for himself. He agreed -to it, and they went from thence to the Old Bailey, and had some tea -at the watering-house there, leaving Williams at the Fortune of War. -After tea they called a chariot off the stand, and drove to Bishop's -house. When there, Bishop showed him the lad in a box or trunk. He -(May) then put it into a sack, and brought it to the chariot, and -conveyed it to Mr. Davis's, at Guy's. Mr. Davis said, "You know, John, -I cannot take it: because I took two of you yesterday, and I have not -got names enough down for one, or I would take it." He (May) then asked -him if he could leave the body there that night, and he said he might. -Bishop then desired Mr. Davis not to let any person have it, as it was -his subject, but to deliver it to his own self. He (May) also told Mr. -Davis not to let the body go without him, or he should be money out -of pocket. May then went on to say, that he went to his own house and -slept there that night, and the next morning he went to Guy's, and -Bishop and Shields came in with a hamper, which was taken to King's -College, where he was taken into custody.' - -'JOHN WILLIAMS stated, that in the first place he met Bishop on last -Saturday morning (Nov. 5), in Long-lane, Smithfield, and asked him -where he was going. He said he was going to the King's College. They -then went into the Fortune of War public-house, and after that Bishop -went to Guy's Hospital, and then to the King's College. May and the -porter met them against the gate. Bishop went in, and he (Williams) -asked him to let him go in with him. That was all he had got to say, -except that a porter took a basket from the Fortune of War to Guy's -Hospital, and he (Williams) helped him part of the way with it.' - -WILLIAM D. BURNABY, magistrate's clerk at Bow-street, was present at -the examination of the prisoners at Bow-street, and remembers that when -the prisoner May was examined as to the use of the awl found at his -residence, he stated that 'that was the instrument he usually employed -to punch out the teeth from dead bodies.' - -JOHN KIRKMAN (of the new police) was on duty at the station-house, -Covent-garden, when the inquest was held there on the body of the -Italian boy. Behind where the prisoners sat was a printed bill relating -to the transaction. On seeing it the prisoner Bishop said in a low tone -of voice to the prisoner May, 'It was the blood that sold us;' and -looking at the bill again, said aloud, 'The marks of violence were only -breakings out on the skin.' - -Mr. THOMAS, the superintendent of police, deposed that on examining the -body of the boy it appeared to him that there were marks on the left -arm as if from the violent compression of fingers, and there was dirt -on the chest. He also saw on the neck, from the forehead to the breast, -the traces of blood but clumsily wiped away. - -Mr. ADOLPHUS stated that this was the case for the prosecution. - -The prisoners were then called upon for their defence. - -Mr. CURWOOD, on the part of the prisoner Williams, said he felt it -to be his duty to object to that person's being further proceeded -with under the present indictment. That indictment distinctly charged -Williams with being a principal in the murder, and he appealed to the -Court whether the evidence at all went to bear out the indictment, so -far as it applied to that prisoner. It might be that the evidence would -go to show that he was an accessory after the crime, but that was quite -another question from the present indictment, which distinctly charged -him with being a principal. - -Lord Chief Justice TINDAL could not admit the force of the learned -counsel's objection. It would be for the jury to determine not only the -fact of guilt or innocence, but the degrees of both. - -Mr. CURWOOD bowed to the decision of the Court, and only performed what -he conceived to be his duty in urging the objection. - -JOHN DAVIS was then recalled for the purpose of showing that he had -very recently purchased two subjects from the prisoner May. He brought -them the day before the date of the murder. - -The Court then informed the prisoners, that if they wished to address -any observations to the jury on the evidence just given against them, -that that was the time. - -Three written defences were then read by the officer of the Court. - -The prisoner BISHOP, in his defence, stated that he was 33 years of -age, and had followed the occupation of carrier till the last five -years, during which he had occasionally obtained a livelihood by -supplying surgeons with subjects. He most solemnly declared that he -had never disposed of any body that had not died a natural death. He -had been in the habit of obtaining bodies from workhouses, with their -clothes on, so that he could have no difficulty in procuring them after -a natural death. The statement then went on to describe the localities -of the prisoner's residence, in order to show that they admitted of -great facilities of ingress and egress, to all persons resident in the -neighbourhood. His garden and premises were open to them, and theirs to -him. With respect to the clothes found in his garden, he knew nothing. -As to the cap, he should be able to prove that it was bought by his -wife from a woman named Dodswell, who resided in Old Hoxton Town. The -green cape he sewed on himself. The prisoner called upon the jury to -divest their minds of all undue prejudices, and judge his case by the -evidence alone. By so doing, they would be discharging their duty, and -would acquit him of the crime then charged against him. In conclusion, -the prisoner declared that neither Williams nor May knew how he -procured the body. - -WILLIAMS'S defence briefly stated, that he had never been engaged in -the calling of resurrectionist; and had only by accident accompanied -Bishop on the occasion of the sale of the Italian boy's body. - -MAY, in his defence, admitted that, for the last six years, he -had followed the occupation of supplying the medical schools with -anatomical subjects; but disclaimed ever having had anything to do with -the sale of bodies which had not died a natural death. The remainder of -his defence was a recapitulation of his declaration at the coroner's -inquest, to the effect that he had accidentally met with Bishop at the -Fortune of War public-house, on the Friday on which the body was taken -for sale to Guy's Hospital. - -ROSINA CARPENTER, on behalf of the prisoner May, deposed, that she -lived at Macbeth-court, Golden-lane; that she was acquainted with May -for the last fourteen or fifteen years. That May came to her between -four and five o'clock on Thursday, the 3d of November, and stayed with -her till twelve o'clock next day. - -On cross-examination, the witness stated, that she had slept several -nights with the prisoner May before the 3d of November, and that nobody -saw them together on that occasion. - -SARAH TRUBY was recalled, in order to show that she had never, at any -time, seen white mice in Bishop's possession. - -The prisoner BISHOP.--What! did you never see any? - -WITNESS.--No; never. - -BISHOP.--Not about six months ago? Don't you recollect your cat having -killed some in my garden. - -WITNESS.--Never. - -Mrs. MARY DODSWELL lived at 26, Hoxton Old Town: kept a second-hand -clothes and sale shop. Knew the prisoner Bishop's wife. Sold a cap to -her about two years ago. The cap was a cloth one, with a black leather -cape. - -[The cap found at Bishop's, and alleged to have been that worn by the -Italian boy, was a brown hair one, with green leather front.] - -The prisoner BISHOP.--Mrs. Dodswell, don't you recollect your having -sold my wife two caps at the same time? - -WITNESS.--No, I sold but one. - -On behalf of the prisoner May, MARY ANN HALL and JANE LEWIS, who both -admitted themselves to be in the habit of 'seeing gentlemen,' were -called and examined, in order to show that they lived in the same -street with May, and that the appearance of blood on his clothes was -wholly owing to an accident which happened to a jackdaw, and which was -followed by the loss of blood. - -Mr. THOMAS (the Police Superintendent) here deposed, that he was -inclined to believe, from the glutinous and fresh appearance of the -blood on the prisoner May's clothes, that it was shed since his being -taken into custody. - -The CHIEF JUSTICE then proceeded to recapitulate the evidence to the -jury, first warning them of the justice of founding their decision -on the evidence then adduced, without being at all influenced by -statements made elsewhere. The indictment contained two counts--one -charging the prisoners at the bar with the murder of Carlo Ferrari, an -Italian boy; the other with the murder of a boy, name unknown. The jury -would learn from this circumstance, that it was by no means necessary -that the name of the murdered party should be known, and that all that -they need have to decide was, the fact itself. They accordingly would -first direct their attention to the determining the fact, whether the -body which the prisoners had proffered for sale had come by a natural -death or not; and next, whether, if they were of opinion that it had -not, the prisoners were the murderers, and to what degree they were -implicated. With respect to the first point, he thought they would -experience but little trouble after the explicit evidence of the -medical gentlemen who had been that day examined, and whose conduct, -it was but justice to say, was an honourable rebuke to any calumnious -imputations on the medical profession to which the present case may -have given birth. The learned Judge then went through the evidence -with the most pains-taking minuteness, commenting on those points -which, in his mind, would enable the jury to determine the guilt of the -prisoners, and their probable share in the crime. The jury had heard -evidence which traced the Italian boy close to the premises of Bishop, -at twelve o'clock of the 3d of November, on the night of which it was -probable the murder was committed. They had evidence also to show, -that on that night a scuffle took place in Bishop's cottage, in which -Williams's voice was discernible. The evidence, however, to show that -May was present, or participated in the actual offence, was by no means -decisive; so that the jury would have to determine how far he was, or -was not, a principal or accessory. It might be that they would arrive -at the conclusion that Bishop alone, or Bishop and Williams, were the -criminals, and in such case they would find a verdict of acquittal for -May; or it might be, that they would find that all three were equally -guilty, or that they were guilty, but not in an equal degree. Their -verdict would be according to their decision on this point, rendering -it incumbent on them to cautiously weigh those parts of the evidence -which bore particularly on Bishop and Williams, and on the other -prisoner. He left it to their unbiassed judgment to find according to -the evidence which had been submitted to them. - -At eight o'clock the jury retired to consider their verdict, and -the prisoners were removed from the bar, and taken out of court. -The interval between that and the return of the jury was a period -of intense anxiety to every one in court; and, as is usual on such -occasions, there were various conjectures hazarded as to what would -be the verdict as to all the prisoners. That a verdict of 'guilty' -would be returned against two of the prisoners--namely, Bishop and -Williams,--none who heard the evidence and the summing up of the -learned Judge, could entertain any rational doubt; but the same -confident opinion by no means existed with respect to the fate of the -prisoner May. The general opinion, as far as we could judge from what -was passing around us, was, that the circumstantial proof not being, in -his case, so strong as it was in that of his fellow-prisoners, the jury -would acquit him: but still there were many who thought the proof of a -participation in the murder clear and perfect as to all the parties. - -These conjectures and speculations were put an end to by the return of -the jury at half-past eight o'clock. - -The most death-like silence now prevailed through the court, -interrupted only by a slight buzz on the re-introduction of the -prisoners. - -Every eye was now fixed upon them; but though their appearance and -manner had undergone a considerable change from what they exhibited -at being first placed at the bar, and during the greater part of the -trial, they did not seem conscious of the additional interest which -their presence at this moment excited. They scarcely raised their eyes -as they entered, beyond a glance or two at the jury box. - -Bishop advanced to the bar with a heavy step, and with rather a slight -bend of the body; his arms hung closely down, and it seemed a kind of -relief to him when he took his place to rest his hand on the board -before him. His appearance, when he got in front, was that of a man -who had been for some time labouring under the most intense mental -agony, which had brought on a kind of lethargic stupor. His eye was -sunk, and glassy; his nose drawn and pinched; the jaw fallen, and, of -course, the mouth open: but occasionally the mouth closed, the lips -became compressed, and the shoulders and chest raised, as if he was -struggling to repress some violent emotion. After a few efforts of this -kind, he became apparently calm, and frequently glanced his eye towards -the bench and the jury-box; but this was done without once raising -his head. His face had that pallid blueish appearance which so often -accompanies and betokens great mental suffering. - -Williams came forward with a short quick step; and his whole manner -was, we should say, the reverse of that of his companion in guilt. His -face had undergone very little change; but in his eye and his manner -there was a feverish anxiety, which we did not observe during the -trial. When he came in front, and laid his hand on the bar, the rapid -movement of his fingers on the board, the frequent shifting of the -hand, sometimes letting it hang down for an instant by his side, then -replacing it on the board, and then resting his side against the front -of the dock, showed the perturbed state of his feelings. Once or twice -he gave a glance round the bench and the bar, but after that he seldom -took his eye from the jury-box. - -May came forward with a more firm step than either of his -fellow-prisoners; but his look was that of a man who thought that all -chance of life was lost. He seemed desponding; but there appeared -that in his despondency which gave an air of--we could not call it -daring, or even confidence,--we should rather say, a physical power -of endurance, which imparted to his whole manner a more firm bearing -than that of the other prisoners. He was very pale, but his eye had -not relaxed from that firmness which was observable in his glance -throughout the whole of the trial. - -Ordinary physiognomists who, without having seen the prisoners, had -read the accounts of their examinations at the police-office,--of their -habits and mode of living, and the horrible atrocities with which, -there is now no doubt, they were familiar,--would have been greatly -disappointed in the appearance of all of them as they stood at the -bar. There was nothing in the aspect or manner of any of them which -betokened a predisposition to anything like the outrage on humanity -of which they stood convicted. Thurtell looked, as well as acted, the -'bold-faced villain.' Ings, and one or two others of the companions of -Thistlewood, wore in their countenances, almost as strongly as they -showed in their deeds, the bold daring of the reckless desperado; but -nothing of this kind could be traced in the face of any of the three -who were then at the bar. There was something of heaviness in the -aspect of Bishop, but altogether his countenance was mild. Williams had -that kind of aspect with which men associate the idea of sharpness and -cunning, and something of mischief, but nothing of the villain. May, -who was the best-looking of the three, had a countenance which most -persons would consider open and manly. There was an air of firmness -and determination about him; but neither in him nor his companions was -there the slightest physiognomical trait of a murderer, according to -the common notions on the subject. They were all those kind of vulgar -men in appearance of which one sees hundreds every day, without being -struck with any indication in them of good or evil disposition. - -When the three prisoners were placed at the bar, the names of the jury -were called over; and on being asked whether they had agreed to their -verdict, they answered that they had. - -The question was then put to them, as to each of the prisoners, and -they returned as their verdict, that John Bishop, Thomas Williams, -_alias_ Head, and James May, were severally _Guilty_ of murder. - -The verdict was received in court with becoming silence; but in a -moment it was conveyed to the immense multitude assembled outside, who -evinced their satisfaction at the result by loud and continued cheering -and clapping of hands. To such an extent was this expression of the -popular feeling carried, that the windows of the court were obliged to -be closed, in order that the voice of the Recorder might be heard in -passing sentence. - -The prisoners were then severally called upon to say why sentence of -death and execution should not be pronounced upon them; but none of -them availed themselves of this opportunity of saying anything. - -The RECORDER then proceeded to pass the awful sentence of death upon -them, but was for some moments again interrupted by the renewed shouts -of the populace from without. Silence having been restored, the learned -Judge proceeded. He began by eulogizing the patient and diligent -attention bestowed on their case by the jury, whose verdict was just -recorded; and of that jury he might state, what he often had occasion -to remark of juries in that box, that nothing but the most satisfactory -evidence, and a conviction of the solemn obligation they owed to their -Maker and to their country, could induce them to pronounce a verdict -which was to consign some of their fellow-men to a disgraceful death. -He fully concurred in the verdict they had pronounced, which was -supported by the most conclusive evidence. - -The prisoner BISHOP.--By false evidence, my Lord. - -The learned RECORDER went on, and addressing himself to the prisoners, -observed, that he would not encroach, by any lengthened remarks, on the -very short time that was to intervene between their sentence and their -appearance in the presence of their Creator. A month had now elapsed -since their first committal for this crime, and he hoped that that time -had been employed by them in looking back on their past lives,--on the -horrible agony which they had inflicted on the feelings of so many -of their fellow-men,--and on the dreadful outrage on human nature of -which they were now convicted. But, however they might have spent the -time past, he earnestly adjured them, by their hopes of mercy, to -lose not an instant of the few hours which yet remained to them, in -constant prayers to Almighty God for pardon through the merits of their -Redeemer. After pointing out to them the spiritual assistance which -would be afforded to them in prison, the learned Judge concluded by -passing upon each of them the sentence of the law, which was, that each -of them be hanged on the following Monday morning, and their bodies be -delivered over for dissection and anatomization. - -The prisoners heard their sentence, as they had heard the verdict, -without any visible alteration in their manner. They stood at the bar, -as if expecting that something more would be added. When ordered to -be removed, May raised his voice, and, in a firm tone, said, 'I am a -murdered man, gentlemen, and that man (pointing to Bishop) knows it.' - -The prisoner Williams said, 'We are all murdered men.' He then -addressed himself to one or two of the witnesses at the side bar, and -said, that before three months they would suffer for the false evidence -they had given against him. - -Bishop made no observation, but retired from the bar even more absorbed -by his awful situation than he had appeared before. - -The prisoners were then removed, and in a short time after the crowd -outside the court dispersed. - -From a momentary forgetfulness on the part of the Recorder, when -passing sentence of death upon Bishop, Williams, and May, these -wretches nearly escaped the additional judgment of dissection. The -Recorder, in the usual manner, had ordered them to be hanged on the -following Monday, and was passing on to the end of his address, 'and -the Lord have mercy upon your souls,' when Mr. Justice Littledale -whispered to the learned gentleman, who then stopped short in the -concluding sentence, and ordered their bodies to be given up for -dissection. - -On Saturday night, when the prisoners were removed each to his cell, -attended by his watchman, the person who was placed over Williams saw -him grow anxious and uneasy; towards midnight his agitation increased, -and the vigilance of his keeper became more marked. Williams observed -it, and said, 'Don't be frightened, sir, I am not going to do anything -wrong, but I wish to ease my mind. Let me see the Governor.' Mr. -Wontner was then called from his bed, and the Rev. Mr. Cotton, the -Ordinary, was also in attendance in a few minutes. - -When these gentlemen came into the cell, Williams looking at them -steadfastly for a moment or two, burst into tears and said, 'Gentlemen, -I wish to unburden my mind; I know I am guilty, and I ought to suffer -the utmost punishment of the law; I am a murderer, I confess it, but -the witnesses were all mistaken as to its being the Italian boy.' He -was then urged to relieve his mind as calmly and as coolly as possibly; -and, after a strong effort, during which the mental agony which he -endured was dreadful, he made a statement, of which the following is -the substance:-- - -On Thursday the 3d of November, he was in the neighbourhood of -Smithfield, when he saw a boy, whom he had often observed before, -assisting in driving cattle to the market. This boy was about fourteen -or fifteen years of age, and exactly corresponded with the description -given of the Italian boy. He enticed him from the cattle, and took -him to the Fortune of War public-house, and sent for Bishop, who was -waiting at another public-house in the neighbourhood for the purpose of -receiving communications from him (Williams) as to anything he might -do. Bishop came, and they took the boy home to Nova Scotia Gardens, -giving him some soup and potatoes by the way. When they got him there, -they set him to play with Bishop's children until near dusk, when they -gave him some rum, and he became stupified. They (Bishop and Williams) -then took him into the garden, and on the way threw him down, and, -pushing his head into the water-barrel, sunk into the ground (as -already described) held him until he was suffocated. They then conveyed -the body back to the house, 'kept it snug' till the next day, when May -was applied to, to assist in disposing of it. May had nothing to do -with the murder of that boy. - -Here the statement concluded. Williams seemed greatly relieved after -making his confession, and went to bed and slept soundly. - -The Rev. Mr. Williams, according to his promise, also visited Bishop -in his cell. The culprit appeared to be aware of his approaching -dissolution, and though firm as when he appeared at the bar before -the Court at the Old Bailey, yet he appeared to be anxious to make a -communication in favour of May. Bishop observed, that as he had no -hopes of mercy here, he did not wish an innocent man to suffer for his -crimes, and he declared that May was not concerned in the murder of -which he had been convicted. He said he was ready to make a confession -of the murders in which he had participated. After some hesitation, he -admitted that he had been concerned in the commission of three murders, -viz.--that of the Italian boy, the murder of Frances Pigburn, and of -a drover, a boy who had come to London with cattle from Lincolnshire, -which boy the witnesses on his trial had sworn was the Italian boy, to -the best of their belief, though he had disposed of that body before. - -[Illustration: Bishop's Cottage] - -Bishop entered into a minute description, most horrible in its details, -of the mode by which he had perpetrated the inhuman murders, and then -made the following confession:-- - - - _Newgate, December 4._ - - 'I, John Bishop, do hereby declare and confess, that the boy - supposed to be the Italian boy was a Lincolnshire boy. I and - Williams took him to my house about half-past ten o'clock on the - Thursday night, the 3d of November, from the Bell in Smithfield. - He walked home with us. Williams promised to give him some - work. Williams went with him from the Bell to the Old Bailey - watering-house, whilst I went to the Fortune of War. Williams - came from the Old Bailey watering-house to the Fortune of War for - me, leaving the boy standing at the corner of the court by the - watering-house in the Old Bailey. I went directly with Williams - to the boy, and we walked then all three to Nova Scotia Gardens, - taking a pint of stout at a public-house near Holywell-lane, - Shoreditch, on our way, of which we gave the boy a part; we only - stayed just to drink it, and walked on to my house, where we - arrived at about eleven o'clock. My wife and children, and Mrs. - Williams, were not gone to bed, so we put him in the privy, and - told him to wait there for us. Williams went in and told them to - go to bed, and I stayed in the garden. Williams came out directly, - and we both walked out of the garden a little way, to give time - for the family getting to bed; we returned in about ten minutes - or a quarter of an hour, and listened outside at the window to - ascertain whether the family were gone to bed. All was quiet, and - we then went to the boy in the privy, and took him into the house; - we lighted a candle, and gave the boy some bread and cheese, and - after he had eaten, we gave him a cup full of rum, with about half - a small phial of laudanum in it. (I had bought the rum the same - evening at the Three Tuns, in Smithfield, and the laudanum also in - small quantities at different shops.) There was no water or other - liquid put in the cup with the rum and laudanum. The boy drank - the contents of the cup directly in two draughts, and afterwards - a little beer. In about ten minutes he fell asleep on the chair - on which he sat, and I removed him from the chair to the floor, - and laid him on his side. We then went out and left him there. We - had a quartern of gin and a pint of beer at the Feathers, near - Shoreditch church, and then went home again, having been away - from the boy about twenty minutes. We found him asleep as we had - left him. We took him directly, asleep and insensible, into the - garden, and tied a cord to his feet to enable us to pull him up - by, and I then took him in my arms, and let him slide from them - headlong into the well in the garden, whilst Williams held the - cord to prevent the body going altogether too low in the well. - He was nearly wholly in the water of the well--his feet just - above the surface. Williams fastened the other end of the cord - round the paling to prevent the body getting beyond our reach. - The boy struggled a little with his arms and legs in the water, - and the water bubbled for a minute. We waited till these symptoms - were past, and then went in doors, and afterwards I think we - went out, and walked down Shoreditch to occupy the time, and in - about three-quarters of an hour we returned and took him out of - the well, by pulling him by the cord attached to his feet: we - undressed him in the paved yard, rolled his clothes up, and buried - them where they were found by the witness who produced them. We - carried the boy into the wash-house, laid him on the floor, and - covered him over with a bag. We left him there, and went and - had some coffee in Old-street-road, and then (a little before - two o'clock on the morning of Friday) went back to my house. We - immediately doubled the body up, and put it into a box, which we - corded, so that nobody might open it to see what was in it, and - then went again, and had some more coffee at the same place in - Old-street-road, where we stayed a little while, and then went - home to bed--both in the same house, and to our own beds, as - usual. We slept till about ten o'clock on Friday morning, when we - got up, took breakfast together with the family, and then went - both of us to Smithfield, to the Fortune of War. We had something - to eat and drink there, and after we had been there about half - an hour, May came in. I knew May, but had not seen him for about - a fortnight before. He had some rum with me at the bar, Williams - remaining in the tap-room. May and I went to the door, I had a - smockfrock on, and May asked me where I had bought it; I told - him "in Field-lane;" he said he wanted to buy one, and asked me - to go with him; I went with him to Field-lane, where he bought - a frock at the corner shop; we then went into a clothes-shop in - West-street to buy a pair of breeches, but May could not agree - about the price; May was rather in liquor, and sent out for some - rum, which we and the woman in the shop drank together; May said - he would treat her because he had given her a good deal of trouble - for nothing. We then returned to the Fortune of War, and joined - Williams, and had something more to drink; we waited there a short - time, and then Williams and I went to the west end of the town, - leaving May at the Fortune of War. Williams and I went to Mr. - Tuson's, in Windmill-street, where I saw Mr. Tuson, and offered to - sell him a subject, meaning the boy we had left at home. He said - he had waited so long for a subject which I had before undertaken - to procure, that he had been obliged to buy one the day before. We - went from there to Mr. Carpue's, in Dean-street, and offered it to - him in the lecture-room with other gentlemen; they asked me if it - was fresh; I told them, yes; they told me to wait. I asked them - ten guineas, and, after waiting a little, a gentleman there said - they would give eight guineas, which I agreed to take, and engaged - to carry it there the next morning at ten o'clock. I and Williams - then returned to the Fortune of War; we found May in the tap-room, - this was about a quarter before four o'clock in the afternoon; - we had something to drink again, and I called May out to the - outside of the house, and asked what was the best price given for - "things"--he said he had sold two the day before for ten guineas - each, I think. I told him I had a subject; he asked what sort of - one; I said, a boy about fourteen years old, and that I had been - offered eight guineas for it: he said if it was his, he would not - take it; he could sell it where he sold his for more. I told - him that all he could get above nine guineas he might have for - himself; we agreed to go presently and get a coach. I and May then - went to the bar, had something more to drink; and then, leaving - Williams at the Fortune of War, we went and tried to hire a cab in - the Old Bailey; the cab-man was at tea at the watering-house, and - we went in and spoke to him about a fare, and had also tea there - ourselves. Whilst we were at tea, the cab-driver went away, and - we found him gone from the stand when we came out; we then went - to Bridge-street, Blackfriars, and asked a coachman if he would - take such a fare as we wanted; he refused, and we then went to - Farringdon-street, where we engaged a yellow chariot. I and May - got in, drove to the Fortune of War, and (Williams joining us by - the George, in the Old Bailey, on our way) at the Fortune of War - we drank something again, and then (about six o'clock) we all - three went in the chariot to Nova Scotia Gardens; we went into - the wash-house, where I uncorded the trunk, and showed May the - body. He asked, "How are the teeth?" I said I had not looked at - them. Williams went and fetched a brad-awl from the house, and May - took it and forced the teeth out: it is the constant practice to - take the teeth out first, because, if the body be lost, the teeth - are saved. After the teeth were taken out, we put the body in a - bag and took it to the chariot; May and I carried the body, and - Williams got first into the coach, and assisted in pulling the - body in; we all then drove off to Guy's Hospital, where we saw Mr. - Davis, and offered to sell the body to him; he refused, saying - that he had bought two the day before of May. I asked him to let - us leave it there till the next morning; he consented, and we put - it in a little room, the door of which Mr. Davis locked. Williams - was, during this, left with the chariot: I told Mr. Davis not to - let the subject go to any body unless I was there, for it belonged - to me, and May also told him not to let it go unless he was - present, or else he should be money out of pocket; I understood - this to mean the money paid by May for our teas at the Old Bailey, - (about four shillings) and the coach fare, which we had agreed - with the coachman should be ten shillings. May had no other - interest or right to the money to be obtained for the body, except - for such payment, and for what he could get above nine guineas, - as I had promised him. May paid the coachman ten shillings on - our leaving the hospital, but before we discharged the coach, - May and I ran to Mr. Appleton, at Mr. Grainger's school, leaving - Williams with the coach. We offered the subject to Mr. Appleton, - but he declined to buy it, and May and I then joined Williams, - discharged the coach, and went to a public-house close by, and had - something to drink. After this we got into a coach in the Borough, - and drove again to the Fortune of War, where we had something - more to drink; this was about eight o'clock in the evening. We - all three stayed there about one hour, and then went out, got a - coach in Smithfield, and went towards Old-street-road, stopped in - Golden-lane with the coach and drank something, and then on to - Old-street. At the corner of Old-street (the Star corner) May got - out of the coach and said he was going home, and I and Williams - drove to the corner of Union-street, Kingsland-road, where we - got out and paid the coach-fare out of money lent us by May (he - having advanced to each of us three shillings). We then walked - home, and went to bed that night as usual. We had agreed with May - on his leaving us to meet him at Guy's Hospital at nine o'clock - the next morning (Saturday). I and Williams went at eight o'clock - on Saturday morning to the Fortune of War, where we met Shields, - the porter, and engaged him to go with us over the water to carry - a subject. I asked him to go to St. Bartholomew's Hospital for - a hamper which I had seen there; he refused, and I fetched it - myself. We had a pint of beer there, and I, and Williams, and - Shields, went to Guy's Hospital, Shields carrying the hamper. We - met May there. Williams and Shields went to a public-house, whilst - I and May went to Mr. Appleton, and offered him the subject again. - He again refused to buy it, stating that he did not want it. May - and I then joined Shields and Williams, and had some drink, and - then left them again, crossed the water in a boat to the King's - College, where we inquired of Mr. Hill, the porter, if he wanted a - subject; he said he was not particularly in want, but would speak - to Mr. Partridge, the demonstrator. Mr. Partridge came, and asked - what the subject was. May said, 'a male subject.' Mr. Partridge - asked the price. May said, 'twelve guineas.' Mr. Partridge said - he could not give so much, and went away. Mr. Hill asked us to - stay a few minutes whilst he went after Mr. Partridge, to speak to - him again. Hill returned, and said Mr. Partridge would give nine - guineas. May said, 'he would be d--d if it should go under ten - guineas.' He was in liquor, and on his moving a little way off, I - took the opportunity of saying to Hill, that he should come in at - nine guineas. I told May, directly after, that I had sold it for - nine guineas, and that I would, out of it, pay him what I had of - him, and give him something besides. We then got into a cabriolet, - and went back to Williams and Shields, at the public-house, where - all four had some beef-steaks and beer, and afterwards went to - Guy's Hospital, packed the body in the hamper, and put it on - Shields' head, telling him to take it to the King's College, - where he went, Williams and Shields walking, and I and May riding - part of the way in a cab. On reaching the King's College we - carried the body into the theatre, and then into a little room, - where we took the body out. Mr. Hill looked at it, and asked what - it died of. May answered, that he did not know, and it did not - concern him. Mr. Hill asked how a cut, which was on the forehead, - came. I told him that it was done by May throwing it out of the - sack on the stones, which was the truth. Hill told us to remain - in the other room, and he would bring in the money. We went into - the other room, and waited for some time, when Mr. Partridge came - to us, and showed me a fifty pound note, and said he must go and - get it changed, for he had not sufficient money without; and he - pulled out his purse, and counted three or four sovereigns. I said - he might let us have that, and he could give us the remainder on - Monday. He said no, he would rather pay it altogether, and went - away. We waited some time, when the police-officers came, and took - us into custody. - - 'JOHN BISHOP.' - - 'Witness, ROBERT ELLIS.' - - - 'I declare that this statement is all true, and contains all the - facts, as far as I can recollect. May knew nothing of the murder, - and I do not believe he suspected that I had got the body except - in the usual way, and after the death of it. I always told him - that I got it from the ground; and he never knew to the contrary - until I confessed it to Mr. Williams since the trial. I have known - May as a body snatcher four or five years, but I do not believe - he ever obtained a body except in the common course of men in - that calling, by stealing from the graves. I also confess that I - and Williams were concerned in the murder of a female, whom I - believe to have been since discovered to be Fanny Pigburn, on or - about the 9th of October last. I and Williams saw her sitting, - about eleven or twelve o'clock at night, on the step of a door in - Shoreditch, near the church. She had a child, four or five years - old, with her, on her lap. I asked why she was sitting there. She - said she had no home to go to, for her landlord had turned her out - into the street. I told her that she might go home with us, and - sit by the fire all night. She said she would go with us; and she - walked with us to my house, in Nova Scotia Gardens, carrying her - child with her. When we got there, we found the family in bed; - and we took the woman in and lighted a fire, by which we all sat - down together. I went out for beer, and we all partook of beer - and rum (I had brought the rum from Smithfield in my pocket). The - woman and her child lay down on some dirty linen on the floor, - and I and Williams went to bed. About six o'clock next morning I - and Williams told her to go away, and to meet us at the London - Apprentice, in Old-street-road, at one o'clock; this was before - our families were up. She met us again at one o'clock at the - London Apprentice, without her child. We gave her some halfpence - and beer, and desired her to meet us again, at ten o'clock at - night, at the same place. After this we bought rum and laudanum - at different places, and at ten o'clock we met the woman again - at the London Apprentice. She had no child with her. We drank - three pints of beer between us there, and stayed about an hour. - We should have stayed there longer, but an old man came in, whom - the woman said she knew; and she said she did not like him to see - her there with anybody; we therefore all went out. It rained hard, - and we took shelter under a doorway in the Hackney-road for about - half an hour. We then walked to Nova Scotia Gardens, and Williams - and I led her into No. 2, an empty house, adjoining my house. - We had no light. Williams stepped out into the garden with the - rum and laudanum, which I had handed to him. He there mixed them - together in a half-pint bottle, and came into the house to me and - the woman, and gave her the bottle to drink. She drank the whole - at two or three draughts. There was a quartern of rum and about - half a phial of laudanum. She sat down on the step between two - rooms in the house, and went off to sleep in about ten minutes. - She was falling back; I caught her, to save her fall, and she - lay with her back on the floor. Then Williams and I went to a - public-house, got something to drink, and in about half an hour - came back to the woman. We took her cloak off, tied a cord to her - feet, carried her to the well in the garden, and thrust her into - it headlong. She struggled very little afterwards, and the water - bubbled a little at the top. We fastened the cord to the palings - to prevent her going down beyond our reach, and left her, and took - a walk to Shoreditch, and came back in about half an hour; we left - the woman in the well for this length of time, that the rum and - laudanum might run out of the body at the mouth. On our return, we - took her out of the well, cut her clothes off, put them down the - privy of the empty house, carried the body into the wash-house of - my own house, where we doubled it up, and put it into a hat-box, - which we corded, and left it there. We did not go to bed, but went - to Shields' house, in Eagle-street, Red-lion-square, and called - him up; this was between four and five o'clock in the morning. We - then went with Shields to a public-house near the Sessions House, - Clerkenwell, and had some gin, and from thence to my house, where - we went in and stayed a little while, to wait the change of the - police. I told Shields he was to carry that trunk to St. Thomas' - Hospital. He asked if there was a woman in the house who could - walk alongside of him, so that people might not take any notice. - Williams called his wife up, and asked her to walk with Shields, - and to carry the hat-box which he gave her to carry. There was - nothing in it, but it was tied up as if there were. We then put - the box with the body on Shields' head, and went to the hospital, - Shields and Mrs. Williams walking on one side of the street, and - I and Williams on the other. At St. Thomas' Hospital I saw Mr. - South's footman, and sent him upstairs to Mr. South to ask if he - wanted a subject. The footman brought me word that his master - wanted one, but could not give an answer till the next day, as - he had not time to look at it. During this interview, Shields, - Williams, and his wife, were waiting at a public-house. I then - went alone to Mr. Appleton, at Mr. Grainger's, and agreed to sell - it to him for eight guineas; and afterwards I fetched it from St. - Thomas' Hospital, and took it to Mr. Appleton, who paid me five - pounds then, and the rest on the following Monday. After receiving - the five pounds I went to Shields, and Williams and his wife, - at the public-house, where I paid Shields ten shillings for his - trouble, and we then all went to the Flower Pot, in Bishopsgate, - where we had something to drink, and then went home. I never saw - the woman's child after the first time before mentioned. She said - she had left the child with the person she had taken some of her - things to, before her landlord took her goods. The woman murdered - did not tell us her name; she said her age was thirty-five, I - think, and that her husband, before he died, was a cabinet-maker. - She was thin, rather tall, and very much marked with the - smallpox. I also confess the murder of a boy, who told us his - name was Cunningham. It was a fortnight after the murder of the - woman. I and Williams found him sleeping, about eleven or twelve - o'clock at night, on Friday, the 21st of October, as I think, - under the pig-boards in the pig-market at Smithfield. Williams - woke him, and asked him to come along with him (Williams), and - the boy walked with Williams and me to my house in Nova Scotia - Gardens. We took him into my house, and gave him some warm beer, - sweetened with sugar, with rum and laudanum in it. He drank two - or three cups full, and then fell asleep in a little chair, - belonging to one of my children. We laid him on the floor, and - went out for a little while and got something to drink, and then - returned, carried the boy to the well, and threw him into it, in - the same way as we had served the other boy and the woman. He - died instantly in the well, and we left him there a little while, - to give time for the mixtures we had given him to run out of the - body. We then took the body from the well, took off the clothes - in the garden, and buried them there. The body was carried into - the wash-house, and put into the same box, and left there till - the next evening, when we got a porter to carry it with us to St. - Bartholomew's Hospital, where I sold it to Mr. Smith for eight - guineas. This boy was about ten or eleven years old, said his - mother lived in Kent-street, and that he had not been home for a - twelvemonth and better. I solemnly declare that these are all the - murders in which I have been concerned, or that I know anything - of; that I and Williams were alone concerned in these, and that - no other person whatever knew anything about either of them, and - that I do not know whether there are others who practise the same - mode of obtaining bodies for sale. I know nothing of any Italian - boy, and was never concerned in, or knew of, the murder of such - a boy. There have been no white mice about my house for the last - six months. My son, about eight months ago, bought two mice, and I - made him a cage for them. It was flat, with wires at the top. They - lived about two months, and were killed, I think, by a cat in the - garden, where they got out of the cage. They were frequently seen - running in the garden, and used to hide in a hole under the privy. - I and my wife and children saw one of them killed by a cat in the - garden whilst we were at tea. Until the transactions before set - forth, I never was concerned in obtaining a subject by destruction - of the living. I have followed the course of obtaining a - livelihood as a body-snatcher for twelve years, and have obtained - and sold, I think, from five hundred to one thousand bodies; but I - declare, before God, that they were all obtained after death, and - that, with the above exceptions, I am ignorant of any murder for - that or any other purpose. - - 'JOHN BISHOP.' - - 'Witness, ROBERT ELLIS, - Under-Sheriff.' - - - 'I, Thomas Head, alias Williams, now under sentence of death in - Newgate, do solemnly confess and declare the foregoing statement - and confession of John Bishop, which has been made in my presence, - and since read over to me distinctly, is altogether true, so - far as the same relates to me. I declare that I was never - concerned in, or privy to, any other transaction of the like - nature--that I never knew anything of the murder of any other - person whatever--that I was never a body-snatcher, or concerned - in the sale of any other body than the three murdered by Bishop - and myself--that May was a stranger to me, and I had never seen - him more than once or twice before Friday the 4th of November - last--and that May was wholly innocent and ignorant of any of - those murders in which I was concerned, and for one of which I am - about to suffer death. - - 'THOMAS HEAD.' - - 'Witness, R. ELLIS, - 'Newgate, December 4, 1831.' - - 'The above confessions taken literally, from the prisoners, in our - presence, - - 'T. WOOD, } - 'R. ELLIS,} Under-Sheriffs.' - - -In regard to this confession of Bishop, we may be allowed to offer a -few cursory remarks, and particularly as we have, on another occasion, -laid before the public the confessions of Holloway, two of which were -given, as he himself expressly declares, for the express purpose of -misleading the judicial authorities of the country, with the avowed -aim of saving the life of his guilty accomplice, and in which, with -shame be it spoken, he too well succeeded. A voluntary confession of -a criminal, standing almost at the foot of the scaffold, ought to be -received with the utmost degree of caution and distrust; but in the -case of the confession of Bishop, the most singular feature of the -case is, that part of it has actually been believed and acted upon, -whilst another part is wholly rejected, and declared to be false, -although no documentary evidence has been brought forward to prove -it such. In regard, however, to confessions in general, it really -appears to us, that every magistrate, who has a prisoner to examine, -thinks it his duty to set himself, with all his skill, to prevent -the discovery of the truth from the only person, who, although he -may strive to disguise, knows completely the facts of the case. This -custom has no sanction in law, is repugnant to common sense, and -contrary to the practice of all other nations, whose criminal codes -are, generally speaking, in a more perfect state, and are certainly -much more humane than our own. A man charged with an offence ought -not to be compelled to confession by the promise of pardon; but is -there no difference between this and actually urging him to silence -against his will, as a method of escape, though he may have committed -the offence? We are really sick of reading examinations, every part -and portion of which are made up of injunctions to the accused, to do -and say nothing whatever that can by any possibility injure his chance -of eluding justice. The following, in our opinion, ought to be the -practice:--All hints of advantage to the accused from confession--all -recommendations to confess being cautiously abstained from; what he -has to say, or chooses voluntarily to say, should be received in -silence, and no obstruction thrown in his way; and, after all, what -do these confessions amount to? They are but too frequently a tissue -of falsehood and truth, calculated to mislead the jury, and cast a -doubt upon the positive facts of the case. In all cases of confession, -however, after conviction, the circumstances under which the confession -is given should be particularly taken into consideration before any -decisive opinion is formed as to its falsity or truth. From the nature -of these circumstances a clue may be obtained to the motive which -prompts the individual to make the confession, and on which depends, in -a great degree, its claim to our credibility and confidence. The motive -which prompted Bishop to make his confession could not have had any -relationship with the hope of its saving him from an ignominious death; -and it is not rational to believe that a man, under his circumstances, -would make a confession for the mere purpose of deceiving, when he -must have been fully conscious to himself, that not the slightest -benefit could accrue to him. In the confession of Bishop there is an -evident attempt to shake the verdict of the jury, to throw a doubt -upon the administration of justice, and to agitate the public mind, -and, as such, we would receive it with the utmost distrust; but the -most striking peculiarity of the case is, that the main circumstances -of it are corroborated by an accomplice, who could not have been -actuated by any flattering motive to confirm the testimony already -given, and who was actually ignorant at the time of the exact tenor of -the circumstances detailed in the confession as given by Bishop. The -confessions of Williams and Bishop were given to different individuals, -in different places, but nearly at the same time, the chief question -then to be decided is, had any previous agreement been entered into -between these individuals as to the nature of the confession which -they were to make? for unless such agreement had been entered into, -the statement put forth by one of them, and corroborated in every -particular by the other, supposing no previous collusion to exist, is -certainly entitled to a great share of our belief. It is certain that -the confession of Bishop made a very strong impression on the public -mind, and to qualify the effect of it, Mr. Corder put forth a written -statement to the public, which will be given in another part of the -work; and the aim of which was to demonstrate, that the last words -of Bishop and Williams were false. The whole gist of Mr. Corder's -statement rests on the following syllogism:-- - - - Bishop confesses to the murder of a Lincolnshire boy, - No Lincolnshire boy has been missing; - _Ergo_--No Lincolnshire boy has been murdered. - - -Bishop, however, does not confess to the murder of the Italian boy, -but he says, that the corpse which was taken, as it may be said, upon -him, was not that of Carlo Ferrari, but of a Lincolnshire youth, who -had been entrapped into their snares, as described both by Bishop and -Williams. It must be also remarked, that the identity of the body of -the Italian boy was never fully established; in fact, the chief witness -who was brought forward to depose to the fact, declared positively -that he could not swear it was the body of Carlo Ferrari, but that -_it was very like it_. If we examine the majority of the confessions -made by convicted criminals, we shall generally find them destitute -of all truth. The confession of Fauntleroy was a confession of being -_innocent_ of almost all the forgeries he had committed; and it is -rather remarkable, that the chief murderer of Mr. Steele, upwards of -thirty years ago, was JOHN HOLLOWAY, and the most just verdict which -was pronounced against him and his accomplice, Owen Haggarty, was -attempted to be invalidated after their execution, on account of the -confession made by the latter. A variety of opinions still exists in -regard to the truth of Bishop's confession; but we shall here close -our remarks, with the brief observation, that we do not perceive -what right, in a Protestant Church, either priest or magistrate has -to urge a convict to make a confession; for we are convinced, that -if a confession before conviction be of little worth, the confession -afterwards is almost universally false. - -There was, however, one circumstance connected with the confession of -Williams, which subjected the worthy Ordinary of Newgate to public -animadversion; and, subsequently, to an examination of his conduct -before the Court of Aldermen. - -It appears, that whilst Williams was making his confession to the -Rev. Mr. Williams, of Hendon, the Rev. Ordinary stepped in, and put an -end to all further disclosure from the mouth of Williams, which act -was construed into one of supererogation on the part of Mr. Cotton, -incompatible with his clerical character, and at variance with the -promotion of the ends of justice. This circumstance was brought before -the public in the following letter, addressed to the editor of a -morning paper:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'Can you inform me by what authority the Rev. Mr. Cotton - interposed to suppress the confessions of the two murderers? Were - they, in consequence, better qualified to receive from him that - spiritual instruction which he professes to give, or had he any - other motive by which his conduct was actuated? - - 'I am, Sir, your obedient servant, - JAMES STONE. - - '_Dec. 10._' - - -This letter produced the following one from Mr. Under-Sheriff Wood, -addressed to the Editor of the same paper:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'I read in your paper this morning a letter signed "James Stone," - requesting to be informed "by what authority the Rev. Mr. Cotton - interposed to suppress the confessions of the two murderers." - That letter is dated December 10, but has not the address of - the writer. Will you be so obliging as to furnish it to me, in - order that the Sheriffs may ascertain upon what authority it was - written, and whether there is any foundation for the imputation it - is intended to convey? Till then, it must be obvious to Mr. Stone - that he cannot receive an answer. - - 'I am, Sir, your obedient servant, - 'THOMAS WOOD, Under-Sheriff. - - '_Little St. Thomas Apostle, Dec. 12._' - - -By the letter of Mr. Wood, he seemed to intimate that the Sheriffs -were disposed to institute a solemn inquiry into the conduct of the -Ordinary. If, however, they could suppose that person capable of acting -the monstrous part imputed to him, surely they would not have wanted -such aid as the unknown letter-writer could be expected to supply, in -order to induce them to bring his merits before the proper authorities. -At all events, it was no very handsome compliment paid to the worthy -Ordinary. - -In explanation, however, of the conduct of Mr. Cotton, the following -letter appeared in the same paper, and on the same day, as that of Mr. -Under-Sheriff Wood:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'By way of elucidation, relative to the letter inserted in your - paper of this day, demanding by what authority the Rev. Mr. Cotton - interposed to suppress the confessions of the two murderers, - and signed "James Stone," I beg to inform you, that whilst the - Rev. Mr. Williams, of Hendon, was listening to the confession of - Williams the murderer, Mr. Cotton went into the cell, and called - out, "Come, come, Mr. Williams, what is all this about? I suppose - you want to extract confessions with a view to publish them: - let me converse with the criminal." Upon this unexpected and - extraordinary interruption by the Ordinary, the Rev. Mr. Williams - retired to another part of the room, and was much astonished. I - am, Sir, your obedient servant, - - 'A READER. - - '_Paul's Chain, Dec. 12._' - - -Now there were but very few persons present when Williams is said to -have been engaged in his confessions, and, of course, the writer of it -could have been easily ascertained; but the publicity which had been -given to the transaction induced the Court of Aldermen to institute an -inquiry into the conduct of the Rev. Ordinary, and after a most minute -investigation, he was fully exonerated from all the blame which had -been imputed to him. - -It may be here necessary to epitomize some parts of the confessions of -Bishop and Williams, as it was on account of the concurrent testimony -of those two individuals that a respite for May was ultimately obtained. - -Bishop, during his interview with the Rev. Mr. Williams, had confessed -to the commission of three murders, and he was proceeding to detail the -particulars of a fourth, in which a black man, a negro, was the victim; -and he was about to give the names of other parties who were implicated -with him in the last-mentioned murder, when the interruption of the -Rev. Ordinary already alluded to took place; nor could Mr. Williams, in -the course of that interview, induce the convict to resume the thread -of his narrative. The confessions, however, of Bishop and Williams both -went to exculpate May from any participation in any of the murders. -They both declared that May did not see the body, supposed to be the -Italian boy, till the Friday evening, the day after the murder; they -denied that their next door neighbour, Woodcock, could have heard any -footsteps or scuffling, as he had described in his evidence; and they -asserted, that, after hocussing the boy with laudanum in rum, he became -as dead as a log. In that state they carried him to the well in the -yard, and held his head under the water, till they were sure that he -was completely suffocated. Previously to going into the yard for the -above horrid purpose, they both took off their shoes. - -They added, that, during the whole affair, there was no person in the -lower part of the house, but themselves, Bishop and Williams, they -having some time previously sent their wives to bed. The prisoners also -denied the correctness of the medical testimony given on the trial. It -will be remembered that the death of the boy was described in evidence, -as having been occasioned by a blow inflicted during life on the back -of the neck; whereas the prisoners asserted, that this appearance of -a supposed deadly injury was occasioned by the twisting of the neck -to force the corpse into the trunk, immediately after it was brought -from the well. They also said that extravasation of blood, such as -that described by the surgeons, always occurs when a body is thus -doubled up while it is warm. Having received these confessions, and -having heard the most solemn declarations from May of his innocence, -the Rev. Mr. Williams and Mr. Wontner immediately waited upon Mr. -Justice Littledale and Baron Vaughan, who had been present on the bench -whilst the prisoners were tried by Lord Chief Justice Tindal, and -who were still engaged in trying cases at the Old Bailey. On hearing -the statements made by Mr. Wontner and the Rev. Mr. Williams, Baron -Vaughan felt inclined to suggest to Chief Justice Tindal, the propriety -of recommending that a respite should be granted to May. Mr. Justice -Littledale believed, on the contrary, that the verdict was correct in -the case of May, as well as those of Bishop and Williams, and that the -law ought to take its course. The Rev. Mr. Williams and Mr. Wontner -then waited upon Mr. Chief Justice Tindal at his residence, and upon -communicating to him the statements which they had previously laid -before Baron Vaughan and Mr. Justice Littledale, the Chief Justice -said, he would, as early as possible, see the Home Secretary on the -subject. This learned judge appeared to agree in opinion with Baron -Vaughan. It was next ascertained that Lord Melbourne was not in town; -but as a Cabinet Council was to be held at two o'clock on Sunday -afternoon, no doubt was entertained that his lordship would attend -officially, and that shortly previous to that hour, the Chief Justice -would have an opportunity of conferring with him on the facts of this -extraordinary case. - -During the whole of Saturday, the sheriffs, under-sheriffs and several -other official persons were decidedly opposed to any mitigation of the -punishment of May, and indeed to any delay of his execution; and it -was expected that the applications that were being made on his behalf -would be frustrated by the positive opinions and predilections of some -influential individuals. But on Sunday morning the sheriffs visited -all three of the prisoners in succession; and the under-sheriffs, who -are very intelligent men, were engaged between three and four hours -in taking down the statements of the convicts; the consequence was, -we understand, that the opinions of both sheriffs and under-sheriffs -underwent a decided change, as to May being implicated in the crime of -murder. They were consequently desirous that _his_ sentence should be -mitigated. The result of all these investigations was, that on Sunday -afternoon, at half-past four o'clock, a RESPITE during his Majesty's -pleasure arrived at Newgate for May, and his sentence was commuted to -transportation for life. - -Shortly after the arrival of the respite at Newgate, Dr. Cotton and Mr. -Wontner went to the room in which the three prisoners were confined -for the day. The rev. gentleman opened the paper, and began to read -it aloud. The most anxious attention was paid to its contents by all -the prisoners; but the interest manifested by May, who must have known -that the fate of his miserable companions was sealed, but had felt -that there was still hope for him, was quite painful to witness. His -agitation was dreadful; but no sooner had Dr. Cotton repeated the -words, 'that the execution of the sentence upon John May shall be -respited during His Majesty's most gracious pleasure,' than the poor -wretch fell to the earth, as if struck by lightning. His arms worked -with the most frightful contortions, and four of the officers of the -prison could with difficulty hold him. His countenance assumed a livid -paleness--the blood forsook his lips--his eyes appeared set, and -pulsation at the heart could not be distinguished. All persons present -thought that he could not possibly survive; it was believed, indeed, -that the warrant of mercy had proved his death-blow. - -Mr. Wontner and Dr. Cotton, who have of course witnessed many scenes -of dreadful agitation during their experience among capital convicts, -declare that they never before beheld any human being so fearfully -affected. It was nearly a quarter of an hour before May was restored -to the use of his faculties. At last, when recollection returned, he -attempted to clasp his hands in the attitude of thanksgiving, but his -limbs shook so violently that he found even that was impossible. His -lips moved, but nothing but inarticulate sounds came from his tongue. -The parties present soothed him with assurances that they knew what -he meant to say, and with earnest entreaties that he would calm -himself, and not attempt to speak. When restored to something like -composure, May poured forth his gratitude to God, and his thanks to -the humane gentlemen who had interested themselves in his behalf. He -then explained, that when the reverend ordinary commenced reading the -warrant, he thought that all hope was at an end--that the ceremony was -to signify to him that he must die--the sudden revulsion of feeling, -when he heard the words we have quoted, caused him to swoon. He added, -that on learning that he was to be spared, he felt as if his heart -had burst in his bosom. He declared most solemnly, now that he was -out of jeopardy, as he had done before, that he had nothing to do -with the murder for which he had been condemned to die. He had never -been concerned--either directly or indirectly--in any murder; but -acknowledged he had committed many sins for which the Almighty might -justly have left him to suffer on this occasion. He hoped now to lead a -better life, and to evince his gratitude to God by sincere repentance. - -It will hardly be credited that Bishop and Williams beheld this -awful scene with an indifference approaching to apathy. The dreadful -agitation of their less guilty associate seemed to have no effect upon -them, though it was remarked that the contortions of May must have -brought to their recollections the struggles of some of their murdered -victims. - -May (who is a tall, light-haired, and rather good-looking man, about -thirty years of age) is the natural son of a barrister, who formerly -had chambers in the New Inn. His mother was a laundress in the -chambers; she was particularly fond of her son, and when he was about -twelve years of age she used to lead him about, fearful that any harm -should come to him. He was educated at a boarding-school, and received -a tolerable education; he wrote an excellent hand, and at the age of -fourteen he was employed in a professional gentleman's office, at No. -10, in the New Inn; but he was always of a wild, roving disposition, -and whenever he could get away from his duties he was associating -with the worst of characters about Clare-market. This appeared to be -his sole delight until he neglected the office altogether, and was -consequently discharged. He had at the same time some good friends, -who felt an interest in his welfare, but nothing could induce him -to break off with his associates; and instead of remaining a clerk, -which he was well adapted for, he took a liking to be a butcher. -The first place he got was at Mr. Roberts's, in Clare-market, with -whom he lived some time: he afterwards lived with Mr. Price, in the -same market; but he never remained long in one place. At last he -took up the trade of a 'body-snatcher;' and in order to carry on the -business with the greatest facility, took a lodging in one of the -houses in Clement's-lane, Strand, the back of which looks into the -burying-ground, situated in Portugal-street, at the rear of St. Clement -Danes' workhouse. Here he commenced business, and was very successful; -but like many others, flushed by success, he could not keep his own -secret, and would brag of the number of bodies he had got out of the -burying-ground at the back of his lodgings of a night, and what sums -he had sold them for. He at first made no secret of his profession, -and considered it meritorious, till at last he found that he was -detested and despised by every person. He then left that part of the -town, and got acquainted with Bishop and his associates. May was always -considered a lively, interesting fellow, fond of jokes, and ready for -any mischief; but his disposition was not naturally cruel, and no -person who knew him a few years ago could believe that he would be -the accessary to take away the life of the humblest individual. May's -mother is dead, but we believe his father is still living. - -Williams was in custody not long since, charged with breaking into a -house in a court situate near the Hackney-road, and stealing the corpse -of a widow's son, a youth of sixteen or seventeen, who had died a day -or two before. The poor woman had left her home for a short time only, -and on her return found the corpse had, in the mean time, been stolen. -Some of the female neighbours then recollected that while they were -standing in the court shortly before, a man passed them with a basket -containing something which smelt very offensively, and occasioned -them to look particularly at the man, although they had no suspicion, -until the alarm was given, that he was carrying off the corpse of the -widow's son. A pursuit was immediately commenced, but without success. -From the description given, however, a policeman apprehended Williams -on the following morning, and he was identified by the females as the -man whom they had seen near the house with a basket as stated. No -trace of the body, nor of the manner in which it had been disposed of, -could be discovered, nor any further evidence obtained, and, after an -examination before a magistrate, the prisoner was discharged upon a -recognizance. Williams was born at Highgate, and was apprenticed to -a bricklayer; dissipation, however, led him to abandon his business -and to become the associate of thieves; his conduct nearly ruined his -mother; and after he had been repeatedly in custody on various charges -of felony, about six year's since he was apprehended in Shoe-lane, -selling a copper which he had stolen, and was convicted at the Old -Bailey, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. Subsequently he -was sent to the Penitentiary, which he left a few months since; and he -then became a resurrectionist, and continued that horrid profession -until apprehended. We understand he had only been married seven weeks -previous to his apprehension. - -The father of Bishop was a worthy and industrious man, who for some -years kept an errand-cart between Highgate and London. On the 8th of -November, 1816, he was unfortunately run over by one of Pickford's -vans, the wheels of which passed over both his legs, and crushed them -so dreadfully that amputation was necessary. He did not long survive -the operation. The estimation in which he was held was evidenced by the -fact, that immediately upon his decease the inhabitants of Highgate -subscribed upwards of three hundred pounds for the relief of the -family. He left his widow far advanced in pregnancy. The money thus -subscribed was placed in the hands of trustees, to be dispensed to -the family as occasion might require. It was soon discovered that the -objects of this liberal benevolence were unworthy of the exertions that -had been made in their behalf, for the widow of the deceased and her -son-in-law scrupled not to live together openly as man and wife. The -money, however, had been raised for them, and the trustees who had no -power to withhold it, were pestered with applications until the family -had secured the whole. A great portion of it went into the hands of -the widow, the son, and the daughter, who is now the wife of Williams, -alias Head. - -The conduct of both Williams and Bishop on the day previous to their -execution was an intermixture of hardened indifference, and that -agonizing restlessness which harrows up the soul of the criminal as -the hour of his execution approaches. - -Both the convicts slept during Sunday night, but awoke at intervals, -and conversed with the officers of the jail appointed to watch them. -Occasionally they entered into religious observances, but generally -were averse to them. Once, when the person who sat up with Williams -proposed to read to him some extracts out of religious books left with -him by the Ordinary, Williams roughly declined the proposal, saying, -'I had religious talk enough during the day--I will have none of it -to-night.' He then entered into conversation with the officer upon the -subject of the offence for which he was going to suffer. He solemnly -assured him that, up to the time of his marriage, he had never had any -connexion with resurrection-men, and even added, that it was not until -his wedding-night that he had any idea that Bishop got his livelihood -by that horrible trade. He told the officer that on that night, -shortly after he had got to bed, his wife conjured him not to have -anything to do with the snatchers. This led to inquiries on his part, -which terminated in a full disclosure, by his wife, of the practices -by which her brother-in-law supported his family. No communication -took place between himself and Bishop on the subject till some time -afterwards, when he was suddenly thrown out of work. Bishop then -gradually disclosed to him his mode of life, and asked him to become -a partner in the trade. Williams assented. He then became a regular -resurrection-man; but being tired with the difficulties and dangers of -the trade, he proposed to Bishop, that, instead of disinterring, they -should murder subjects. He was then asked what led him to make such a -proposal; and his reply was, 'The recollection of what Burke had done -at Edinburgh.' - -After some other facts, tallying with those in Bishop's account, he -stated that on the Sunday after the murder of the woman Pigburn, they -attempted to Burke a man whom they accidentally lured into their power. -The laudanum, however, which they had mixed with his liquor was not -strong enough, as Bishop said, to stupify him beyond resistance, and he -was, therefore, allowed to escape, partly from a fear of his struggles, -and partly from Bishop's arm being palsied by a similar feeling to that -which palsied _Lady Macbeth's_ arm in a similar situation,--namely, -the feeling that the man whom he was about to despatch 'resembled -_his_ father as he slept.' Still bent on their murderous trade, they -endeavoured, on the following Tuesday, to get another subject by the -same means. Again was the laudanum inefficient; and in this case, as in -the former, both the intended victims left the house in which they met -these ruffians, without any idea of their having been exposed to such -great and imminent danger. - -Two men were appointed to sit up with each of the criminals during -Sunday night. About half-past twelve o'clock, Williams, who had evinced -during the evening a great degree of restlessness and feverish anxiety, -became somewhat calmer, and said, 'I shall now go to bed for the last -time.' He first threw himself upon his knees, and prayed for some -time fervently, and then undressing himself, went to his couch, but -continued in conversation with the men for more than an hour, during -which time he wrote a note, of which we give a copy, addressed to the -Rev. Mr. Russell, the chaplain to the Penitentiary, where he (Williams) -was confined for about three years. - - - '_Newgate, Dec. 4th, 1831._ - - 'Mr. Russell,--If you will be kind enough to let my brother - prisoners know the awful death which I shall have suffered when - you receive this, it will, through your expostulations, prevent - them from increasing their crimes when they may be liberated; - and tell them bad company, and drinking, and blasphemy, is the - foundation of all evil. Give my brotherly love to them, and tell - them never to deviate from the paths of religion, and to have - a firm belief in their blessed Saviour. Give my love to John - Edwards, John Justin, and John Dingle, and receive the prayers of - the unfortunate and guilty - - 'THOMAS HEAD.' - - -Both prisoners rose at six o'clock in the morning, and were soon after -visited by the rev. gentlemen who had before attended them. Williams, -at times, appeared fervent in his devotions, and prayed earnestly; but -at intervals he would pause, and seem as if his prayer was hopeless; -again he would resume his prayer, and clasp his hands in great agony. -Bishop also prayed; but he by no means showed the same fervour as -his companion. There was a listlessness in his manner approaching to -indifference, not merely to religion, but to everything passing around -him. At one time, when urged on the subject of his hope of forgiveness, -he said, he did hope and trust for mercy through Jesus Christ. He -added, that he fully deserved what he was about to suffer, but that his -case would be desperate, if some greater mercy were not extended to him -in the world which he was about to enter. - -We should here mention a fact, that has been communicated to us on -highly respectable authority, that on Sunday, besides the Rev. Mr. -Cotton and another gentleman, there were two clergymen present with -the convicts. The two clergymen were instructing the men on doctrinal -points, which Mr. Cotton thought unnecessary. He therefore advised -that the prisoners should retire into different corners of the room, -and pray silently to God. Mr. Cotton found it necessary to give this -advice twice. On both occasions the men withdrew as desired, fell on -their knees, prayed for a short time, and then burst into tears. Before -this, both prisoners seemed agitated to a degree which it was most -distressing to witness. As they prayed they became more composed. The -Rev. Mr. Russell, and another clergyman, were with the prisoners early -on Monday morning, and remained with them up to the time of their being -removed into the press-room. - -The applications made on Sunday to the sheriffs, by the nobility and -gentry, to allow them admission to the interior of the prison to -witness the preliminaries of the execution were beyond all precedent. - -Many applications were also made for admission to the condemned sermon. -None, however, was preached. In the case of murderers this solemnity is -not granted. The tolling of the prison-bell, which adds so much to the -horrors of a common execution, by sounding the knell for the dead in -the ears of those about to die, was also dispensed with. We never heard -that any sufferer complained of the omission. We have seen many who -were not murderers deeply affected by the funeral honour or compliment -thus paid to them on their way to the scaffold. - -During the whole of Saturday and Sunday, the lord-mayor and sheriffs, -assisted by the city marshals, Messrs. Brown and Cope, were busily -engaged in adopting precautions to guard against the possibility of -accident at the execution. All the officers of the various wards -in the city were ordered to attend; and besides the usual force of -the city police, a large body of special constables were sworn in. -An extra number of heavy barriers were erected in the Old Bailey, -immediately contiguous to the space on which the gallows stands, at -short distances, so as to prevent the crush of the multitude as much -as possible; and the same precautions were adopted at either end of -the Old Bailey, at the end of Newgate-street, Giltspur-street, and -Skinner-street. - -All the constabulary force received orders from the city marshals to -assemble at five o'clock in the morning, and to take the stations -appointed for them. - -During the afternoon of Sunday groups of persons were congregated -in different parts of the Old Bailey. Towards evening the crowds -increased, and by midnight great numbers were assembled, who actually -remained all night on the spot, in order to secure places near the -scaffold on the following morning. The occupiers of houses, from -the windows of which a view could be obtained of the execution, -exhibited placards, announcing various prices for seats according -to the proximity of the domicile to the spot, and though it was -generally stipulated that such seats could not be kept for parties -after six o'clock in the morning, they were eagerly sought for and -secured at a guinea per seat and upwards. So much as ten guineas was -given for a single window, and all these seats were occupied by those -who had engaged them, at so early an hour as five o'clock, upon a -cold, cheerless, and most uninviting morning. Shortly after midnight -the gallows was brought from the yard, and the workmen proceeded to -erect it in the usual place, opposite the debtors' door of Newgate. A -large space around it was barricadoed to keep off the crowd, and the -inside of that space was subsequently nearly filled by constables and -marshalmen. - -The crowd, as early as one o'clock, amounted to several thousand -persons, and continued rapidly increasing. By five o'clock nearly -two-thirds of the Old Bailey were filled with a dense mass of people. -The continued buzz among the multitude at this time, the glare of light -from the torches that were used for the purpose of enabling the workmen -to proceed with their labours, and the terrific struggles among the -crowd, altogether presented a scene which those who witnessed it will -not soon forget. As the dawn of day approached, and with it the fatal -hour that was to consign the wretched criminals to their well-merited -fate, all the streets leading to the Old Bailey were thronged with -people, chiefly of the working classes, hastening to the spot. Constant -streams of population were pouring into the Old Bailey till they -formed, around the scaffold and at the corner of every street from -whence even a distant or a faint view could be obtained, a vast lake of -life. Amongst the immense assemblage might be noticed several females, -most of them of that _caste_ whose attendance on such an occasion might -be naturally expected, but some of them, we regret to state, of a class -that decency, if not humanity, should have kept away from a scene so -revolting to those delicate sensibilities that generally characterize -females. - -When the fatal drop was stationed in its usual place, it was observed -that three chains were suspended from it. As soon as Mr. Wontner, the -governor of Newgate, heard of it, he ordered an officer to remove -one of them, May having been respited. This was done, and although -it was then dark, it was instantly communicated throughout the vast -assemblage, and a general cry of 'May is respited' was uttered. The -announcement did not seem to excite much surprise, although a few -individuals expressed their disapprobation by yelling and hooting. - -About half-past six o'clock a body of city police, amounting to about -two hundred men, came up the Old Bailey, but the crowd was so dense -at this time that it was found impossible for them to proceed to -their station, which was at the foot of the gallows. After several -ineffectual attempts to pass on, it was arranged that they should -be allowed to go through the prison. Several persons seized this as -a favourable opportunity, by presenting constables' staves, to pass -themselves off as belonging to the police; but Mr. Browne, the marshal, -suffered no one to pass whom he did not recognize either as belonging -to the city police or as special constables. The pressure in the -immediate neighbourhood of the scaffold was tremendous, in spite of the -barriers; and many persons exhausted with fatigue, as early as seven -o'clock, rescuing themselves with difficulty from the throng, were -heard to exclaim, as they passed the outskirts of the mob, 'Thank God, -I have got away!' Many who thus quitted the scene with torn clothes, -and faces streaming with perspiration, had remained on the spot for -hours. Indeed, the avenue from the house of Mr. Cotton, the ordinary, -to the house of Mr. Wontner, the governor of Newgate, was so completely -blocked up at an early hour, that Mr. Cotton, and another clergyman -who accompanied him on his last visit to these unhappy convicts, were -unable to force their way through the crowd, and could only obtain -admittance into the prison by making a _detour_ to the other end of the -Old Bailey, and by entering it through the iron railings around the New -Court. - -As day began to break we had an opportunity of surveying the crowd from -the top of Newgate, and we should think that at that time there were -not less than from thirty thousand to forty thousand persons assembled. -The tops of the houses, lamp-posts, and every station from which the -most distant view of the execution could be obtained, were by this time -occupied. In fact, from one end of the Old Bailey to the other, was one -dense mass; and the streets in the neighbourhood, although not a glance -could be had of the platform or the proceedings, were, from an early -hour, rendered impassable by the throng of persons hurrying towards the -scene of execution. The assemblage was the largest that has ever been -witnessed on an occasion of the kind, since the execution of Holloway -and Haggarty, upwards of twenty years since, when some fourteen or -fifteen persons were trampled to death in the crowd. The following -fact will convey some idea of the extent and densely-congregated state -of the crowd on Monday,--namely, that even so far as St. Sepulchre's -church, in Skinner-street, several individuals, whose screams for -relief had induced the people to raise them up, were passed over the -heads of their neighbours for some dozen yards before they could obtain -a resting-place. - -Notwithstanding the many precautions taken by the city authorities -to prevent accidents, we are sorry to say that several occurred; -and though no lives were lost, we fear that some of the injuries -that were sustained were of a very serious description. At the end -of Giltspur-street, immediately opposite the Compter, a very heavy -barrier was erected across the road for the purpose of counteracting -the immense pressure of the mob, which in that direction extended -to Smithfield. This barrier was fastened to two uprights, that were -placed two feet in the ground, by iron hooping, which was by no means -of sufficient strength for the immense weight of the timber to which -it was attached. The consequence was, that at the moment the culprits -were visible on the gallows, the barrier was forced down, and a number -of persons of both sexes fell with it. The screams of the females, and -the confusion that ensued, were truly alarming. One female of very -respectable appearance, with her husband, were most dreadfully injured, -the barrier having fallen upon their chests, and others of the mob -pressing upon them. A city constable was also under the barrier, which -rested on his abdomen, and his cries were most deplorable. In this -dreadful situation did the sufferers remain for some minutes. A cry of -'Stand back; for God's sake, stand back!' was raised, but all was of no -avail, and people in all directions were trampling upon each other. - -At length some of the officers from the Compter came out, and with -the assistance of several other officers, a space of ground was -obtained, and the individuals were rescued from their perilous -situation and carried to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where they were -promptly attended to by Mr. Birkett, the dresser to Mr. Vincent, the -principal surgeon, who had been in attendance all night to receive any -accident that might be brought in. Before nine o'clock, every bed in -Colston-ward was occupied by persons who had been injured at the moment -the barrier gave way, and many of them most seriously so. - -As the hour of eight approached, the anxiety of the multitude became -more intense, and every eye became directed towards the door through -which the wretched criminals were to be led to the scaffold. - -At half-past seven o'clock, the Sheriffs, accompanied by the -Under-Sheriffs and several gentlemen to whom they had given permission -to be present, entered the prison. The Sheriffs immediately proceeded -to the condemned cells, where Mr. Wontner, the Governor, delivered the -prisoners up to them for execution. The Sheriffs then proceeded to the -Press-room, in which the strangers who had got admission to the prison -were also admitted. The prisoners were soon after introduced by the -Sheriffs' officers. Bishop entered first. That kind of stupor which -we already noticed when the verdict of the jury was pronounced, was -still more strongly upon him. He advanced in rather a drooping manner, -his eye fixed on the ground. His step was slow without being firm, and -his whole bearing was rather that of a man unconscious of, than of one -indifferent to, the dreadful scene through which he was about to pass. -He had got more than half way to the upper end of the room before he -looked around; when he did, a kind of half-suppressed groan escaped -him, as from one who was for a moment roused to a quick sense of an -approaching violent death. But it was only for a moment, for at once he -seemed to relapse into his former stupor: his eye was again bent on the -ground, and he moved mechanically up to the officer, who stood ready to -tie his hands, and stretched forth his arms, the wrists being closely -pressed together. When that part of the preparation was concluded, he -turned round and allowed his arms to be pinioned. This done, he took -his seat at a side-bench without uttering a word. There were many -persons in the room who seemed to think that this calm and quiet manner -showed great firmness, but if they had seen him before, or watched him -more closely, they would have perceived that there was nothing of real -firmness in the man. His eye was sunk and heavy, and seemed to shrink -from the gaze of those around him. It was for the most part fixed on -the ground. One of the Under-Sheriffs took a seat by his side, and in -a low tone asked him (we understood) whether he had anything more to -confess. His answer was, 'No, Sir, I have told all.' The Under-Sheriff -remained with him for a few moments, but the only answers we could -hear from him were to the effect that he had nothing more to tell. - -Williams was next introduced, and came up the room with the same -short hasty step, which we noticed at the time of his sentence. Since -then, however, his whole appearance had undergone the most terrible -alteration. That cunning and flippant look, which we noticed in him on -his trial, had left him, and had given place to a wild and frenzied -stare. His look, as he entered the Press-room, was one of downright -horror--every limb trembled as he approached the officer by whom he was -to be pinioned, and his hands shook to that degree, that one person was -obliged to hold them up while another bound the wrists together. While -submitting to this operation, he frequently ejaculated, 'Oh, I have -deserved all this, and more!--oh, I have deserved all that I am about -to suffer!' One of the Under-Sheriffs now asked him whether he had -anything more on his mind, or wished to make any further disclosure; he -replied, 'Oh no, Sir, I have told all--I hope I am now at peace with -God. What I have told is the truth.' - -It was remarked that Bishop or Williams took no notice whatever of -each other while they remained in the Press-room. Neither seemed to -be conscious of the presence of the other, or to wish to avoid any -recognition. The contrast in the manner of the two was very marked in -this respect,--for Williams seemed relieved when any one addressed -him, as if anxious to escape from his own thoughts, or to have his -attention called off even for an instant, from the dreadful scene which -approached him. Bishop, on the contrary, was sullen, and seemed rather -desirous of avoiding any conversation. His answers, when addressed, -were short, and delivered in a tone as if pained by any questions put -to him. - -After the operation of pinioning had been gone through, at a few -minutes before eight, the Sheriffs, accompanied by their officers and -the prisoners, proceeded towards the scaffold, the Ordinary reciting -part of the funeral service. Bishop moved on in the same gloomy and -desponding manner which we have already noticed. His appearance -underwent no change as he approached to the foot of the scaffold. -Williams became more and more agitated as he went on. Just as he came -to the room which led out to the drop, he expressed a wish to see the -Rev. Mr. Russell once more. That gentleman came forward, and while -Bishop was led out, seated himself near him. Williams said something -in a low tone, which we did not hear. Mr. Russell said to him, 'Now, -Williams, you have but another moment intervening between you and -death; and as a dying man I implore you, in God's name, to tell the -truth. Have you told me the whole truth?' - -WILLIAMS.--'All I have told you is true.' - -Mr. RUSSELL.--'But, Williams, have you told me all?' - -WILLIAMS (still evasive).--'All I have told you is quite true.' - -This was the last remark he made, and in a few moments he ascended the -scaffold. - -We were glad to observe that the very absurd custom of the Sheriff -taking leave and shaking hands with the prisoner was, in this instance, -very properly dispensed with. - -At eight o'clock the procession began to move from the press-room, and -the appearance of the executioner and his assistant on the scaffold -indicated that the last and awful ceremony was just at hand. A general -cry of 'Hats off!' took place, and in an instant the immense multitude -were all uncovered. Bishop was first conducted on the scaffold, and -his appearance was the signal for the most tremendous groans, yells, -and hootings, from all parts of the crowd. The wretched man came -forward, apparently unmoved by the dreadful reception he experienced. -The executioner proceeded at once to the performance of his duty, -and having put the rope round his neck, and affixed it to the chain, -placed him under the fatal beam. A terrific cheer from the crowd -proclaimed their satisfaction at the completion of the preparations -for his exit to the other world; but still, though placed on the brink -of eternity, and about being launched into it, amidst the execrations -of his fellow-creatures, the miserable criminal betrayed scarcely a -symptom of fear. The same listless and sullen manner that had marked -his conduct throughout appeared to be preserved by him to the last -moment. Not a muscle seemed to be moved, not a limb shook, though he -remained, during the awful interval of two minutes that elapsed before -Williams was brought forward, exposed to the indignant hootings of the -multitude. Williams next ascended the scaffold, on reaching which he -bowed to the crowd, who returned his salutation with the most dreadful -yells and groans. He appeared to labour under extreme anguish, and his -demeanour altogether formed a complete contrast to that of his guilty -associate. While the cap was being put over his eyes, and the rope -adjusted by the executioner, his whole frame seemed convulsed by one -universal tremour. The Rev. Mr. Cotton, having engaged the wretched men -in prayer, in which Williams appeared to join fervently, wringing his -hands and ejaculating aloud, gave the signal for the falling of the -drop, when they were launched into eternity. Bishop appeared to die -almost instantaneously, but Williams struggled for several minutes. The -moment the drop fell, the crowd, which had been yelling all the time, -set up a shout of exultation that was prolonged for some minutes. - -Strangers who had been admitted were directed to retire, as the -Sheriffs were going in to meet some friends at breakfast. We understand -it is an old custom at Newgate, that the Sheriffs should entertain the -Under-sheriffs, the Chaplain, and other friends at breakfast in the -prison, on the occasion of an execution. - -The bodies, having been suspended for the usual time, were cut down at -nine o'clock. That operation was performed by the executioner, amidst -the shouts and cheers of the crowd, which still continued very great. - -Immediately after, a small cart drove up to the platform, and the -bodies of the culprits were placed in it, covered with two sacks. The -cart then moved on at a slow pace, followed by the Sheriffs and City -Marshal, and a large body of constables, along Giltspur-street, to -the house of Mr. Stone, No. 33, Hosier-lane, the vast crowd yelling, -and making other discordant sounds as they proceeded. On reaching Mr. -Stone's house, it was with great difficulty the bodies could be removed -from the cart, the crowd appearing anxious to get possession of them. -The bodies were placed on a table, and in the presence of the Sheriffs -(in conformity with their duty) an incision was made in their chests, -after which they withdrew. - -The bodies were removed the same night--Bishop to the King's College, -and Williams to St. Bartholomew's, to be dissected. - -Some of the manufacturers of 'last dying speeches and confessions' had, -as usual, provided a plentiful supply of those veracious sheets for the -gratification of peripatetic curiosity, and, as usual, some of them -were sold even before the execution took place; but, unfortunately, -the speculative typo, not being aware that May had received a respite, -included him among the dying penitents, and an _elegant_ wood-cut at -the head of the paper represented the _three_ culprits dangling from -the gallows. - -In regard to the breakfast which is given by the sheriffs on the -morning of an execution, we will venture to recommend to the Court of -Aldermen to take into their consideration the abolition of this most -unfeeling and disgraceful custom; for it is such circumstances as -these, although apparently trifling in their nature, which throw us so -far back in the scale of civilisation, and verify the remark of the -French philosopher, who says, that the English are the most voracious -people in Europe, whether it be a wedding, a funeral, or an execution, -eating and drinking are the leading features of the scene. There is -something actually revolting to the feelings in the idea, that whilst a -human being is suffering the agonies of death on the scaffold, a number -of functionaries should retire into a certain room, in which custom -(which would be far more honoured in the breach than the observance) -gives its sanction that they should be regaled with a sumptuous repast, -and that they should only be obliged to rise from it when the summons -arrives that it is time for the body of the unfortunate wretch to be -cut down. - -Connected with this subject, there is another custom equally repellent -and revolting, and that is, that the office of giving the signal -of death should devolve on the Rev. Ordinary. Is it in the least -consistent with the functions which he has to perform, and with the -general duties of the clerical character, that he alone should be -selected, amongst the attendant officers, for the performance of so -abhorrent an act? It is the duty of the sheriff to see the execution -performed,--it is the duty of the clergyman to prepare the unhappy -culprit, by his prayers and admonitions, for that awful change which -in a few moments awaits him;--but there is something positively -unchristian, unsacerdotal, degrading, and reproachful, to a minister -of the religion of Christ, that he should be the acting attendant on -the scaffold of the murderer, and that on his signal the moment is -to be decided when his companion, the executioner, is to withdraw -the fatal bolt. Why, after the clergyman has completed his religious -duties, should he not retire from the awful scene, and the office of -giving the signal devolve upon the Under-sheriff? or why should not the -example be followed of the Scotch executions, in which the criminal -gives the signal himself, before which, the minister has retired -from the scaffold? It may have been conformable to the spirit of the -church during the reign of popery, that the priest should assist at -the executions, and, in the case of a heretic, be the first to apply -the blazing torch to the pile of fagots. But the time, we hope, is not -far distant when the custom to which we have alluded, and which is -actually at variance with the purity and sanctity of the ecclesiastical -character, will not longer be known to exist as a stigma upon the first -city of the world. - -We were induced to witness the execution of Bishop and Williams, under -ordinary circumstances so distressing to contemplate, not solely in -our editorial capacity, but from an intense curiosity to see in what -manner individuals, burdened with guilt of such peculiar atrocity, -would conduct themselves on the eve of appearing in the presence of -their Maker; and we felt convinced that none of those human sympathies -incident to beholding the dying agonies of a fellow-creature would be -excited by viewing the last struggles of those whose lives had been -blackened past redemption by the commission of such barbarous and -mercenary butchery. - -Nor were we mistaken in this estimate of our feelings; for, so far from -entertaining any sensation of pity for the criminals, we could scarcely -resist the impulse to join in the exulting shout with which they might -literally be said to be cheered into eternity. As we returned, however, -from the place of execution, reflection succeeded to the previous -excitement which we had experienced. We began to analyse the crime of -the two malefactors whose exit we had just witnessed; and a careful -examination of its characteristic features led us voluntarily to come -to the painful conclusion that there might be found individuals, even -in the higher spheres of life, who really appear almost, to use the -language of Iago, to 'stand accountant for as great a sin.' - -The man who commits one act of wilful murder, deservedly suffers the -extreme penalty of the law, and no greater punishment is awarded to him -who commits a hundred. Yet we well know that the abhorrence of society -would be much the greater towards him who had perpetrated the offence -the more frequently. And why so? Because, as all crimes, even the -vilest, differ in degree, we feel that the man who has but once imbrued -his hands in the blood of a fellow-creature, may have been prompted -by a sudden impulse of rage or revenge, and may afterwards be touched -with the deepest compunction for his crime; but repeated deeds of death -prove that the perpetrator of them is actuated by selfish motives, and -is wholly inaccessible to remorse. - -It is the circumstance of Bishop and Williams having murdered their -victims for the sake of lucre, that imparts a feature of peculiar -horror to their crime. But it should be remembered, in a moral point -of view the turpitude of the deed would not have been diminished had it -been committed with a view to the ensuring any other selfish advantage -or enjoyment, instead of procuring money, which, after all, they valued -only as the means of obtaining selfish gratification. When Sir Robert -Walpole said, that every man had his price, he, of course, did not -mean that every man could be purchased by a greater or smaller portion -of the current coin of the realm; but he well knew that a riband or a -harlot might buy many a man to whom disposition or circumstances would -render money a matter of indifference. When the Hebrew monarch, in -order to carry on without fear of interruption his adulterous intrigue, -directed the treacherous murder of one of his bravest and most loyal -subjects and defenders, he attained to a sublimity of wickedness to -which no mere Burkite can hope to aspire. - -If this idea be correct, then, we are justified in assuming, that -the taking away the life of any fellow-creature or fellow-creatures, -solely for the purpose of obtaining any selfish object, is equally -guilty, whether that object be avarice, lust, or ambition; and not only -he who actually commits the deed, but he who orders it--instigates -it--exults in its completion--or even desires its perpetration, are -all, in different degrees, criminal. We know of the existence of an -attorney-general, and therefore policy and prudence both forbid us -to enter into any personal application of this part of our subject. -Certain circumstances are, however, too fresh in the recollection of -the public to doubt for a moment as to the parties to whom we allude. - -On the afternoon of the day of execution, we saw the body of Bishop -at the Royal College, where it was publicly exhibited, and to which -hundreds of persons thronged, as if they were hastening to a -theatrical exhibition. A longitudinal incision had been made from the -thorax downwards, and transversely on the pectoral muscles. A more -healthy or muscular subject has not been seen in any of the schools of -anatomy for a long period. The ligaments of the atlas indentatus were -not broken, and he died of apoplexy, and not from the fracture of the -vertebræ of the neck. The body presented a remarkably fine appearance -across the chest. The deltoides were splendidly developed, and -symmetrically beautiful. The biceps were also fully developed, and the -pectorales, major and minor, were particularly displayed. The left side -of the face, near the whisker, was cut deeply by the rope. The neck was -short, and the eyes glassy, as when he was living. His height was about -five feet seven inches; his limbs remarkably well formed, and the body -unusually hairy and muscular. There were the marks of two scars on his -face, near the chin; and both his legs had been broken some time or -other. - -A meeting of the professors and lecturers in anatomy took place on -the same night, on the subject of the atrocities lately discovered -as having been resorted to for the supply of anatomical subjects. It -was proposed and adopted by the meeting, after some discussion, that -the professors and lecturers of the metropolis should discontinue -their classes for the present, until some measure should be devised -by Parliament for a supply of subjects under the sanction of law, -and without the risk of giving encouragement to mercenary murderers. -This resolution was accompanied with the condition that all the other -anatomical schools throughout the kingdom should be shut up at the same -time. - -Mr. Baron Vaughan, one of the judges who tried Bishop and Williams, -was present at the dissection of the body of the former murderer -at the King's College. He was accompanied by Dr. F. Hawkins, one of -the professors to the College. Previous to the body being opened, -the professor of medical jurisprudence delivered a lecture on the -appearances, external and internal, of death, by strangulation, -drowning, and other violent means, to exhibit which the cavities of -the head, chest, and abdomen of the murderer, were then carefully -examined by the professor of anatomy. The brain presented an unhealthy -appearance, a circumstance attributed to the great mental anxiety which -Bishop underwent during his repeated examinations, and at the trial. It -is intended to preserve the skeleton of Bishop in the King's College. - -The disclosure by Bishop and his companions of the manner in which the -anatomical schools were supplied, not even stopping short of murder, -excited a ferment throughout the country, in which the surgical -profession came in for the greater share of the odium. It, however, as -is the case with all temporary evils, became the source of general good -to the country, inasmuch as it led to the development of many plans for -the better providing of subjects for the anatomical schools, amongst -which, that of the voluntary grant, by particular individuals of their -bodies after death, was not the least remarkable. We are, however, too -well acquainted with the prejudices of the age, to expect that a system -of that sort can ever become general; it may exist amongst a few noble, -generous spirits, who can rise above those narrow-minded prejudices, -while, at the same time, they more than share in the humanity of the -times in which they live. Nothing can appear to us more laudable than -this sacrifice of present personal repugnances for the future benefit -of those in whose happiness we cannot participate, and to whose -approbation we must necessarily be insensible. - -After all we are aware that this must be only a scanty resource for the -supply of subjects to our anatomical schools, and we hail the proposal -not as the means of rendering a legislative measure unnecessary, but as -a partial victory over those prejudices which made legislation itself -dangerous or inefficient. When the subject has hitherto at different -times been brought before the public, it has with mischievous industry -been represented as a question not between the anatomical exhibition -of the dead and the benefit of the living, but between the dissection -of the poor and the exemption of the rich,--between the honoured -interment of the latter, and the disgraceful mangling of the remains -of the former. This clamour, after being echoed from one end of the -country to the other two years ago, penetrated within the walls of -Parliament and affected the majority of the House of Peers. It was then -a common exclamation,--if anatomy be necessary to medical science, -and if medical science be so useful to mankind, why do not the upper -classes of society, why do not the wealthy and the enlightened consent -to give their bodies for dissection as well as the poor, and why are -the sacrifices for medical knowledge to be confined to those who have -enjoyed the least of its benefits? - -But admitting the merit of the examples of personal sacrifices, and -allowing that they ought to influence the pretended sages who think -themselves peculiarly entitled to be called the guardians of the poor, -because they pander to their lowest passions, and foster their most -unreasonable suspicions; we are still not of an opinion that they -supply the strongest argument with the poorer classes, for abandoning -their present antipathies to dissection and for giving their voluntary -assent to a change in the existing law. That strongest argument is, -that they at present afford nearly all the subjects for our anatomical -theatres; that they are the chief sufferers by the imperfection of our -surgical knowledge, and that they would be the chief gainers by an -extension of medical skill. - -When a clamour is raised against a proposition for giving up the -unclaimed bodies of those who die in hospitals or poorhouses to be -dissected, it is, of course, pretended, that at present the poor are -exempted from the imaginary calamity. Now what is the real state of -the case? Are not the poor as exclusively the subjects of anatomical -examination now, as they could be under any change of the law? -Whither do the body-snatchers go when they receive an order for the -exercise of their repulsive contraband? Do they not bargain with some -gravedigger, or the porter of some charitable establishment, for the -connivance in seizing bodies which belonged to the poorer classes? -The rich are not often disturbed in their tombs by the unhallowed -intrusion of the resurrection-man. They are allowed to slumber in their -inaccessible vaults, while their poorer neighbours are raised and -dissected for the benefit of posterity. If some Bishop or Williams, -unable to supply the trade with the fruits of plundered churchyards, -think of _making_ subjects, whom do they entice into their den of -murder? Not the affluent, the respected, or the known, but the poor -unfriended wretches, for whom nobody is supposed to care, and whose -loss nobody will deplore,--the very parties, in short, who would, most -probably, be borne to their grave, at the public expense, from the -wards of a hospital, or the cells of a poor-house. It is not likely, -notwithstanding Sir Astley Cooper's remarks, that persons possessed -of property more valuable than their bodies, would be killed to -obtain their bodies. Neither an alderman, a bishop, nor a member of -parliament, could be supposed to labour under any apprehension of being -_Burked_; and, therefore, the source of supply, to whatever extent it -proceeded, remained exclusively with the poor. - -Nor could the poor avoid being almost the only sufferers by the -deficiency of surgical skill, which an efficient supply of subjects -for dissection would necessarily occasion. The wealthy can always -purchase the best portion of knowledge and experience which is in -the market. They are not likely to submit their limbs or organs to a -bungling operator, or take advice from an unskilful physician; and if -scientific medical practitioners cannot be educated at home, they can -pay them for the accomplishments and knowledge which they must acquire -in foreign countries; but the poor must be contented with ignorance and -inexperience, if their prejudices debar the less wealthy portion of the -profession from the means of acquiring anatomical science. - -We, therefore, are of opinion, that it would be chiefly for the benefit -of the lower classes themselves, that those who die in hospitals, -in workhouses, in prisons, or in penitentiaries, and whose bodies -are not claimed for interment by any relative, should be distributed -amongst the anatomical schools, under such sanctions, and with such -formalities, as religion and decency require; the supply of subjects -from this source would be sufficient, and from none other. - -We recommend the following letter of Sir J. Sewell, on this subject, -to the attention of our readers in which other classes of supply are -enumerated; although, we think, several provisions of his measure are -unnecessary, and one or two would be injurious to his object. - -The suggestion which he makes of giving up the bodies of suicides for -dissection would be a good one, if anything like an adequate supply -could be furnished by such a course; but as this would not be the -case, a great injury would result from a plan which would aggravate -the already existing prejudice arising from the intimate connexion in -the public mind between dissection and ignominious punishment. We are -further convinced, that the surrender of the body of the suicide to the -anatomical schools will never become a part and parcel of the law of -the land. It would encroach too much upon the higher stations in life; -for where there is one pauper who destroys himself, we could enumerate -a dozen in the most elevated ranks of society. If the law declared that -the body of the wretched being, who, by the pressure of poverty or -misfortune, had sought a remedy for his sorrows by the sacrifice of his -own life, should be given up,--the same law ought to be made to apply -to a Whitbread, a Romilly, a Castlereagh, and a Calcraft, all being, at -the time of their death, legislators of the nation, from the assembly -of whom is to emanate the very law which is to consign their bodies, in -case of suicide, to the knife of the anatomist. - -The following is the letter of Sir J. Sewell:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'Having dined yesterday with some of my brother magistrates, I - learned, upon information, which I have no reason to distrust, - that beside the confessions published, another was made on Sunday, - the 4th, which comprehended a catalogue of about sixty murders, - and would have probably gone on to a much greater extent, but for - the interference of the Ordinary. - - 'When to this is added the large supply which, by the published - confessions, Bishop appears to have furnished for dissection, the - great number of persons employed in the same way, the probable - profligacy of such persons, and, as asserted, a great falling off - in the number of burials, notwithstanding the increased population - of this metropolis, there is certainly but too much reason to - believe that this system of murder amongst the poor which Bishop - said he resorted to as both less expensive and less hazardous than - collecting from cemeteries, is become extremely common; that it is - in a state of progression; and that new and extraordinary modes, - however inconvenient to the professors and students of anatomy, - must be had recourse to for the prevention of such atrocious - crimes. - - 'The plan which I now submit to your consideration is not offered - as a perfect one, or as approaching to perfection; and the - greater part of it is the result of reflection upon the subject, - since receiving the information above-mentioned; but it may - suggest improvements to those who are capable of making them, and - though the process proposed will be necessarily attended, in the - procurement of subjects, with difficulties and expenses which do - not belong to the present course of practice, the aggregate charge - will, I hope, very soon be diminished; and that a commerce, which - is asserted, by the faculty in general, to be of very great public - consequence, may be carried on to the satisfaction of all the - parties interested, and without the commission of a crime in any - of them. - - - _Suggestions for a New Act of Parliament as to the Supply of Bodies - for Dissection._ - - 1. That from and after the ----, the bodies of all persons - convicted of felony, and who, in consequence of such conviction, - shall die in any place of confinement, in the United Kingdom, may - be sold for dissection. The sale to be by public auction, the - proceeds to be paid to the treasurer of the county in which the - prison shall be, and applied in aid of the county rates. - - 2. So also the bodies of all under commitment for felony, if not - claimed within ---- hours after death. - - 3. So also the unclaimed bodies of those who die in hospitals and - workhouses. - - 4. Suicides. - - 5. Unclaimed bodies of persons found dead. - - 6. To legalize the sale by persons while living, of their bodies - after death. - - 7. To secure the due delivery to the purchaser on demand. - - 8. With certain exceptions, no dissections of the bodies of - persons dying in Middlesex, or in certain parishes in Essex, - Kent, and Surrey, to be permitted before the body shall have been - exhibited at an appointed place, with evidence of name, residence, - cause of death, &c. satisfactory to a magistrate assisted by a - surgeon. - - 9. That the magistrate be one of the police magistrates in his - turn, and that the attendance be every day at ---- except Sunday, - and for so long a time as may be needful in respect to bodies - brought in before that hour. - - 10. That the magistrate give a certificate of his satisfaction as - to the death, and a permit for removal and dissection. - - 11. That the body permitted be branded, or otherwise marked - indelibly, upon the skin of every part which is commonly purchased - by students who have not occasion for the whole. - - 12. That a register be kept of the name, residence, and cause of - death, and of every person whose body is produced. - - 13. That the only exceptions allowed to this course be the _post - mortem_ examinations by dissection under the special directions - of a coroner or other magistrate, or which are performed in the - dwelling of the deceased, with the knowledge and consent of the - family. - - 14. That whoever shall dissect a body, or any part of a body, as a - separate portion, not being duly marked, or shall be possessed of - them, shall be subject to ----. - - 15. That the forgery, or aiding or abetting, of the brand or mark, - of the certificate or permit, shall subject the party to ----. - - 16. That similar provisions be made for other parts of the kingdom. - - 'I have the honour to be, - Sir, - Your very humble servant, - J. SEWELL.' - - _21, Cumberland-street, Portman-square, December 8._ - - -In corroboration of the plan of Sir J. Sewell, the following very able -remarks were addressed to the Editor of _The Times_. - - - 'SIR, - - 'Having read Sir John Sewell's "Suggestions for a new Act of - Parliament as to the Supply of Bodies for Dissection," I trust to - your kindness in enabling me to express publicly my humble opinion - on the same, conceiving them to be good and just in every respect - excepting one, the idea of which I cannot but believe must disgust - very many: I allude to the public sale of the body. Why, may I ask - that gentleman, need it be sold at all, much less in so offensive - a manner? Surely there can be no necessity whatever. Let, then, - the bodies, as they ought in every instance, be presented - gratuitously. Wheresoever the death may occur, or the inquest be - held, let the coroner of the district be empowered to assign the - body to the hospital of that district, or to bequeath it for the - public good, according to any other satisfactory arrangement that - may be concluded on the occasion. - - 'To Sir J. Sewell I would say, by presenting, instead of - vending, you would go far towards annihilating the traffic of - the "resurrection man" whose profits must thereby be materially - diminished, as what hospital would they find anxious to purchase - subjects of them at all, much less at the price they must - necessarily demand, to compensate them for the risk encountered - in procuring them, when these establishments can be sufficiently - supplied in a lawful manner gratis? - - 'In conclusion, I humbly conceive that a law, based on Sir J. - Sewell's "Suggestions," severally and collectively (save the one - assumed to be offensive), would effect the utmost good; and if - really so, ought accordingly to satisfy the people. - - 'It is, in every respect, such a plan as can alone defeat the - sanguinary designs of body-snatching monsters; and once made law, - would, no doubt, in a short time destroy their infernal commerce - altogether. - - 'I am, Sir, - Your obedient Servant, - W. H. E.' - - _Saturday, December 10._ - - 'P. S. With regard to Sir J. Sewell's suggestion as to the - workhouse, in accordance with which the bodies of all such as - have been maintained, and are about to be buried, at the parish - expense, are to be given up for anatomical purposes, I am inclined - to believe it would, if adopted, be productive of a twofold - service, inasmuch as the practice might tend also to diminish the - numbers of this class (who generally speaking prefer a life of - degraded ease to one of honourable employment), by its inciting - (which is likely) those most sensitive on the "subject" to work - out an independent subsistence by their own assiduity; and with - respect to such as cannot exist but by poor-house maintenance, - their bodies, I should say, might nevertheless, in justice, be - rendered serviceable after death, on the score of the important - benefits experienced by them whilst living. - - 'W. H. E.' - - -On Thursday, the 15th, in the House of Commons, Mr. Warburton moved -for leave to bring in a bill to regulate schools of anatomy. He -reminded the House, that in 1829 he had introduced a bill of the same -kind, which had passed this House, but had been rejected in another -place. The political changes which had occurred since had occasioned -him to defer the renewal of the attempt. The bill he now proposed -to introduce differed in some respects from the other. It was more -simple. Instead of requiring anatomical professors to obtain licenses, -which had been objected to, he proposed the appointment of anatomical -inspectors, by the Home Secretary, to whom returns were to be made, -and who should inspect the schools. It had been objected to the former -bill, that it made a distinction between the poor and the rich; his -present bill was equally applicable to all; and he hoped, when it was -considered what had been the enormous and necessary consequence of the -present law,--the law was one thing and necessity another,--prejudices -would give way, and that schools would be supplied with the subjects -necessary for the promotion of science, and at reduced prices. - -Mr. Hunt said, that unless this bill was materially different from the -last, he should oppose it to the utmost. He hoped that a clause would -be introduced to legalize the sale of a person's own body, which was -now the property of his executor. - -Mr. Sadler said that so far from the repugnance referred to being a -prejudice, it was a principle which pervaded the whole world, and -could not be eradicated without injury to the best feelings of our -nature. Let the Bill be confined to those who were liberated from those -prejudices. The poor would not bear it; the Bill would be unpopular, -and justly so, and would tend to close the houses of mercy. It was said -that a neighbouring country had overcome those prejudices: then let -the principle of free trade be called into action, and our schools of -anatomy be supplied with subjects from abroad. - -Sir R. Vyvyan observed that there was a want of a clause in the former -bill, repealing the law which subjected criminals to anatomy; for till -that law was repealed, the public never would endure that other bodies -should be exposed to what was thus made an indignity. Whatever might be -in the bill, he hoped there would be nothing to offend the prejudices -of the poor. Those who died in a poor-house or hospital were equally -entitled to have their bodies respected as those who died elsewhere. - -Mr. Warburton said that his bill would apply equally to rich and poor: -no body would be given for dissection without the consent of the person -when alive, or of the nearest relative after death. - -Leave was then given. - -On the bringing in of the Bill, Mr. Perceval recommended, that the mere -possession of dead bodies should be held to be felony. The knowledge of -surgery, he said, could not be lost in the space of two years, and if -they were to try an experiment for that time, he was sure that medical -men would then resort to the dissection of animals, and obtain, while -conducted under proper regulations, all the knowledge necessary for -their profession. - -We have before, in another work, had the satisfaction of exposing the -folly of this fungus of a legislator, when he attempted to impose -upon the fasting mechanics and labourers of this country, a religious -fast-day, or a general propitiation to Heaven for all the sins and -crimes which have been committed generally and individually, since -the time that fast-days went out of fashion! We did then hope that -we should have heard no more of him; but in Mr. Warburton's Anatomy -Bill being brought in, we were again enlightened by the sagacity and -profundity of his remarks. Mr. Perceval certainly forms a component -part of the legislative wisdom of this country, and certain it is (poor -man!) that he is a specimen of it, that will not tend much to exalt -the character of it. His recommendation that the mere possession of a -dead body should be held to be a felony, is a lamentable specimen of -folly, which makes us heartily rejoice that all the framers of our laws -are not of the same mind, with the _right_ honourable and _downright_ -nonsensical member of whom we are now speaking. Suppose Mr. Perceval's -good lady, or one of her children, were to die, does the poor silly -man wish to make himself guilty of felony, for having the dead body -in his possession, when, morally, he would not be one jot more of a -culprit than he is at present? The latter part of the paragraph, -from his speech, is equally remarkable for its absurdity. He gives it -as his opinion, that the knowledge of surgery would not be lost in -two years, if, during that period, its study were discontinued. The -Honourable Member's opinion on this point is, we fear, the result of -self-examination. He, perhaps, finds that his own stock of knowledge -remains the same, whether he studies or not; he discovers, perhaps, -that he does not know one jot more about legislation and civil policy -than he did many years ago, when he first ornamented St. Stephen's -Chapel with his presence, and enlightened the members of it with the -profundity of his researches. He argues, that as he has not gained -anything by study--and no one will be so rude as to contradict -him--there is nothing to be lost by not studying; but we have some -reason to suppose, that he is as much mistaken in this particular -as he is in the very view which he seems to have taken of humanity. -Dissection of dead bodies he opposes as a matter merely of feeling; -and at the same time expresses a hope that the surgeons will take to -cutting up animals, by the torture of which Mr. Perceval trusts that -science will be equally advanced without resorting to the revolting -practice of human dissection. Putting, however, out of the question the -savageness of this proposition, how would it work in other respects, -to the end proposed by this most enlightened legislator. It would, he -says, provide all the necessary anatomical knowledge; which in other -words is saying, that there exists so strong an analogy between the -anatomy and diseases of a man and a dog, that it is only necessary for -the medical student to employ a Bishop or a Williams to burke a dozen -of the canine species, and all the diseases incident to human nature -will be fully developed, the treatment of them ascertained, and all -the ends of science fully accomplished. Here again we see the danger -of a person forming a judgment from his own individual self. It is the -opinion of Mr. Perceval that, in point of utility, a beast is any day -as useful as a man--consequently the honourable member regards the one -in about the same light as he does the other. Alas! the consciousness -of his own true value has made him exceedingly libellous upon the rest -of the race to which he has the honour of belonging. - -The hints which were thrown out by Sir John Sewell, in his letter -to the editor of the _Times_, and inserted in a former part of this -work, appear to have met with that serious attention which they so -well merited. Still, however, in some respects, it must be owned that -his plan is defective, and in consequence thereof, some strictures -having been made in one of the public journals, Sir John addressed the -following explanatory statement to the editor of the _Times_:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'I am much obliged by your ready insertion of my letter of - yesterday, as well as by your reference to, and observations upon - it, in your own portion of the paper; in respect to which last I - will beg leave to add a few lines in explanation of some parts of - what I have already written. - - '1. By suicides were intended only those against whom verdicts of - _felo de se_ may have been given, and they were introduced not - as likely to furnish many subjects, but as something towards the - demand, and as a cause which might operate with some towards the - preservation of their lives. - - '2. The appropriation of the proceeds of the sales to the benefit - of the county, was to remove, as much as possible, all temptation - to act with harshness to persons not claiming the bodies of their - relatives within the exactly stipulated period. - - '3. The sale of bodies may be made with equal convenience after - having been examined and marked as before. - - '4. The bodies being admitted both by the sellers and purchasers - to be fresh at the end of forty-eight hours, will allow abundant - time for the proposed course to be taken with them. - - '5. The want of bodies, by the professors and students at - hospitals, going, as is shown in the late case, beyond their own - means of supply, a permission to dissect such as may die in them, - without examination and the subsequent marks, would leave open - a dangerous door for dealers in murder to continue their most - abominable traffic. - - 'With a repetition of my acknowledgments, both on my own part and - on that of the poorer part of the public, I have the honour to be, - Sir, your very humble servant, - - 'J. SEWELL.' - - '_21, Cumberland-street, Portman-square, Dec. 10._' - - -The atrocities of Bishop and Williams appeared to endanger the peace -of every family, and the public became naturally anxious that measures -should be adopted for the purpose of supplying subjects for anatomical -lectures, in a manner that might abolish the disgusting, unhallowed, -and illegal trade of the resurrectionist, and remove for ever all -temptation to the commission of that new and most horrible species -of murder called burking. We may boast of the excellence of our -legislative enactments,--and in the plenitude of our conceit, we may -fancy that we are far superior to all other nations in the construction -of our legislative code,--but in what other country than this, -professing to be enlightened by civilization, was the crime of burking -ever known?--and yet science has advanced as rapidly in those countries -where it was never exemplified, as in that where it has been carried -to an extent actually appalling to our nature, and disgraceful to the -nation in which it has been practised. It is well known that many of -the medical students of this country repair to the schools of France, -on account of the greater facility which is there offered of perfecting -themselves in anatomical science, by the readiness with which subjects -are procured, without, at the same time, outraging the feelings of -the living, or having recourse to the horrid crime of murder. We -merely throw out the hint, whether an establishment like that of La -Morgue in Paris would not in itself furnish a regular and ample supply -of subjects for all the anatomical schools of the metropolis? The -suggestion of Sir John Sewell comes very near to the establishment of -an institution like that of La Morgue, and it cannot be a matter of -doubt that the same beneficial results would accrue to the interests of -science in this country as have been so conspicuously displayed in the -schools of France. - -It is admitted on all sides that medical students must practise, -or, at least, witness, repeated dissections of the human body, in -order to obtain a competent knowledge of their profession; there can -be, therefore, no question of the propriety of braving the absurd -prejudices of weak-minded individuals, rather than permit the present -deplorable system of violating the sepulchre, and even of murdering, -for subjects to be continued. The choice of two evils is before us,--we -cannot but choose the least of them. We have already described the -means that have been proposed by several enlightened individuals for -legally supplying lecture-rooms with subjects; but suffice it to say, -in our estimation their most objectionable features are infinitely -preferable to a continuance of the mode, now generally adopted, of -obtaining dead bodies by the plunder of the churchyard; because the -existence amongst us of gangs of degraded wretches, living by the -infraction of the law, is of itself a monstrous evil, even putting the -crime of burking altogether out of the question. Poaching and smuggling -have long been notorious for their destructive influence on the morals -of our provincial population. An indulgence in those comparatively -trivial offences, together with the difficulty of obtaining honest -employment when known as a smuggler or a poacher, too often lead to -crimes of a deeper dye. How much more mischievous then must be the -influence of the disgusting avocation of the resurrectionist upon -those who are tempted by the high price given for subjects to steal -the clay-cold corpse from the grave, at the dead of night? Accordingly -we find, that among this class of men are some of the most desperate -thieves and burglars of the metropolis. The life of a resurrectionist -would be no mean acquisition to the knowledge of the human character in -its most depraved and degenerate dispositions; for it may be affirmed, -that no man ever took to the horrible avocation of exhuming the putrid -corpse until his heart had been previously seared and cauterised by -almost every species of crime incidental to humanity. Let us, however, -be so far candid as to state, that such is not the case with regard -to _all_ those persons from whom our anatomical schools obtain their -subjects, for we could point to an individual, who now apparently moves -in a respected station of society, who followed the horrible trade -of the resurrectionist for a number of years, and having gained a -sufficient competency to support him during the remainder of his life, -retired from the _profession_ to enjoy his _otium cum dignitate_. -This, however, we must confess, may be an isolated case; but when we -consider that, taking the calculation of Bishop, if his statement is to -be credited, during the few years in which he followed his disgusting -avocation, he disposed of nearly one thousand bodies, and that each -body, upon an average, brought him ten pounds, we have here the almost -incredible sum of ten thousand pounds realised by an individual in -a few years, by an illegal and a horrid traffic, and which is in -itself sufficient to show, that so long as such a temptation is held -forth of acquiring such a property, the trade of the resurrectionist -will be assiduously carried on, although the recent disclosures may, -by putting the purchasers of the dead bodies more upon their guard, -effectually stop the commission of murder. When, however, to the -mischievous effects of holding out an inducement to a class of men to -commit actions forbidden by the law--excusing the error on the plea -that good may be derived from it, yet knowing, as we do, that one crime -ever draws on another--we take into consideration the harrowing fact, -that murder is actually committed for the purpose of obtaining the -ten or twelve guineas given for a subject, the public have a right to -demand the interference of the legislature, for the legal supply of the -lecture-room, and the effectual suppression of the horrid trade of the -resurrectionist. - -It is impossible to read the confessions of the homicidal miscreants, -Bishop and Williams, without feelings of the deepest detestation. We -enter not at present upon the truth or falsity of those statements, -for we shall advert hereafter to the anomaly which their confessions -presented, of a partial credibility being attached to one portion -of them, whilst every exertion was made to invalidate the truth of -the other. We have at this moment only to do with the character of -the men, and the influence of their crimes on the general interests -of society; and it must be confessed, that the cold-blooded and -calculating atrocity with which they sought their victims among the -destitute, and friendless, and houseless wanderers in the public -streets, and tempting them at midnight by promises of shelter and -refreshment, to go to that den from which they never were to emerge -with life, is only to be equalled by the vampyre horrors that -superstitious fancy has invented. Then followed the drugged drink--the -retirement and carousal of the ruffians, till the potion had taken -full effect. The deep slumber, the short bubbling in the water, and -all was over. The cruel and cowardly task was done--the human carcase -was prepared for sale! We will not ascribe to accident, the almost -miraculous discovery by which these detestable butchers were brought -to justice. The deep secresy of their proceedings--the extraordinary -precautions which they appear to have taken, might well have promised -a long career of impunity. But let us indulge the belief that an -all-seeing eye was upon them. The circumstances of the discovery -were indeed of an extraordinary nature; the bruise in the back of -the neck of their last victim, combined with the freshness of the -body generated suspicion, and although the medical witnesses appear -to have been in error as to the cause of death--nay, although the -identity of the corpse is yet doubtful, the fact of Bishop and Williams -having committed murder, was brought home to them by a long chain of -evidence as extraordinary, taken altogether, as it was conclusive. -Had the wretches been less eager after the price of their crime, had -they retained the corpse another day or two in their possession, and -preserved it from being bruised after death, they would have escaped -detection, and they might in that case have been engaged, at the very -moment we are now writing, in the preparation of another human being -for their next day's sale. But murder will out sooner or later,--'Whoso -sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' In spite of all -their infernal cunning and midnight secresy, justice has overtaken -these monsters, and never again may the annals of any age or nation be -stained with such revolting criminality. - -We were far from being sorry to hear that the exit of the miscreants -from a world to which they were a disgrace, was marked by shouts of -execration from the assembled thousands. It was an honest feeling that -prompted men to rejoice in the destruction of beings, from the deep -damnation of whose iniquity even a Thurtell might have shrunk appalled. -The most profligate among the lower orders of the English people abhor -the crime of murder,--even the daring gangs of thieves by whom the -metropolis is infested, though they live by daily robberies, invariably -refrain from destroying life. Ours is not a blood-thirsty population; -theft is unfortunately of common occurrence, and peculations of almost -every description are continually practised amongst us; but happily -murder is, comparatively, of very rare occurrence, and we have no doubt -that all who witnessed the execution of these human boas rejoiced in -their punishment. Nor ought mistaken pity nor affected sentiment to -silence the expression of indignation to which we have referred. No -man will say that the punishment of hanging was commensurate with the -offences committed, according to their own confessions alone, by Bishop -and Williams; but whilst we would not subject even such creatures to -bodily torture, we cannot regret that the mental agony of their last -moments was increased by the unequivocal tokens of detestation that -assailed their ears on the scaffold. The great end of all punishment -is example, to deter others; and surely the death of these cowardly -murderers, signalized by the audibly-expressed hatred of all men, both -good and bad, must operate as the most effectual warning that could -possibly be devised, to prevent any other human being from imitating -these atrocities, to die like them amid shouts of detestation, and to -purchase an immortality of infamy. - -We shall now proceed to the investigation of another part of this most -horrid transaction, and we particularly allude to the acquittal of May, -or, more properly speaking, to his being respited during his Majesty's -pleasure. Connected, however, with this part of our subject, we will -previously insert a sketch of the speech made by the Duke of Sussex -to the Lord Mayor at the close of the trial,--which, although in some -respects conferring high honour upon him, is not wholly borne out in -its sentiments, by the result which afterwards took place. - -After the trial had concluded, and the judges, nobility, and other -visitors had retired to a private room, the Duke of Sussex (who had -remained in Court the whole day, paying the most marked attention -to the evidence) took occasion to express the gratification he had -experienced at the manner in which the prosecution had been arranged -and conducted. 'I have,' said his Royal Highness, addressing himself -to the Lord Mayor, 'always made it a point of attending every trial -of national interest that has occurred in the metropolis, and I have -done so, not only from a desire to become acquainted, as far as I -could, with the laws of my country and their practical application, but -because in the station I fill, I feel it to be a sacred duty to take -a personal interest in everything calculated to affect the character -or the security of the people of this country. I have never, my Lord -Mayor, been present at such inquiries without increasing the admiration -with which I regard the criminal jurisprudence of England;--the most -perfect, the most intelligent, and the most humane system that human -ingenuity or wisdom ever devised. Upon the present occasion, whatever -pain I may have felt at the sad necessity for taking away the lives -of the wretched persons whose crimes have excited so powerfully the -indignation of the public, I cannot help feeling proud of being the -native of a country where such a sentiment of indignation has been -universally evinced, and where such disinterested exertions have -been made to expose and bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes -happily, I trust, rare amongst us. In what other part of the world, -indeed, could such a scene be witnessed as that which we have this day -contemplated? The judges of our land, the learned in our law, nobility, -magistrates, merchants, medical professors, and individuals of every -rank in society, anxiously devoting themselves, and co-operating in -the one common object of redressing, as far as human power can do so, -an injury inflicted upon a pauper child, wandering friendless and -unknown in a foreign land. Seeing this, I am indeed proud of being an -Englishman, and prouder still to be a prince in such a country and of -such a people.' - -In the first place, however, taking the respite of May into our -consideration, some very serious reflections present themselves to -our mind, and we are induced to give publicity to them, with the sole -view of preserving the purity of our courts of law, and, by pointing -out their existing errors and defects, remove that stigma, which -certain persons are too prone to attach to them. We dispute not the -integrity or the principles of the jury who pronounced the verdict -of guilty upon May, but having ourselves paid the closest attention -to the evidence during the whole of the trial, we were always led to -draw the conclusion, that neither the commission of the crime, nor any -participation in it, was actually so definitely brought home to him, as -to render his life a sacrifice to the laws. We never could discover the -reason of the distrust of the testimony as given by two females, who -clearly proved an alibi on the part of May, on the very night in which -the murder, as stated in the indictment, was supposed to be committed. -Their questionable mode of life might have had some influence in -throwing discredit over their testimony in the opinion of the court; -but we enter our protest decidedly against the deduction, that, because -a female has been driven to prostitution for her support, her testimony -is not to be believed on her oath. In some respects, indeed, the -principle appears to be acted upon, that certain parts of the evidence -of such witnesses may be received, whilst other parts are to be wholly -rejected. - -The stains of blood on the jacket of May, which was found in the -lodgings of one of these women, was brought forward as corroborative -of the participation of May in the act of murder, and it cannot be -denied that it was a circumstance which had its weight in influencing -the minds of the jury respecting the guilt of May. This woman in her -evidence states the hours when May came to her lodgings, and which, if -credited, would have gone a great way towards his entire exculpation; -it was, however, impugned on the ground of _her profession_: and -we cannot here conceal our censure at the manner in which these -females were examined by Mr. Adolphus, who seemed to think that if -he could extract from their own lips the confession that they lived -by prostitution, it would follow as a natural conclusion that their -evidence was unworthy of belief. It however, happened, that one of -these women proved, and to the satisfaction of the court, the manner in -which the blood came upon the jacket of May, which happened to issue -from the wounded leg of a jackdaw; and Mr. Thomas himself mounted the -witness-box, after the woman had given her evidence, and declared his -belief, that in that particular the woman spoke the truth, for he -was satisfied that the blood was too fresh to have been cast upon it -previously to the committal of May. Thus one link in the chain of the -evidence against May was broken; but our chief objection was upon the -principle, that if credibility is to be attached to one part of the -evidence of a witness, it should not be optional in the opposite party -to reject any other part which is confirmatory of the innocence of the -accused. We see no more cogent reason why the evidence of the woman -respecting the cause of the stains of the blood should be believed, -and if we may be allowed a mercantile expression, placed to the credit -of May, than that her evidence ought not also to have been received -touching the alibi. The question of immaculacy of character has little -to do in the witness-box, for were that principle to be acted upon, we -suspect that many witnesses, who are believed upon their oath, would -never be put into it at all. It is a very probable case, that a poor -unfortunate girl, whose only crime perhaps is her prostitution, may -in her mind be impressed with the solemn obligations of an oath, and -the consequences which would result to her, morally and religiously, -from the infraction of it; but it by no means follows, that because a -blustering counsel has extracted from her the confession of the mode -of life by which she gains her livelihood, that her testimony is to be -wholly rejected or only partially received, especially when the life -of a human being is dependent upon it. Station in life ought not to -form any distinction in the exercise of these principles; but we could -allude to many instances in which the evidence of titled demireps has -been received, without the smallest disposition being shown to call -into question its truth and credibility. It happened, however, in the -case of the evidence of these women,--that from the confession of both -Bishop and Williams, and on which the highest authority of the nation -was called upon to act, such evidence was in fact substantially true, -and that May was not in the company of those two sanguinary wretches -when the murder was committed. With great truth might May write the -following doggrel rhymes, which were penned on the Sunday morning -previously to the arrival of the respite:-- - - - 'James May is doomed to die, - And is condemned most innocently; - The God above he knows the same, - And will send a mitigation for his pain.' - - -The paper on which the above rhymes were written, contained also some -notes in the prisoner's hand-writing, which appeared to be private -notes to assist the memory in some communications that he intended -to make relative to the manner in which subjects are obtained at the -hospitals, the conduct of watchmen, &c. - -The evidence of May's guilt we never considered on the trial to -be conclusive; and, in fact, so general was the opinion, that his -acquittal was considered as put beyond a doubt. His subsequent escape -from an ignominious death may, in reality, be ascribed to the joint -statements of Bishop and Williams; and this leads us to the discussion -of the justice of the punishment, which has been subsequently inflicted -on May. We espouse his cause on the abstract principle of right and -justice, and in accordance with that principle, we would punish the -guilty, and pardon the innocent. The indictment against May stated, -that, in conjunction with Bishop and Williams, he had murdered an -Italian boy, of the name of Carlo Ferrari; and another count stated, -that he had been an accomplice in the murder of some other person -unknown. On this indictment he was found guilty, and sentenced to be -executed. On the confession, however, of the murderers themselves, -it appeared that May had no participation whatever in the crime, and -that he was wholly ignorant of the manner in which the body of the -boy had been procured, but supposed that it had been obtained by the -usual method of exhumation. It was acknowledged that he assisted in -the attempt to dispose of it, on the ground that he was enabled to -obtain a higher price, and that, in the attempt to dispose of it at the -King's College, he was apprehended, and finally committed to prison -to take his trial as an accomplice in the murder. The sequel of that -trial is already known; and his life was spared, it having been made -evident to the competent authorities that he was neither a principal -in the murder nor an accessory after it. The great question, then, is, -and which involves a very important point in the administration of -justice of this country, for what crime has May been sentenced to the -severest punishment, with the exception of death, which our sanguinary -code exhibits, namely, transportation for life? He was either guilty -or innocent of the murder,--the most cogent and valid testimony was -adduced in favour of the latter, and it was considered so conclusive, -that a respite was granted. In the eye of the law he therefore stood -assoilzed from the crime for which he was tried, and therefore not -subject to any punishment. If it be urged that his participation -in the attempt to dispose of the body of the murdered boy rendered -him amenable to the laws, and, being taken in _delicto flagrante_, -to the punishment attached to that act, we perfectly coincide in the -proposition; but then, as the law now stands, the having a dead body -in our possession is not a felony, but simply a misdemeanour, and -punishable, as all other misdemeanours, by imprisonment, hard labour, -or whipping. Of what crime then, we repeat it, has May been found -guilty, to subject him to the punishment of transportation for life. -The confessions of both Bishop and Williams distinctly negatived the -fact that May had the slightest participation in any of the murders -committed by them, and that he even did not know in what manner they -had procured the body, in the attempted sale of which he gave his -assistance. If the simple fact of rendering that assistance rendered -him subject to punishment, how, then, comes it to pass, that no -punishment has been inflicted on Shields, who, with the exception -of negotiating with the purchasers of the body, was, setting the -murder out of the question, as deeply implicated in the affair as May -himself. The entire gist of this extraordinary business lies simply in -the following question,--After the respite was sent to May, for the -commission of what crime was he then detained in prison, for which -he had been tried, or was yet to be tried? We know it may be urged -that it is a rule, that if, through the royal clemency, the life of a -criminal sentenced to death be spared, his punishment is commuted to -transportation for life; but then these general cases do not apply to -the individual one of May. The respited criminals still stand convicted -of the crime for which, by the laws of their country, their lives -became forfeit; and although the royal clemency steps in to prevent the -sacrifice of human life, their offended country still demands their -punishment, and the next severest to death itself is inflicted upon -them. Those cases will not, however, apply to May. He was tried at the -bar of his country for murder, and a jury of that country, on account -of a long chain of circumstantial evidence, many of the links of which -snapped in the attempt to force them to their utmost influence, found -him guilty of the crime charged in the indictment;--he received the -usual sentence of death, and, according to all human calculation, his -hours on earth were numbered. As it has frequently happened in the -cases of criminals sentenced to death, a subsequent investigation took -place in regard to the guilt of May, or, indeed, to any participation -on his part in the murder of the individual for which he was indicted. -From the coincident testimony of the real murderers, it was most -distinctly made to appear that May was wholly innocent, not only of -any participation in the crime, but that he was actually ignorant of -the manner in which the body of the boy had been procured. The judge -himself who tried the prisoners fully coincided in the propriety of -granting a respite to May, founded on the confessions of Bishop and -Williams; and his innocence was at length so strongly confirmed, that -his life was spared. But we now come to the great question,--On what -condition?--That he should be transported for life. Here, then, in the -most enlightened nation of the world, whose courts of judicature are -held up as the pattern for all surrounding nations--whose laws are -boasted of as being founded on mercy, clemency, and truth,--here we -have the example of an individual tried, condemned--found innocent, and -respited--but still punished with the next severest punishment after -death which the criminal code of his country could inflict upon him! -May could not be deemed, in the eye of the law, innocent and guilty at -the same time; but if he was declared to be the former, he had a right -to expect all the benefits and advantages of that innocence. There was -no intermediate state of guilt; he was either guilty of the murder, or -not guilty; and as his innocence was made manifest, he ought to have -been placed in the same situation as he would have been had the verdict -of Not Guilty been pronounced upon him by his Jury. - -It was owing to these sentiments operating so powerfully on our mind, -that we were led to analyze a little more closely than we might -otherwise have done, the speech of the Duke of Sussex, in which he -enlarges in such laudatory terms on the enviable superiority of our -courts of law, and the manner in which justice is administered in them; -and all this on an occasion in which a man, afterwards discovered to be -innocent, is condemned to death, and who would certainly have suffered -but for the concurrent testimony of his associates, on which his -innocence was established. - -We are aware that not one of our contemporaries has taken this view -of the case of May; and until we are informed of the crime which -May committed, and for which he was tried and convicted at the bar -of his country, we shall always consider that his transportation is -an indelible stain upon the judicature of this country, and that an -irreparable injury has been done to the individual, for which no after -redress can be sufficient. - -The public mind, in the mean time, was by no means at rest respecting -the identity of the body of Carlo Ferrari; and as it involved some very -nice points connected with the manner in which the prosecution was got -up, Mr. Corder, on the 8th of December, appeared at Bow-street, before -Sir Richard Birnie and Mr. Minshull, attended by Joseph Paragalli and -Andrew Colla, the two Italian witnesses who gave evidence on the trial -of Bishop, Williams, and May, at the Old Bailey, on Friday, the 5th -instant, and stated, that in consequence of the confessions made by -Bishop and Williams, denying that the body found and sworn to was that -of the Italian boy, the two witnesses now present were most anxious -to remove an impression which had gone abroad, in consequence of the -confessions referred to, and wished to reiterate their firm belief that -the body of the boy brought to King's College for sale was that of -Carlo Ferrari. - -Paragalli and Colla then came forward and reasserted their former -evidence. - -Mr. Corder said that there were strong grounds for believing that -the confessions of Bishop and Williams, so far as related to their -statement that the body found in their possession was not that of the -Italian boy, was wholly untrue; and in consequence of the denial put -forth in their confessions, which appeared in some degree to cast -discredit upon the whole prosecution, the parish of St. Paul, Covent -Garden, had determined to publish a statement in a few days of the -whole transaction, in order to relieve the public mind from the doubts -occasioned by the confessions of Bishop and Williams. He was perfectly -satisfied, that when that statement was submitted to the public, there -would no longer be any doubt upon the subject, and that the body found -in the possession of Bishop, Williams, and May, was not that of the -drover's boy, but the body of Carlo Ferrari. - -Mr. Minshull said he had no doubt but such was the fact, and expressed -his desire that the public mind should be set at rest with respect to -the identity of the body. - -Mr. Corder said he would lose no time in drawing up the statement to -which he had alluded. - -He then retired, accompanied by the witnesses. - -In a few days afterwards, Mr. Corder transmitted the following -statement to the editor of the _Times_, but which still leaves the -identity of the boy as mystical as before. - - - 'SIR, - - 'Without travelling through a very long statement which has - recently appeared in most of the public journals, purporting to be - "the confession of the murderers," and signed "John Bishop," there - are two points contained in it which appear to me to require some - notice, and upon which the public have some right to be satisfied. - The points are, first--"That the boy, supposed to be the Italian - boy, was a Lincolnshire boy;" and second--"That the death of - the deceased was caused by drowning him in the well, into which - Bishop and Williams put him head-foremost, and where he remained - about three-quarters of an hour." Upon the first point I beg to - trouble you with one or two observations, and in reference to the - second, I shall content myself with the written report, which the - surgeons, who examined the body, both at and previous to the _post - mortem_ examination, have been kind enough, at the request of the - prosecutors, to furnish, and which will be open to the opinions of - all medical and scientific men, as to the probable cause of the - death of the deceased. - - 'Regarding the identity of the deceased, his person, as Charles - Ferrier, is positively sworn to by several witnesses of - unimpeachable integrity, some of whom were his fellow-countrymen, - and knew him intimately. Two of them had lived for some time in - the same street with him, and one of them (Colla) had actually - made the cage for him in which he carried about his white mice. - All these witnesses saw the body of the deceased within two or - three days after his death, and unhesitatingly recognized him - as the same. Two of them had seen him alive and well the same - week; and one of them accurately described the trousers worn by - the deceased, (which precisely correspond with those found in the - garden,) before he was allowed to see them. In addition to this, - we have it in evidence that an Italian boy with a cage and white - mice was seen close to Bishop's house on the day of the murder; - wearing a cap similar to the one found on the premises, and which - Bishop endeavoured in vain to account for. We then find the - white mice and cage at Bishop's house, in the possession of his - children, on Friday, the 4th instant, the day after the murder, - as proved by a very young witness, but who gave his evidence with - all the simplicity characteristic of truth. And, lastly, we find - the clothes of the deceased in Bishop's garden, the lower buttons - being cut off the jacket, apparently to admit the revolution of - his cage; the tapes also stitched to the lower part of the same - garment for the passage of the strap or riband by which the cage - was confined to his body. And against this body of evidence what - is set up? The unsupported assertion of the wretched culprits, - who, to the latest hour of existence, evinced no penitent or - religious feeling, and who, during their short passage to the - scaffold, on the morning of their execution, execrated the jury - who so justly condemned them. A Lincolnshire boy! Where are his - friends or relations? It is now nearly six weeks since the murder, - and no inquiries are made for him. On the contrary, where is - Charles Ferrier? Why does he not appear? It is a fact that the - body of the deceased was recognized by at least a hundred persons - as a poor Italian boy, whom they had seen carrying white mice - about the streets of London. But were there any appearances to - indicate that the deceased was a Lincolnshire drover boy? None. - His hands were smooth and soft, and no horny substance upon them, - as though he had been used to manual labour. These facts, and - this evidence, together with the verdict of a jury, after a long - and patient trial, before a humane and discerning judge, stand - at present alone opposed by the statement of the murderers, and - between them the public must judge. - - 'On the second point, as to the mode of death of the deceased, - which is described in the confessions as that of drowning, it will - be only necessary to read the following report which the surgeons - have been requested to prepare on the appearances of the body, - both at and previous to the _post mortem_ examination, and it will - then be for medical and scientific persons to say whether it is - morally possible that the heart should have been perfectly empty - and contracted, and that the other appearances described should - have manifested themselves, if death had been produced as the - murderers allege. - - '_Post mortem_ appearances of the body of the Italian body, who - was murdered late on the night of the 3d, or early on the morning - of the 4th of November, 1831. - - 'The corpse was first seen by one of the undersigned, about two - o'clock, P.M., of Saturday, November 5, and by the other at a late - hour the same night. - - '_External appearances._--The body was four feet six inches in - length, of rather stout make, face broad, hair light brown, dry, - neither curled nor yet matted, eyes gray, general appearance - that of a foreigner, judging more from the cast of features - than the complexion, limbs rigid, and the upper extremities - somewhat contracted, palms of the hands quite soft, face rather - swollen, eyes bloodshot, teeth extracted, gums bloody, a wound - three-quarters of an inch in length over the left brow; the neck - and throat, together with the extremities, were attentively - examined, but did not exhibit the slightest indications of - violence. - - 'The dissection was conducted in the following order:-- - - '_Head._--On turning down the scalp its vessels appeared a little - fuller than usual; the wound over the brow extended to the bone, - which was not, however, fractured, neither was there any blood - effused around the cut; higher up, over the coronal suture, there - was a patch of extravasated and coagulated blood between the scalp - and bone; the brain and its membranes appeared perfectly healthy, - and their vessels were not unnaturally full; the ventricles did - not contain more than the usual small quantity of serum. The body - was next turned on its face, the brain having been previously - removed, and in so doing a quantity of fluid blood gushed out from - the spinal canal at the occipital foramen. On cutting through the - muscles at the back of the neck coagulated blood, to the amount of - five or six ounces, was found extravasated among them; extending - from the occiput to the termination of the cervical vertebræ, and - upon removing the arches of the vertebræ and that portion of the - occipital bone which lies behind the foramen magnum, from one to - two ounces of coagulated blood were discovered within the spinal - canal (exterior to the theca) pressing upon the upper part of - the medulla spinalis; a considerable quantity of fluid blood was - likewise contained in the lower part of the canal; there was no - blood within the theca, and the cord itself retained its natural - appearance and firmness; there was no traceable injury either of - the vertebræ or of their ligaments. - - '_Chest._--The pericardium contained about two drachms of serum. - The heart was healthy, rather small, quite contracted, and its - four cavities perfectly empty. This contracted and empty state of - the heart struck us at the time as a very remarkable circumstance. - Each bag of the pleura contained about one ounce of serum. The - lungs were healthy and not congested; there was an old and partial - adhesion between part of the right lung and the pleura costatis; - the pharynx, œsophagus, larynx, trachen, and bronchi, were healthy - and unobstructed. - - '_Abdomen._--The stomach was tolerably full of half-digested food, - of which some fragments of potatoes formed the only recognizable - part; its contents smelt lightly of rum, its coats were healthy, - the small intestines were full of recently digested food; the - whole of the alimentary canal, and all the abdominal viscera, were - healthy, but the liver contained a little more than the usual - quantity of blood. - - 'The urinary bladder was contracted and quite empty. - - 'It is for professional and other scientific men to judge, - whether the appearances above described are compatible with the - supposition of death having been produced by drowning, hanging, - strangulation, or any other mode of suffocation. - - (Signed) 'RICHARD PARTRIDGE. - 'GEORGE BEAMAN. - - '_December 10._ - - -'The foregoing report, it will be observed, is signed by Mr. Partridge, -the Demonstrator of Anatomy to the King's College, and Mr. Beaman, -a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, who, in addition to an -extensive private practice, holds the appointment of Parochial Surgeon -of St. Paul, Covent-garden; their report has been submitted to Mr. -Tyrell, a Surgeon of St. Thomas's Hospital, and Lecturer on Physiology, -Anatomy, and Surgery, to that Institution. His observations on that -report are as follows:-- - - - 'SIR, - - 'According to your request, I have attentively perused the - statement respecting the examination of the body of the boy, - the subject of the late trial. I find that it perfectly agrees - with the evidence given by Messrs. Partridge and Beaman on that - occasion, of which evidence I, by the desire of the prosecutors, - took notes. It is my opinion, that the death of the boy could - not have been caused by any mode of suffocation, as drowning, - smothering, &c. I have no doubt that injury to the upper part of - the spine, which created the effusion of blood into the spinal - canal was the immediate cause of death. - - 'Yours, respectfully, - 'FREDERICK TYRELL. - - '_17, New Bridge-Street, - 'Blackfriars, Dec. 10._ - - - 'I have thus endeavoured, as briefly as possible, to put together - a few facts and observations on the two only points in 'the - confessions' which appeared to me to call for notice. I consider - Williams's confirmation of the truth of Bishop's statement of very - little consequence, inasmuch as he was allowed to be present at - the making of it, and nothing was easier than for him to say that - he fully adhered to the statement made by his partner in crime. If - separate 'confessions' had been made, and in the absence of each - other, it is possible the wretched culprits might have furnished - something more to the world. - - 'I have to apologize for the length of this communication, which - has been hastily written. I hope the importance and anxiety with - which the subject is viewed by the public may be pleaded in - excuse, and also induce you to give it insertion in your columns. - I may add, that I should not have presumed to have addressed you - on the subject, had not the circumstance of the management of - the prosecution devolving upon me entitled me to be pretty fully - acquainted with all the details of the case. - - 'I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, 'JAS. CORDER. - - '_St. Paul, Covent-Garden, - Vestry Clerk's Office, Dec. 14._' - - -On this statement of Mr. Corder we shall make but a very few comments. -One part of it is, however, particularly deserving of remark, in which -he states, that above one hundred persons recognized the body of the -murdered boy, as being that of a poor Italian boy, whom they had seen -carrying white mice about the streets of London. If this were actually -the case, let us put this question to Mr. Corder--Why a tithe of the -hundred persons was not brought forward on the trial to identify the -body? The only persons on the trial, who spoke with the least assurance -respecting the body, were the Paragallis; for Brin, or Brun, the man -who actually brought the boy over to this country, could not speak to -the identity of the body. But if, as Mr. Corder affirms, there were -a hundred persons who really did recognize the body as being that of -the Italian boy, he was certainly guilty of a dereliction of his duty, -in not bringing forward some of them; as it would have been attended -with the immediate good effect of tranquillizing the public mind, and -dissipating every doubt as to the real individual who had been so -inhumanly murdered. - -It must also be fresh in the recollection of Mr. Corder, that the -identity of the clothes as having been worn by the Italian boy, was not -definitively established on the trial; on the contrary, by one witness -it was deposed that the clothes found in Bishop's garden did not -correspond in colour with those worn by the Italian boy, as seen by the -witness on the day on which the murder was supposed to be committed. In -other respects, however, the arguments of Mr. Corder may be considered -as carrying with them a great degree of corroborative testimony, -relative to the murdered boy being the Italian youth; and until some -more conclusive evidence presents itself, the matter must be considered -as resting on the established certainty of the identity of the body, -and, consequently, that the statements of Bishop and Williams were not -founded in truth. Their statements, however, excited so extraordinary -a sensation in the public mind that, on the 13th of December, Mr. Hunt -brought the business before Parliament. The Honourable Member said, -that he had a question to ask, calculated greatly to relieve the mind -of the country. It was with respect to the persons lately executed -for the crime of 'Burking.' According to a statement put forth in the -newspaper, they, instead of confessing three or four murders only, on -the day previous to their execution, confessed sixty; and were going on -until stopped by the Ordinary of the prison. This might be a laughable -subject, but it had greatly agitated the public mind; and was, he -believed, at present, the source of much excitement. He, therefore, was -desirous to know of Government whether the fact of this confession was -true or not? - -Mr. G. Lamb did not know on what authority the statement in the -newspapers was put forth, but he (Mr. Lamb) was not aware of any other -confession than that officially published. - -Alderman Waithman had seen both the Sheriffs and the Under-Sheriff, -and the latter had declared his most positive conviction, that these -men had told every thing they knew in the confession, which he -(the Under-Sheriff) had witnessed. He (Mr. Alderman Waithman) was, -therefore, astonished to see the statements that had been circulated in -the newspapers. - -Mr. Hunt rejoined, that it was asserted that the confession was made to -the Ordinary of Newgate. Now it did not appear that either the Right -Honourable Secretary for the Home Department, or the worthy Alderman, -had any communication with the Ordinary. - -Mr. Lamb had intended to give a satisfactory reply. No communication -had been forwarded to Government with respect to the confession in -question, and in a matter of that importance, had there been ground for -such a communication, it would undoubtedly have been made. - -Alderman Waithman had communicated with the Ordinary, but had heard of -no confession of the kind referred to. - -We cannot close the subject of the murder of the Italian boy more -appropriately than with the following lines, written by F. W. N. -Bayley:-- - - - Poor child of Venice! He had left - A land of love and sun for this; - In one brief day of tears bereft, - Of father's care and mother's kiss! - The valleys of his native home, - The mountain paths of light and flowers; - The Savoyard forsook, to roam-- - For wealth and happiness in ours. - - And pitying thousands saw the boy - Feeding the tortoise on his knee; - And beauty bright, and childhood coy, - Oft flung their mite of charity. - And as he rested on the stone, - His organ tuned to some old air, - Men paused at its familiar tone, - And left their little tokens there. - - But now, though hundreds pass the spot, - At even time, or early day, - They shall not see the unforgot, - Whose music all hath pass'd away. - Still when they learn that he hath gain'd - No riches but a grave-stone here, - From gentle hearts, by mem'ry pain'd, - The thoughts of him will start a tear. - - -At the very time, however, when Bishop and Williams were suffering -on the scaffold the last penalty of the law for the heinousness of -their crimes, the neighbourhood of Golden-lane, Whitecross-street, and -Chiswell-street, was thrown into the greatest state of consternation -and alarm, in consequence of a fine healthy female child, about -eight years of age, the daughter of an Irish labourer named Duffey, -who resides in Broad Arrow-court, Milton-street, having been found, -about ten o'clock on Saturday night, murdered, in a public privy in -Cowheel-alley, Golden-lane. About nine o'clock on Saturday night, the -3rd of December, a woman, about thirty years of age, named Bridget -Calkin, was brought to the station-house in Bunhill-row, and given into -the custody of Inspector Perry, of the New Police, upon the charge -of Mrs. Duffey, No. 3, Broad Arrow-court, Milton-street, who stated, -that her husband was a labourer, and she had a fine healthy girl, -about eight years old, who was remarkably full-grown and tall for -that age. The prisoner lodged within a door or two of her residence, -and had known the child for the last three years, and appeared to be -rather kind and attentive to her, and which in part won the child's -affections. The prisoner, who is occasionally a char-woman, returned -to her lodgings on Saturday night, about half-past four o'clock, and -a little after five o'clock she was seen to leave the court with the -child in her company, and to whom, it appeared, the prisoner gave a -penny, for the purpose of decoying the child. All Mrs. Duffy wanted -from the prisoner was, to know what became of, or where was her child. -The statement of Mrs. Duffy, so far as the child having been seen to -leave the court in company with the prisoner, was fully borne out by -four or five other persons. The prisoner admitted her return to her -lodgings about the time stated, but denied any knowledge of the child, -and accounted for herself by stating where and in whose company she -was from five o'clock until she was taken into custody. Inspector -Perry, seeing the case at that period enveloped in much mystery, -and well knowing the desperate characters with which St. Luke's is -infested, despatched officers to where the prisoner stated she was, -and on their return, they reported that the statement of the prisoner -was altogether a fabrication; and one of the parties (Nurse Bryant, of -St. Bartholomew's Hospital) admitted she knew the prisoner, but denied -having been out with her on that evening. Upon searching the prisoner, -Inspector Perry found a gentleman's small memorandum-book, with an -account of daily expenditure, but no name or address, so as to trace to -an ownership. In about an hour after, informations were given to Mr. -Perry that the body of the murdered child had been discovered lying -on the floor of a public privy in Cowheel-alley, Golden-lane, under -the following circumstances:--It appeared, that about ten o'clock a -little girl, the daughter of a green-grocer, went into the privy, and -trampling on the murdered child, she became alarmed, and ran back in a -fright, and apprised her brother (a young boy) of the circumstance. The -boy got a candle, and went to see what had so alarmed his sister; and -upon his opening the door of the privy, a man and a woman dashed out, -and ran away in different directions, the man having first knocked the -candle out of the boy's hand; notwithstanding which the boy thought he -should be able to identify him. In the meantime, Inspector Perry sent -for Surgeon Leeson to examine the child, whose body was not then cold, -and who thought it came to its death about half an hour before by being -suffocated. The body of the child was then conveyed to its father's, -where two police-officers were stationed in the same room; and as it -became cold, marks of discoloration were very apparent round the neck -and under the right arm. - -On the following Monday Bridget Calkin was brought before the -Worship-street magistrates, on a charge of being concerned in the -wilful murder of a little girl, five years old, named Margaret Duffy. -A man named Cattle, a noted resurrectionist, who had also been -apprehended on suspicion, was placed at the bar on the same charge. -The prisoners were brought from the police-station in Bunhill-row, in -a hackney-coach, guarded by a strong body of the police, and followed -with the most appalling yells by an immense mob, hundreds of whom had, -no doubt, been witnesses of the awful exit of the murderers, Bishop and -Williams, shortly before, in the Old Bailey. The female prisoner, who -lived next door to the parents, was seen on the evening of the murder, -with the child, whom she had called out of doors, in order to give -her a penny to divide between her and her brother. The child could -not afterwards be found; and shortly before nine, the prisoner, who -denied all knowledge of her absence when questioned by the parents, was -charged with stealing her; but while that charge was under inquiry at -the police-station, the corpse of the deceased was taken there, having -been found in the place before mentioned. - -Dixon, a policeman, stated, that the prisoner Calkin, when brought to -the station, before the body was discovered, declared that she left -the child in the court where they lived, and never saw her again, and -she accounted for the disposal of her time by saying that she went to -a person (whom she mentioned) in Rotten-row, Old-street, and remained -there till about seven, after which she walked about for upwards of -an hour, and was part of the time in company with one of the nurses -of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, named Bryant. Upon inquiry, both these -statements were denied; and at the hospital, it was stated by the -nurse herself, and the sister of her ward, that she had not been out -of the place all that day, nor had she seen the prisoner for two days -previously. A man, named Bailey, deposed that he was passing through -the court on Saturday evening, and saw the prisoner Calkin come -from the privy where the deceased was afterwards discovered. It was -somewhere about eight o'clock when he saw her. Mr. Twyford asked him -if he was certain it was the prisoner? He said he had no doubt of it; -he could not be mistaken, as he had known her for a length of time. A -female, named Jennings, stated, that between seven and eight o'clock -she saw the prisoner and the little girl about one hundred yards from -that spot. - -The female prisoner made a statement of some length, to the effect -that she frequently took the child out, and admitted that she saw her -in their court, as stated by the witnesses, and gave her a penny. She -did not take her away from the place, but left her there, and never saw -her again until she saw the corpse at the police-station. She herself -went to Rotten-row, Old-street, and afterwards went towards Whitechapel -and walked about, and during that time met with Nurse Bryant. The nurse -came forward again, and expressed her astonishment at this statement, -which she flatly contradicted. - -The prisoner Cattle is known to be a resurrection-man, and lives close -to the spot where the body was found. A man was stated to have run from -the privy, and Cattle was taken on suspicion. The little boy said, that -the man who knocked out his light was not the prisoner Cattle; and -there being no evidence against the latter, he was discharged. - -The prisoner Calkin was remanded, to await the decision of the -Coroner's Inquest. - -On the following Tuesday, at six o'clock, an inquiry was commenced, -before Mr. Baker, Coroner, the Churchwardens and other officers of St. -Luke's parish, touching the death of the little girl, Margaret Duffy. -The facts were proved as above stated, with respect to the child being -seen last alive in Broad Arrow-court, Milton-street, in company with -Bridget Calkin, and the finding of the body some hours afterwards in a -privy, situate in a court in Golden-lane; but the evidence as to the -circumstances which then ensued was exceedingly discrepant, and the -Jury after having been engaged between five and six hours, adjourned -until the following Friday. - -Accordingly on that day the inquest was resumed at the Golden Boot -public-house, Milton-street. The privy in which the body was found is -common to the inhabitants of several intricate passages, and as there -appeared to be some confusion in the statements as to the localities -and other circumstances, Dixon, the policeman, procured an accurate -plan of the neighbourhood. Upon the return of the Jury, who went in -a body to view the spot, and compare it with the plan, the following -evidence was adduced:-- - -Mr. JOHN LEESON, a surgeon in Chiswell-street, stated, that he was -called in on Saturday to see the deceased at the Station-house. On -going there he saw the body lying on the floor. On examining it he -found the extremities quite cold, but some warmth remained in the -body. There was no lividity or swelling of the face; no contusion or -swelling of the tongue; or any other appearance but those indicating -that she had died of suffocation or strangulation. The deceased was a -fine healthy child. There was a mark on the neck, as also discoloration -of the skin, which led him to believe that some violence had been -applied to that part. The teeth were also clenched; and from these -circumstances he imagined that the child had met its death by foul -means, probably by suffocation, by stopping the mouth, and placing a -thumb and finger behind the neck. There was a bruise on the right arm, -apparently by the pressure of the thumb, done while alive. His opinion -was that the child had not died of apoplexy or anything of a poisonous -nature given to it. - -In reply to the foreman of the Jury, the witness said there was a -slight bruise upon one of the arms, which might have been done in a -struggle. Coroner: 'And what time do you suppose it would take to -destroy life by the means you have described?'--The witness said, he -should think from three to four minutes. - -Mr. W. BROOKS, surgeon, of St. Luke's, stated, that on Tuesday -morning, in conjunction with Mr. Rance, he opened the body of the -deceased. On opening the head, he found the vessels of the brain -exceedingly turgid, quite sufficient to occasion death. Believed the -deceased's death was not the result of natural causes, and his opinion -was that it had been produced by violence. There was a discoloration -from the neck downwards. It was not produced by decomposition. There -was a pressure on the breast, which possibly might have produced the -marks described. In his opinion the child had died from suffocation by -closing the mouth. - -CORONER.--In what time would strangulation be produced by placing the -hand on the mouth and nose? - -WITNESS.--That I won't take upon me to say--probably in four or five -minutes. - -Mr. RANCE, a surgeon in the City-road, deposed to having examined the -body of the deceased externally and internally, and expressed it as his -opinion that death had been produced by violence. - -Mr. WHITTLE, a third surgeon, agreed in opinion with the two former -witnesses. He perceived two marks on the neck, which corresponded with -the large vessels which return the blood from the head to the heart, a -strong pressure on which would produce death. - -CORONER.--In what time would that take place? - -WITNESS.--In four or five minutes apoplexy would be produced, which -would occasion death independent of suffocation, which might be -produced by pressure on the mouth. - -WILLIAM DALTON, stated, that he knew Bridget Calkin, the woman who -was in custody, and saw her about a quarter past seven, on Saturday, -(yesterday se'nnight,) in Payne's-buildings, within a short distance of -the privy where the child was found, and she then had a child about -six years old with her; he had no doubt that it was Bridget Calkin. - -ELIZA KENNY, the wife of a carter, stated, that about half-past five on -Saturday evening, she was standing near Prospect-place, when Bridget -Calkin and a female child passed her. She took particular notice, -because she heard Calkin say to the child, 'Don't cry, my dear, we -shall soon be at home.' She observed that the child had neither shoes -nor stockings; she knew Calkin before; the child was crying, and Calkin -seemed to be dragging her along. - -MARTIN BAILEY, of Turk's Head-court, Golden-lane, labourer, said, that -about eight o'clock on Saturday evening, he saw Bridget Calkin come out -of the privy, and go through Payne's-buildings; she seemed to be in a -hurry; he had known her for some months; he was certain that she came -out of the privy; he was three or four yards from her when she came -out, and saw her by the light of a gas-lamp that was near; he saw no -child or other person near at the time; he could not speak to the time -precisely; it might have been later than eight o'clock. - -CATHERINE DEMPSEY, of 36, Payne's-buildings, stated, that a little -after seven on Saturday evening, she saw Bridget Calkin, with a -child about six years old, who was barefooted, and heard her say -to the child, 'What ails you?' Witness knew her about three months -ago, when she lived in the house immediately opposite the privy, and -lodged with Mrs. Burns; she was in the same dress which she had on at -Worship-street, on Monday, and witness had no doubt of her identity. - -CORONER.--Have you seen the body of the deceased? - -WITNESS.--Yes, Sir; but from the state in which I saw it, I cannot say -it is the same, but it is very much like it. - -JUROR.--Do you know the prisoner Calkin? - -WITNESS.--Yes: about three months ago she lived next door to where I -do, which is exactly opposite the privy where the deceased was found -dead. - -JUROR.--Do you know how she gets her living? - -WITNESS.--No, Sir. - -JUROR.--What dress had she on at the time? - -WITNESS.--A light gown with flowers on it. The child had no bonnet on -at the time. - -ELIZA RENNY said, that on Saturday evening, about five o'clock, she -saw the prisoner Calkin dragging the deceased by her door towards the -privy. The child was crying at the time, and had neither shoes nor -stockings on. - -MARTIN CAILEY saw the prisoner Calkin, at about eight o'clock on -Saturday evening, near the privy where the body of the deceased was -found. She appeared to have come out of it, and walked out of the court -in a hurried manner. She (Calkin) was in the habit of keeping bad -company. Some of the persons she associated with he (witness) believed -to be body-snatchers. - -CATHERINE LAMPEER saw Calkin with a child, in Payne's-buildings, at -about seven o'clock on Saturday evening. The child had neither shoes -nor stockings on. She heard the prisoner say to the child, 'What ails -you?' - -ELIZA BRYAN, an assistant at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, was called, to -contradict a statement which had been made by the prisoner, that she -was in her company from five to seven o'clock on Saturday evening. The -witness denied having seen her at all on that day. - -Another witness deposed to the prisoner having lived for some time -opposite to the privy in which the child was found. In reply to a -question from a Juror, she said, that the prisoner Calkin was about -nineteen years of age, and that her father kept a school in the -neighbourhood of Islington. - -NATHANIEL BIRNIE, a policeman, deposed, that about ten minutes before -nine on Saturday night, the mother of the deceased came to him, and -stated that Bridget Calkin had given a penny to her child at the door, -and taken her away, and that as the child had not been brought back, -she feared it had been made away with. Witness told Inspector Perry, -and he went to Broad Arrow-court, and took the prisoner into custody; -she denied having taken away the child, and appeared surprised at -the charge; she admitted having given the child a penny at the door, -but said she had not seen her afterwards. She said that she had been -to Rotten-row in the evening, and the witness went there with her; -the woman she had mentioned was out, and the prisoner then asked the -husband, 'What time was I here this evening?'--The man replied, 'Not at -all.' On the return of witness to the station-house, the body had been -discovered and taken there. - -JUROR.--Did she appear affected at the sight of the murdered child? - -WITNESS.--Not at all; she appeared quite unconcerned. - -Mrs. DUFFY,--the deceased's mother, was then brought before the Jury -and examined. The poor woman appeared exceedingly distressed; she said -that she had for some time known Bridget Calkin, who once before took -the child away and kept her out some hours, and witness then desired -her never to do so again. - -ELLEN JENNINGS, a girl, stated, that about half-past five on Saturday -evening, deceased was upstairs, playing with her, when Biddy Calkin -came to the door and called for her; witness asked her what she wanted, -but Biddy would not say, but took the deceased down stairs, and witness -never saw her again. Bridget Calkin returned home about nine o'clock -without the child. - -The whole of the testimony of the witnesses having been gone through, -it was thought advisable to have the prisoner Calkin present, to ask -her if she had any witnesses which she might wish to have examined, or -any explanation to offer. - -The CORONER accordingly despatched an officer to Clerkenwell Prison for -her, and the Jury adjourned for an hour, to await her arrival. - -The officer, in about an hour, returned, and stated, that the prisoner -declined appearing, saying, that she had no witnesses; nor did she -wish to add anything to the statement which she made at Worship-street -Police-office. - -The CORONER summed up the evidence; and the jury, after deliberating -for nearly an hour, returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder' against -Bridget Calkin; and the Coroner at once made out his warrant for her -commitment to Newgate on the charge. - -Since the examination of Bridget Calkin, on a suspicion of having -been concerned in the murder of the little girl, Margaret Duffy, -several other persons were taken up on suspicion, as it was sworn, -that immediately upon the discovery of the corpse in Cowheel-alley, a -man and woman rushed out of the privy, and ran off; and the witness -to that important fact, a boy, twelve years of age, named William -Newton, who was close to the spot with a lighted candle, gave a -particular description of the man, who, he said, blew out his light, -struck him upon his breast, and then ran off as hard as he could -towards Golden-lane. Upon Calkin, when she was apprehended on the night -of the supposed murder, a handsome Russia-leather memorandum-book -was found, which, she said, had been given to her by Robert Tye, an -ornamental glass-worker. The latter was brought before Mr. TWYFORD, at -Worship-street, by Hanley, the Worship-street officer, who had taken -him into custody upon hearing of his connexion with Calkin. - -TYE admitted that she had the book from him, and he said that he found -it in Old-street, a fortnight since. - -William Shearing, William Dunkley, _alias_ Boney, and ---- Long, three -resurrectionists, were afterwards brought into the office to be viewed -by the witnesses, William Newton and Mary Kean, who, however, could not -identify either of them or Tye, and they were all discharged. - -DUNKLEY.--Before I go, I just wish to say, that Mr. Hanley ought not to -mention my profession in this open manner. Why the people would tear us -to pieces just now, if they're put up to it in this way. - -HANLEY.--You know it is no secret. Why, I've heard you myself making a -boast in public of your body-snatching. - -Mr. TWYFORD told them to go about their business, as there was -no further charge against them, and he desired Mr. Dixon, the -Superintendent of Police, to take particular care of the boy Newton. - -Shortly after these persons had been discharged, Police Inspector -Perry came before the magistrate, accompanied by a gentlemanly-looking -person, who identified the memorandum-book which Robert Tye, who had -just been discharged, admitted that the prisoner, Bridget Calkin, had -from him. It appeared, from this gentleman's statement, that he lost -the book in question from a house at Cow-cross, on the night of the 5th -of November, when the fire occurred in which several persons perished; -but how the book was taken he could not tell. - -At the same office Bridget Calkin was brought up, on the 13th, for -final examination before Mr. Twyford, charged with the wilful murder of -the child, Margaret Duffy, for which she already stood committed for -trial upon the Coroners inquisition. The evidence before the Coroner's -Jury, upon view of the body of the deceased, was taken in the absence -of the prisoner, who was then confined in Clerkenwell Prison; and a -messenger being despatched thither to ascertain if it was her desire -to be taken before the Jury or offer any defence,--she returned for -answer that she had no such wish, nor anything to add to the statement -which she had already made before the magistrates at this office. Of -her statement or the statements of the witnesses on that day, there -was, however, no written evidence. It was now considered necessary to -have the whole of the evidence taken at the Worship-street office, in -order to her commitment by the magistrate, without reference to the -proceedings before the Coroner; and one of the clerks was occupied the -whole of one day in taking the necessary depositions. - -On the 7th of January, Bridget Calkin was placed at the bar of the -Old Bailey, upon an indictment, charging her with having by means of -pressure on the throat, chest, &c., murdered Margaret Duffy. She was -also charged upon the Coroner's Inquisition. - -The prisoner, who during the whole of the trial appeared to view the -proceedings as an indifferent spectator, pleaded 'Not Guilty.' - -Mr. ADOLPHUS having briefly stated the case, as subsequently developed -by the evidence, called the following witnesses:-- - -MARY CANE deposed, that on Saturday night, the 3d of December, she -found the body of a child in a certain privy in Hartshorn-court, Little -Cheapside, having accidentally struck her foot against it in the dark. -On her giving the alarm, several persons arrived on the spot, with a -light; she then saw the body of the deceased lying on its back in a -corner of the privy; one of its legs was doubled up, and its clothes -were above the knees. No one could get to the place, but those who -were acquainted with the premises, and knew how to open the door. The -inhabitants of seven houses had a right of admission to the privy. -Prisoner lived next door to witness. - -WILLIAM NEWTON, a boy, twelve years old, stated that he resided at -No. 7, Payne's-buildings, near Hartshorn-court; that on the night in -question, the preceding witness told him what she had seen, on which -he went to the privy with a light, and pushed the door, but did not -succeed in pushing it quite back; that a man rushed out past him, -jostling him against an opposite door, and extinguishing his candle. -The man was lusty, wore a black coat and had crape round his hat; a -'littleish' woman also came out, who had on a light shawl, and a high -cap or bonnet. Two men named Shookers and Nolan came up and took the -body of the child out of the privy. - -PATRICK NOLAN, who first took up the body, described the state in which -he found it. - -JOHN SHOOKERS, a costermonger, of No. 1, Hartshorn-court, proved that -on the night alluded to, about ten o'clock, he heard Mary Cane scream, -and hastened towards her in consequence; when he got to the privy he -saw Nolan with a candle, and likewise perceived the body of the child; -took the child to Mr. Smith, a surgeon, but life was quite extinct. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON.--It was witness, and not Nolan, who -first lifted the child from the ground where it was lying. - -JAMES DUFFY, father of the deceased, who lived in Broad-Arrow-court, -deposed that his child was between five and six years of age, was -very healthy, and had never been subject to fits since she had had -the hooping-cough, two years before. Saw her last alive at half-past -five o'clock on the 3d of December, when she was going out with -the prisoner, who often nursed the child, and appeared to treat it -with kindness. Witness next saw his daughter at the station-house, -Bunhill-row, about a quarter before ten, but she was quite dead. - -On being cross-examined, he added, that Calkin had always appeared -uncommonly fond of children, and acted tenderly towards them. - -ELEANOR JENNINGS, twelve years old, said she was playing with the -deceased between five and six o'clock in the evening in question, in -her (witness's) parents' room. The prisoner then came to the room and -asked if Margaret Duffy was there; being told she was, the prisoner -took her down stairs, and witness never saw her companion alive -afterwards. - -ELIZABETH KENNY, of No. 12, Prospect-place, Pump-alley, about five -minutes walk from Hartshorn-court, stated, that on the night referred -to, about half-past five, or a quarter before six, she saw the prisoner -for the first time; she had on a light dress, a black bonnet, and a -light shawl; the child had hold of her hand, walking by her side; the -child was without shoes or stockings, and was crying: prisoner told her -not to cry, for she would soon be at home; they were then going towards -Hartshorn-court. - -MARTIN BAILEY, a labourer, deposed that he saw the prisoner come away -from the privy door in Hartshorn-court, shortly before eight o'clock -the same evening; he was only a few yards from the privy, and Calkin -was walking quickly towards Little Cheapside. - -NATHANIEL BIRNIE, a police constable, stated, that on the night of the -3d of December, the child's mother applied to him, and in consequence -of the representations she made to him, he apprehended the prisoner at -about ten minutes before nine, in Broad Arrow-court, near her lodgings. -On his asking her where she had left the child, she said she had not -seen the little girl since she gave her a penny as she stood at her -father's door. On their way to the station-house he asked her where -she had been since she gave the child the penny; to which she replied -that she had been at the house of Mrs. Lea, in Rotten-row, for whom she -usually washed. He accompanied her to Mrs. Lea's, where they found a -man; in answer to her question upon the subject, the man declared that -he had not seen her there that day before. Witness then took her to the -station-house, and she afterwards mentioned that she had been in the -room of a Mrs. Warren in the same house. - -ELEANOR DUNFEY, with whom the prisoner stated she had lived, lent her -on the evening before the 3d of December the same shawl which she had -on when taken into custody. Being cross-examined, she said that Calkin -had been absent from five o'clock till eight, from which hour she did -not leave the house till her apprehension by the officer. - -ANNE LEA, and MARTHA WARREN proved that the prisoner had not visited -their lodgings on the 3d of December. - -JAMES DIXON, superintendent of police, deposed to another story as -to the manner in which the prisoner told him she was employed on the -evening of the murder, and this account was also disproved by reference -to the party with whom she pretended to have been in company. - -MARY DUFFY, sister to the deceased, gave evidence of a conversation -between her and the prisoner on the evening in question, relative -to the absence of her sister, whom Calkin alleged she had taken to -Old-street, after having left the court in which the privy was situate. -Witness then said she must have made away with her, and threatened to -give her in charge; and the prisoner told her in reply, that she was -a 'b----y liar,' and that she did not care about being sent to the -station-house, as she had a sovereign in her pocket to keep her until -she could get out. - -On cross-examination, the witness further stated, that there were many -lanes and turnings about Hartshorn-court, in which a child of her -sister's age might be lost. - -BRIDGET MURRAY, confirmed the statement of Mary Duffy, relative to the -angry conversation which had taken place between her and the prisoner -when the child was first missed. - -Mr. SMITH, the apothecary, who examined the child between nine and ten -o'clock, deposed that the child, to the best of his judgment, must have -been dead at least an hour and a half when he saw it; the body at that -time was not quite cold, with the exception of the arm, which had been -exposed without covering. - -On being further questioned by the COURT, he stated, that he could -not give a positive opinion as to the length of time which might have -elapsed; it might have been only half an hour, the retention of warmth -depending, in a great degree, on the temperature of the atmosphere; -nor could he say that a child put to a violent death would become cold -sooner than one that died by the ordinary course of disease. - -Mr. LEESON, a surgeon, living in Chiswell-street, stated, that he -also saw the body about ten o'clock; the extremities were cold, but -the body itself was warm; the warmth was as high as 83 degrees. He -should have supposed that the child was dead about an hour, but it was -possible he might be mistaken a full hour in his calculation. He found -discolouration on the neck, which seemed to indicate violence, and the -jaws were very firmly clinched. The father of the deceased was present -at the time. On the same night, at nearly one o'clock, he saw the body -again, and there was no perceptible alteration in the appearances. On -neither occasion did he strip the child. - -Mr. Justice J. PARKE observed, that he ought to have done so, and -thoroughly examined the whole person. - -On Tuesday morning the body was stripped, and underwent further -examination, internally as well as superficially; other surgeons were -present: the vessels of the brain were turgid from excess of blood; but -the action of the stomach appeared to have been healthy up to the time -of death. There were certain marks apparently caused by the pressure -of fingers upon the neck, and he came to the conclusion that the child -died by violence,--in his opinion by means of suffocation. - -Mr. RANCE, a surgeon, residing in the City-road, stated, that he had -made a _post mortem_ examination of the body of the deceased on the -6th of December, in the presence of Mr. Brooks. Decomposition was then -rapidly taking place, owing to the warm state of the weather: nearly -the whole surface of the body was discoloured. There was a slight mark -of pressure on the left arm, but on account of the discolouration, -witness could not undertake to say whether there were any other marks -of violence on the body. The tongue protruded about three-eighths of an -inch between the teeth, which were firmly closed upon and had indented -the tongue. The muscles were rigid and firm, with the exception of -those of the neck, which were in a flaccid state. The stomach was in -a perfectly healthy condition. Digestion was going on at the time -of death. On examining the thorax, he found the lungs collapsed to -a degree that proved that the last act of respiration was that of -expiration. The heart was healthy, but nearly void of blood. On opening -the right auricle of the heart, a small quantity of blood issued from -it. A portion of blood also flowed from the pulmonary veins leading -to the left auricle of the heart. The vessels of the neck contained a -little serous fluid, and a quantity of fluid blood escaped on dividing -the jugular veins. The head exhibited no external marks of violence, -but on removing the scalp and bone, the blood-vessels of the brain -were found to be distended. These appearances must have been caused -by pressure on the neck, preventing the blood from flowing back to -the heart. On removing the bandage with which the jaws had been tied -up after death, a quantity of serous fluid escaped from the nostrils. -There was no appearance of fracture or dislocation of the neck, or -laceration of the tendons. The death of the deceased was, in all -probability, caused by external pressure, which produced suffocation. - -Mr. BROOKS gave a similar account of the appearance of the body; -adding, that, in his opinion, considerable violence had been used -towards the child; and that no reasonable person could entertain a -doubt that the cause of death was suffocation. - -The last witness examined for the prosecution was Martin Lee, who swore -that the prisoner was not at his house on the 3d of December, as she -alleged to the officer she had been. - -This closed the case on the part of the prosecution. - -Mr. CLARKSON, who stated that he had been directed by the Sheriffs -to conduct the prisoner's case, here made an objection to the manner -in which the indictment was drawn up. He said that the prisoner was -charged with causing the deceased's death, by squeezing and pressing -about the neck. This description of the manner in which the murder had -been perpetrated, he contended to be of too vague a nature, and in -support of his argument referred to the 2d volume of Lord Hale's Pleas -of the Crown, where it was laid down, that if a wound was inflicted -on the breast, arm, or head, it was bad to say that it was inflicted -'about the breast, &c,' (_circiter pectus_, _super brachium_, or, -_super manum_) for the particular part of the breast, arm, or hand, -must be specified. He conceived that no distinction could be drawn -with respect to this point, between a death caused by a wound and one -by suffocation; and he was therefore of opinion, that the words in the -indictment, 'about the neck,' did not fix with sufficient distinctness -the part of the neck to which violence had been applied. - -Mr. ADOLPHUS, in answer to the objection, said, that _circiter_ had a -particular meaning in Latin; but every person knew that '_about_' was -capable of two significations. The learned Counsel was prevented from -proceeding further by - -Mr. Justice J. PARKE, who said, that the Court was of opinion that the -objection was not valid. The word 'about' in the indictment was to be -taken in the sense of 'around,' death having been caused by pressing -the hand around the neck. The learned Judge then informed the prisoner, -that it was now the time for her to say whatever she wished in her -defence. - -The PRISONER, who, during the whole of the proceedings, had exhibited -no signs of feeling much interest in a matter which affected her life, -rose and answered with great indifference, 'I have nothing to say, -except that I am innocent of the crime with which I am charged.' - -Witnesses were then examined for the prisoner, of whom the first was-- - -JANE DUGGAN.--I am married, and the mother of twelve children. I live -at No. 6, George-yard. My husband is a stone-mason. The prisoner lived -with me as a nurse to one of my children. She is kind and affectionate -to children, and has always borne that character. - -Another witness, living in the same place.--I have known the prisoner -for twelve months. She has always borne the character of being kind, -humane, and fond of children. - -ELIZABETH MARTIN.--I live in Golden-lane. I have known the prisoner for -seven years. I should readily intrust her with the care of my children. -I am a married woman. - -JULIA COCHRANE, another married woman, deposed to the kindness and -humanity of the prisoner. - -MARY FLANAGAN, a person of the same description, gave similar evidence. - -ELLEN MACDONNELL was examined to the same effect; as were MARY BRUCE, -TERENCE DOUGHTY, PETER MACDERMOT, DANIEL MANNING, JOHN M'HUGH, -CHRISTOPHER SUGGON, HENRY PRITCHARD, BRIDGET GROGAN, and several other -witnesses. - -No evidence as to facts were offered. - -Mr. Justice JAMES PARKE said, it was then his duty to state to the -jury the evidence that had been laid before them on the present -trial, and to accompany it with such remarks as the circumstances of -the extraordinary case suggested to his mind. The offence with which -the prisoner stood charged was that of wilful murder, the indictment -stating, that, with her hands about the neck of the deceased, she -so grasped or squeezed the throat of the said Margaret Duffy, as by -choking, suffocation, or strangulation, to occasion her death. If they -were satisfied that the deceased came to her death in consequence of -suffocation or strangulation, the particular mode in which that crime -happened to be perpetrated was immaterial. It was immaterial, for -example, whether the prisoner did it with her own hands, or was present -when the crime was committed by some other person. He meant by being -present, was in such a situation that she could see the act done, and -was near enough to interfere for its prevention. If they believed that -she committed the crime with her own hands, they would, of course, -find her guilty; or if they thought that she was present, aiding and -abetting at the time it was committed, they were by their oaths bound -to find a verdict of guilty. If, upon a candid and dispassionate -consideration of the evidence, they arrived at the conclusion that the -evidence was not sufficient to sustain either of those charges, the -prisoner was entitled to a verdict of acquittal. Before he proceeded -to recapitulate to them the substance of the evidence which had been -offered for their consideration, he could not refrain from earnestly -requesting them to dismiss from their minds anything they might have -heard or read on the subject. He begged that they would use their best -endeavours to free their minds from all prejudice, and approach the -solemn duty which they had to perform with minds as much as possible -freed from any prepossession whatsoever, and decide solely upon the -evidence that day offered in Court. The evidence given on the trial -was of the description called circumstantial, or indirect testimony; -but it often happened, that some of the very greatest crimes were -detected, exposed, and the offenders convicted upon indirect evidence. -No doubt direct testimony was the most satisfactory, for that gave -the Jury the advantage of hearing the facts sworn to in the plainest -manner by eye-witnesses; and when their veracity could be relied upon, -nothing, of course, could be better than testimony of this nature. It -happened, however, that in some cases circumstantial evidence led the -mind as directly to a conclusion as direct evidence; for facts were -in such cases positively sworn to by such a number of witnesses as -could seldom be obtained to testify directly, and were free from the -suspicion of being actuated by a bad motive to give evidence against -the party accused. The first point to which they would direct their -attention was, did they believe the witnesses examined had spoken the -truth? Secondly, could they reconcile the facts sworn to, with no -other supposition, than that the prisoner at the bar was guilty of -the crime of which she stood accused? If it was impossible for them -to reconcile it with any other supposition in the ordinary course -of human affairs, then were they bound to pronounce a verdict of -guilty. There was another point of view in which they might consider -the evidence--namely, that though the prisoner neither committed the -murder, nor was present at its commission, yet that she might have -spirited away the child with a view to its being deprived of life, and -have delivered her over to others for that purpose. Should they take -such a view as that of the evidence, the prisoner would be undoubtedly -entitled to their acquittal; for then she would be in the eye of the -law an accessory before the fact, and, as such, she could not be found -guilty under the present indictment. He had further to call their -attention to that which was the duty of jurors, in all cases, which -was, to give the prisoner the benefit of any reasonable doubt which, -upon a careful review of the evidence, presented itself to their minds; -she was entitled to the full benefit of that doubt, and, if it existed, -to be discharged from their bar; that there was, as they must fully -remember, no direct evidence against the prisoner, proving that she -actually committed the murder with her own hands--nay, it had been -shown that she was of a humane disposition, and affectionate in her -conduct towards children. Neither did it appear that she was under the -influence of any feelings leading to the commission of a crime of that -nature; but, unfortunately, the experience they had had in that court -enabled them to assign a motive of no very ordinary character--that -of selling the human body to those who wanted it for dissection; or, -as might possibly be the case with the prisoner, of delivering over -the unfortunate child to those who would put an end to her existence -for purposes of that nature. When he should have restated to them the -evidence, they would say whether or not the prisoner had been actuated -by such a motive. His lordship then recapitulated, most minutely, -the whole of the evidence. When he got to the end of the first part, -he observed, that he presumed they would not have much difficulty in -saying whether or not the child died a natural death, or lost her -life through violent means. If they were of opinion that she had been -murdered, then they would consider whether or not the circumstantial -evidence brought home the guilt of the offence to the prisoner then -at the bar. There certainly was no direct positive proof, yet the -prisoner was seen with the child at a time near to that at which she -was murdered. Again, some child was seen with her still nearer to the -important moment; and in the absence of all proof that she had in the -interval taken up another child, the jury would say how far there was -proof upon which to convict her. The learned Judge then proceeded to -enumerate the leading facts of this point of the evidence, and to -detail the conduct of the prisoner upon being taxed with the crime, -observing, that doubtless the natural and proper course for all persons -accused of such a crime was, if innocent, at once to explain the whole -matter, by a full and candid statement of the truth; at the same time, -it was by no means uncommon for ill-educated persons, when wrongfully -charged with an offence, to endeavour to get rid of it by some false -statement. He then proceeded to the evidence of the surgeons, and -having thus gone through the whole case for the prosecution, he -repeated, that if the jury could not reconcile that body of evidence -with any other supposition than that she was not entirely innocent, -they were bound to find the prisoner guilty. It was, he then said, the -opinion of some of the surgeons, that considerable violence had been -used, such a degree of violence as a female would not be likely to -inflict. It was, therefore, probable that some other person was engaged -in the atrocious transaction, and it was for them to say whether they -considered the man and woman, whom the boy Newton swore to have rushed -from the privy, to be the murderers. Finally, he had to tell them, that -if they could reconcile the facts to any possible supposition but that -the prisoner was a principal--that is, was either the actual murderer, -or present, aiding and abetting--then they must acquit her. Again, -even though they might suppose her an accessory before the fact, she -was still entitled to an acquittal, in a word, if they entertained -any reasonable doubt whatever that she was according to the legal -definition a principal, they could not find her guilty. - -The Jury retired a few minutes to six o'clock, and did not return -till half-past seven. In the mean time the prisoner was removed from -the bar, maintaining her self-possession to the last. When the jury -returned into Court, at the end of nearly two hours, the accused woman -was again placed at the bar; in the interval she had become much paler -than during the trial, and she was then attended by two men, one at -each side, as well as by the female attendant of the prison. - -Mr. Justice JAMES PARK and Mr. Baron BOLAND, who with the other Judge -had retired, then appeared on the bench, and a verdict of _not guilty_ -was returned. - -The prisoner was removed in custody. - - -On considering the actions which were committed by such men as Bishop -and his colleagues, we cannot regard them in any other light than as -human monsters, divested of every gentle feeling, and so immersed in -brutality, as to hold no fellowship with their kindred. Revolting, -however, as the spectacle must be which has been exhibited in this -country by the atrocious acts of the London Burkers, doubly must -our feelings be harrowed when the same spectacle is held before us, -in which females are the principal actors, and who appear in many -instances to have exceeded the other sex in the atrocity and cruelty of -their acts. In the case of Calkin, although a jury has acquitted her of -the crime with which she was charged, yet of the question of her actual -guilt very little doubt remains in the mind of the public in general; -and the universal regret is, that a delinquent of her stamp should have -escaped the fate, so justly her due, through any of the technicalities -or constructions of the law. It may be that the perpetration of the -crime could not be brought so home to her as to warrant the jury in -bringing in their verdict of guilty; and therefore Mercy and Humanity -stepped in to give her the full benefit of the doubts. But to the cool -and impartial observer, the evidence against her must have appeared -as conclusive and confirmatory of her guilt, as the intricate and, in -many instances, inconsistent evidence which was adduced against Bishop -and Williams. Her life has, however, been spared for the present; but -from the criminal practices to which she has been long addicted, and -her well-known connexion with the resurrectionists, it may be safely -prognosticated, that the laws of the country will, ere long, claim her -as one of their victims. - -In point of atrocity, however, there is scarcely any act connected with -the horrid practices of the resurrectionists which exceeds, in its -cold-blooded ferocity, the murder committed by Mrs. Ross, alias Cook, -alias Reardon, on the body of Mrs. Walsh, a woman of nearly eighty-five -years of age. For some time she had been missing from her accustomed -haunts; and some suspicion having been excited that she had come to an -untimely end, a warrant for the apprehension of Mrs. Cook was issued; -and on the 29th of October, she, with her husband, and their son (a lad -about twelve years of age) were brought before Mr. Norton, by Lea, the -officer of Lambeth-street Office, charged on suspicion of the Wilful -Murder of Caroline Walsh. - -The prisoners, who had been kept apart during the day, were then -examined separately, and their accounts were of so conflicting a -nature, as to add considerably to the suspicion of their having -improperly disposed of the old woman. The boy said, that on the -Friday night on which the missing female slept at his father's and -mother's room, in Goodman's-yard, Goodman's-fields, they had had bread -and cheese for supper; and they all, including the old woman, after -partaking of it, went to bed at eight o'clock. The mother said, that -their supper consisted of tea, bread and butter, and cold meat, and -they went to bed at nine o'clock; while the father said they did not -go to bed until eleven o'clock, and had had some hot meat for supper. -There was also a great discrepancy in their account of the departure of -the old woman from the house on the Saturday morning. - -The female prisoner said, that she got up about half-past six o'clock, -and prepared breakfast, and gave Walsh some tea and bread and butter. -While they were taking breakfast, her husband, who had been out since -five o'clock, came in, and had his breakfast. She then left her husband -and Walsh together, smoking their pipes, and went out; and on her -return, in about half an hour afterwards, the latter was gone. The -husband, on the contrary, said, that he came home to breakfast on the -morning in question about eight o'clock, and found no person in the -house but the old woman; and he was not certain whether he had left -her there when he came away, or she had left before him; but he was -satisfied that he had not seen his wife from the time he came home to -his breakfast until he went away again. - -A lad, who lodged in the same house with the prisoner, said, that -on the morning of Saturday, the 20th of August, at five o'clock, he -saw Mrs. Cook come up the stairs leading to a cellar, and closing a -trap-door. This she positively denied, and said that she was not up -before half-past six o'clock. - -It was also stated that coffins had been frequently seen in Cook's -room; and one witness swore positively, that in the month of July last, -at two o'clock in the morning, he saw the three prisoners come down the -Minories, the boy with a sack on his shoulders, with what appeared to -him to be the body of a child of eight or ten years of age in it, and -the mother assisting him to carry it, by holding it by the bottom; and -they all turned into the court where they lived. - -After an examination, which lasted for upwards of four hours, Mr. -Norton remanded the prisoners until the following Wednesday, and at the -same time gave strict injunctions that they should be kept apart in -prison, and not allowed to have any communication with each other. - -Accordingly, on Wednesday, the 2nd of November, they were brought up -for further examination. The boy, since the previous examination, -had made such disclosures to his fellow-prisoners at the House of -Correction, as left no doubt of the guilt of his parents of the -horrible offence alleged against them; but his statement, which was -committed to writing, and which was handed to the magistrates, was -unconnected and unsatisfactory. While in one of the strong rooms -belonging to the office, Lea, the officer who had apprehended the -prisoners, sent for the master and mistress of Aldgate Parochial -School, at which the boy was in the habit of attending for two or three -years past, and left them with him for some time, when he disclosed to -them the outline of the appalling statement of the occurrence which he -subsequently made on oath before the magistrates in the presence of his -parents. - -At three o'clock, Cook, and the female Ross, who had always passed as -his wife, were placed at the bar, before the Hon. G. C. Norton, and J. -Hardwicke, Esq.; and their astonishment on perceiving that their own -child was about to be admitted as a witness against them, was quite -apparent. - -The magistrates asked the boy if he was quite willing to make a full -disclosure of what he knew as to the disappearance of the old lady, -Elizabeth Walsh, and he having answered in the affirmative, he was -sworn, and made the following statement, which was taken down by Mr. -Osman, the chief clerk:--'He recollected the old woman, Elizabeth -Walsh, coming to his father and mother, at No. 7, Goodman's-yard, -Minories. About ten o'clock on Friday morning (Friday the 19th of -August last), and bringing some bread in a basket, a part of which she -gave to him for his breakfast. She went away shortly afterwards and -returned about tea-time in the evening, when she as well as himself and -his mother had some coffee. His father was not present at the time, -though he was when she came in the morning. They had coffee about -half-past nine o'clock on the same night for supper. He, witness, took -part of it, and it made him sleepy, but not sick. The old woman also -took some of it, and it seemed to make her drowsy, as she shortly -afterwards stretched herself on his father and mother's bed, and placed -her hand under her head. She did not at the time complain of illness, -on the contrary, she appeared in good health. Some time after he saw -his mother go towards the bed, and place her right hand over the -mouth of the old woman, and her left on her body. (The boy here burst -into tears, and said he was sorry to be obliged to state such things -against his own mother.) When his mother placed her hand on the old -lady's mouth, her arm fell down, and she laid flat on her back on the -bed. And his mother continued to keep one hand on her mouth, and the -other on her person for at least half an hour. The old woman did not -struggle much, but her eyes stared, and rolled very much. He (witness) -stood by the fire at this time, and his father, who was in the room -at the time, stood looking out at the window. His father stood so all -the time, and he was sure he never once turned round to see what was -going forward, and that he had nothing to do with it. In about an hour -afterwards, his mother raised the body of the old woman from the bed, -and carried it down stairs, but to where he did not know. The body was -not undressed at the time. He and his father went to bed some time -afterwards, and he could not say what time his mother returned, as he -had not seen her again on that night after she left the room with the -body in her arms, nor did he see where she had taken it to. On the -following morning he got up about seven o'clock. His father and mother -were then up, and in the room. He had occasion, previous to his going -to school at eight o'clock, to go into the cellar to the privy, and -while searching through the cellar he saw the body of the old woman in -a sack which was placed underneath the stair, a portion of the head was -out of the sack, and the body appeared to be partly bent, and reclining -against the stairs. There was sufficient light in the cellar for him -to discern the colour of the hair, on the head. It was partly gray -and black; but he could not say whether or not the body was dressed -or otherwise. The sack which it was in was one belonging to a person -named Jones, with whom his father worked. He had frequently seen it -in their room, and he thought it was there on the night before. He -went to school shortly afterwards, and never mentioned a word then or -since about what had occurred, or his seeing the body in the cellar. -On returning home at twelve o'clock in the day, he found his father -beating his mother. He thought the cause to be that the latter had been -out drinking with a young woman, the granddaughter of the old lady who -had called to inquire after her. His mother, he believed, while his -father was beating her, called him a villainous murderer, but he had -no recollection of her threatening to give any information of him. He -(witness), after getting his dinner, went out to play, and did not come -home until late. Himself, his father, and mother, supped together on -the Saturday night, and at about ten o'clock his mother left the room, -and in about half an hour afterwards he was standing at the window, -and saw her go past with the body in the sack on her shoulder. It was -in the same state in which he saw it on that morning, except that the -mouth of the sack was tied; the body appeared to be partly bent. (The -female prisoner, in an audible voice, here exclaimed--'Good God! how -could I have borne a son to hang me?') The lad again burst into tears, -and said he could not help it; that he was telling the truth. He then -proceeded with his statement. He did not know at what time his mother -had returned on Saturday night, as he and his father, who remained -in the room, went to bed, and he was asleep when she came in. On the -Sunday morning his mother told him that she had taken the body to the -London Hospital. The boy here, as in many parts of his statement, said -his father had nothing whatever to do in the business. The magistrates -examined him very minutely as to what had taken place on the Friday -night, and what conversation, if any, had taken place between his -father, mother, or himself, previous to and after the horrid deed had -been perpetrated. He said that no words or quarrel had taken place; -the old woman and his father and mother were on good terms, and nothing -particular had occurred during the evening, until his mother placed her -hand, as he had before described, on the mouth of the old lady; nor did -she say a word to him or his father, while she so held her hand on her -mouth. He recollected she had been saying something to herself about -taking the body to an hospital. He did not see his father lay a single -hand on the old woman. - -The magistrates expressed some surprise that the prisoner should for -a whole day leave the body in the cellar of the house, which was -accessible to all the inmates; but this was satisfactorily explained by -the landlady, who said, that in consequence of it being so dark, and -so infested with rats, the lodgers very seldom indeed entered it. This -witness also deposed to having seen the old woman Walsh enter the house -on the Friday, and go up to the apartment occupied by the prisoners. -This was the last time she was seen alive. - -Other witnesses deposed to the old woman taking her bed and bedding to -the prisoners' room, and to the prisoners having solicited her to go -and lodge with them for a length of time before she went. - -It being now very late, and there being several witnesses to be -examined, some of whom were not present, the magistrates remanded -the prisoners to the following day. Previous to their being taken -from the bar, they were asked if they had anything to state. The male -prisoner declined saying anything at present; but the female with the -most solemn imprecations declared her innocence, and said that the -whole of the statement of her son was from beginning of to end a lie. -She added that on the morning of Saturday, she had left the old lady -and her husband (the other prisoner) after breakfast smoking their -pipes at the fire when she went out, and from that time to the present -she had not heard of her. They were then taken from the bar, and the -magistrates gave directions that they should be kept separate as before. - -On the following evening, Edward Cook, and the female Eliza Cook, alias -Ross, were again brought up to Lambeth-street police-office, and placed -within the bar, before the Hon. G. C. Norton, and J. Hardwick, Esq., -for final examination. When brought into the office, the female, who -appeared as ferocious as a tigress, on perceiving her son, exclaimed, -'Oh Ned, I hope you are not going to hang your mother,' and seemed at -the moment almost ready to dart at the boy, and tear him to pieces. He, -however, was removed to a distance from her by the officers. - -Previous to the examination being entered on, Mr. Norton said he -understood that there were two gentlemen belonging to the London -Hospital present, who wished to say something; and if so, the -magistrates were ready to hear them. - -Dr. LUKE, who as well as Dr. Hamilton, was in attendance, said, that -in the report of the proceedings at this office on the day before, in -the morning journals, it was stated that the body of the missing woman -had been taken to the London Hospital. He (Dr. Luke) wished to deny -the truth of such statement, and to say that no such body had been -received at that institution. At the time at which it was stated that -it had been brought there, on the 20th of August, the lecturing and -dissecting rooms were under repair, and none but the tradesmen employed -in doing such repairs entered them. He had besides made inquiries, and -found that during the whole month of August not a single body had been -received at the London Hospital. - -Mr. NORTON observed, that so far as the Hospital was concerned, the -statement of Dr. Luke was perfectly satisfactory; at the same time -the representations in the newspapers as to the statement of the boy -respecting his mother saying that she had taken the body to the London -Hospital, were perfectly correct. - -LYDIA BASEY, the wife of Thomas Basey, a boot-closer, residing in -Long-lane, Smithfield, stated that she was granddaughter to the missing -woman, whose name was Caroline, and not Elizabeth Walsh. On Friday, -the 19th of August last, she went with her to the residence of the -prisoners, in Goodman's-yard, Minories. She did not go into the room -of the prisoners at the time; but she heard the voice of the female -prisoner as the old lady went up stairs. It was between five and six -o'clock in the afternoon. She understood her grandmother was going to -stop there. She had nothing with her at the time but a small basket; -and she had never seen her since. - -ANNE BUTON, sister to the last witness, stated that her grandmother, -Mrs. Walsh, had lived with her for six years, previous to August last. -The last place at which she resided with her was in Red Lion-court, -in the Minories. The prisoners at the time lived next door to her in -the same court. Having given up her room in the beginning of July, the -old woman stopped for some time with the prisoners, who took it; and -she (witness) subsequently took lodgings for her at a Mrs. Shaw's, in -Playhouse-yard, Houndsditch. Her invariable practice was never to go -out before ten or eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and return at three -or four o'clock in the afternoon, and sometimes much earlier. She was -in the habit of selling tapes, threads, and other articles. The last -time she saw her was about four o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, the -19th of August, at the house of Mrs. Shaw. She (witness) then told her -that she understood she was going to Cook's to lodge, as she had seen -her bed there in the course of the morning. The old woman said she was; -upon which she remarked, that if she went to Cook's, they would cook -her; that they were body-snatchers, and would put a pitch-plaster on -her, and sell her body at some of the hospitals. The old woman seemed -displeased and angry at her remarks, said that the Cooks were not so -bad, and requested that she, witness, would accompany her to their -house. This witness refused, but went part of the way; and on their -parting at the end of Cutler-street, she told her that she was sure -she should never see her more. She, however, told her not to stir out -the next morning until she called on her, and that she would bring her -some stockings, and other articles which she required. The old lady -said she would not, and they parted. During the whole Friday night -the witness could scarcely get any rest, such were her apprehensions -about her grandmother; and on the following morning she went to the -house of the prisoners, at about a quarter before nine o'clock. On -reaching it, she found no one at home but the female. She asked her -for the old lady, and she said she was just gone out. She appeared a -good deal confused at the time. Witness expressed some surprise that -she should go out so early, contrary to her usual habit, and more -particularly as she must have expected her, and promised to wait at -home until she called; on which the female prisoner said, that she -was gone out early, in order that she might return early; and added, -that whatever things she (witness) might have for her, she might leave -them. The female prisoner was washing something at the time, which she -said was a butcher's jacket. She said that her husband, Cook, was very -partial to the old lady; that they had a jolly good supper on the -night before; and that Cook had treated the old lady to 'something -short.' She next pointed to a sack which lay on the bed, and said -that Cook had doubled it up on the night before, to put the old woman -in it. Witness asked her what she meant by putting the old woman in -a sack; and she replied, that he had doubled it up to place it under -her on the bed. She also said that the old woman had no linen on. This -witness thought somewhat extraordinary that she should have examined -her so closely, and asked her how she came to do so; but she made no -reply. Witness again expressed much uneasiness about her grandmother, -on which the female prisoner told her that she had left her and her -husband sitting by the fire when she went out to collect some cinders, -and on her return she was gone. She (witness) asked the female prisoner -to go out with her to have something to drink. She did so, and they -went to two public-houses. While in one of them she earnestly inquired -about the old woman, when the female prisoner observed, 'You speak as -if you thought we had murdered or made away with her.' Witness observed -that she had her suspicions that such was the case, but she did not -wish then to express what her feelings were. Mrs. Cook pressed her -(witness) afterwards to go home with her to have something to eat, but -she refused to do so, and gave her some halfpence to get some bread and -cheese with, but she did not return. Witness, after searching about for -the old lady, went again to the residence of the prisoners. They were -both at home, and Cook appeared in a most savage temper, and the female -appeared to be dreadfully beaten. Her face was one mass of contusions. -Cook shortly afterwards left the room, and the female told her, that he -had given her a desperate beating because she had been out with her, -and lest she should let anything drop about the old woman. Witness -expressed some surprise that so quiet-looking a man as Cook appeared -to be, should act so; on which the female observed, that he 'was the -greatest murderer in Europe if the truth was known.' She (witness) -had subsequently made inquiries at all the gaols, poor-houses, and -hospitals in the metropolis, about her grandmother, but was not able to -obtain the slightest intelligence about her. She had never recollected -her stopping a night from home. Mrs. Cook had frequently solicited the -old woman to go to lodge with her, and appeared most anxious to know if -she (witness) was her daughter or any relation of hers. She, however, -never told her that she was more than a friend, who had known her from -her childhood, and as such she respected her. She had repeatedly warned -her grandmother against going to the house of the prisoners, by telling -her what they were, and that they would be sure to put a black plaster -on her, and dispose of her body, but she still had a good opinion of -them. On the Monday night after the old woman was first missed, she -went to the house of the prisoners: it was late in the evening, and -Cook was in bed. Mrs. Cook pressed her very much to stop there all -night, as she appeared tired, saying, that her husband would have no -objection to her doing so. She refused to do so; and Cook desired her -not to be so uneasy about the old woman, as in all probability she -would hear from her at the end of the month. 'At this instant,' said -the witness, 'I thought I heard the voice of my grandmother, as plain -as ever I heard her in the course of my life, say, "Nancy, where is the -use of your looking for me, when I have been suffocated in that bed -of Cook's, by him and his wife?" The circumstance, as well as her own -fears to get out of the place, had such an effect upon her, that she -was scarcely able to walk down stairs. - -JOHN SHIELDS, a lad of about fourteen years of age, who lodged in -August last in the same house with the prisoners, recollected one -Friday night, about nine weeks since, having some words with his -father, and being turned out of the room; he in consequence sat on -the stairs. It was between ten and eleven o'clock at the time. Mrs. -Cook came down stairs, and asked him if he had been again turned out -through that wretch (meaning a woman who used to wash and clean for -himself and his father). She said, that if she served her boy so, she -would rip her from top to toe. She then requested him to go in; but his -father not being in bed he could not, and he went into a dark corner -of the stairs. Mrs. Cook passed, without seeing him, and remained for -about half an hour at the street door, and then went up to her room. -While he was in the corner, Cook was coming down stairs; but before he -reached him, somebody called him back, and witness being called into -his father's room, went to bed. As he was coming down stairs at five -o'clock the next morning, he saw Mrs. Cook come from the cellar, and -heard the cellar flap fall, and she asked him where he was going so -early. He returned about six o'clock, and went into the cellar to get -some eggs, as he kept some ducks and hens there. He felt about for some -time for the eggs, and after getting them, brought them up stairs. The -cellar was very dark, and he could not see the body if it was in a sack -under the stairs. It might be there, without his observing it. - -[Illustration: ELIZA ROSS.] - -A witness named BARRY deposed to having seen the prisoners and their -son one morning at two o'clock, in the Minories, in the month of June -last. Their son had a sack on his back, in which she (witness) was -satisfied was the body of a child. His mother helped him to carry it, -and they turned into the court into which they resided. - -Young COOK was here called and questioned, but he denied all knowledge -of the transaction, and said, he never was out so late as two o'clock -in the morning. He said that the statement of the day before was quite -correct. In reply to a question from Mr. HARDWICK, he said that after -the death of the old lady, his mother took her up like a baby in her -arms, and carried her down stairs. This induced the magistrate to make -some inquiries as to the person of the missing female, and it appeared, -though she was very tall and a good figure, she was not very heavy. - -LEA deposed to having apprehended the prisoners, and detailed at some -length their contradictory statements. After their examination on the -preceding evening, the prisoners were locked up in their different -cells, the man in the centre, and the woman and boy on both sides; he -heard the female call out to Cook to ask the boy who had told him to -say all that he had against her, and why he did so? and on Cook asking -the question, the boy replied, that no one told him, and that he said -so because his mother did it. - -The examination, after lasting nearly six hours, terminated here; and -the prisoners, who contented themselves with a mere declaration of -innocence, were committed for trial. - - * * * * * - -On Friday, the 6th of January, Edward Cook, aged fifty, and Eliza -Ross, aged thirty-eight, were placed at the bar, indicted for the -wilful murder of Caroline Walsh, on the 19th of August last. The -female prisoner was charged with causing the death of the deceased, -by violently squeezing her neck, breast, stomach, and nostrils, until -suffocation ensued; and the male prisoner was charged with aiding and -abetting in the said murder. They were also indicted for the murder of -a person unknown. - -The prisoner pleaded 'Not guilty,' - -Mr. ADOLPHUS and Mr. BODKIN appeared for the prosecution; Mr. BARRY for -the prisoner Cook; and Mr. CHURCHILL for the prisoner Cook. - -Mr. ADOLPHUS said, that the case to which it was now his duty to call -the serious attention of the Court and the Jury, was one of the most -extraordinary in all its circumstances that had ever presented itself -in the annals of crime. He was sorry to say, that it was not of late -very extraordinary to find persons base enough to raise the hand of -murder against their fellow-creatures without any previously-conceived -malice against them,--without being stirred up by passion or ill blood, -but solely impelled from the spirit of sordid gain,--a gain not to -be derived from the possession of the property of their victim, but -from the very being which God gave them; their object being to derive -profit from the dead bodies to persons engaged in the prosecution of -the science of surgery. This was not, however, the most extraordinary -circumstance of the present case; but the many facts which he had to -unfold to the Court formed one of the most imposing narratives which -had ever fallen to the lot of any man placed in his situation to -relate. The person about whose death they had met that day to inquire, -was named Caroline Walsh, a native of Ireland, and at the time of -her murder had reached the advanced age of eighty-four years. She -had been living for some time in Red-lion-court, in company with her -grand-daughter, who took care of her. The old woman had no means of -existence except the produce which she gained from selling tapes and -thread in the streets, which she carried about in a basket, and from -such alms as charitable persons chose to bestow upon her. Nevertheless, -notwithstanding her advanced age, she was strong and hale, of -considerable height, and commanding presence; and, what was remarkable -in a woman of eighty-four years of age, she had a perfect set of teeth. -They were all uninjured except one tooth, three from the centre, which -was slightly broken, and in the cavity of which she used to place her -pipe whilst smoking. The colour of her hair was black, mixed with gray. -Her dress was also remarkable in many particulars. She wore a chip or -willow hat (which had been broken by some injury), a shawl, the colour -of which had been discharged by long use, a stuff petticoat, embossed -with figures, and her apparel was, upon the whole, very clean for a -person in her situation in the world. She had also on a pair of knit -stockings, mended at the heels, with a linen shift, darned in many -parts. This person had become acquainted with the prisoner at the bar. -He understood that the female prisoner was not the wife of the male, -but they had lived together as man and wife. They had a son, a pupil -in a charity school, who lived at home, but was obliged to go out -early in the morning. The female prisoner made herself acquainted with -Caroline Walsh, and frequently solicited her to come and live at her -house, which the grand-daughter of the old woman had always dissuaded -her from doing. On the 19th of August, however, the old woman made up -her bed in a bundle, went away, and carried it to Goodman's-yard, from -which time all trace was lost of her, except through the medium of some -very extraordinary circumstances. She was received by the two prisoners -in their house in Goodman's-yard, in the presence of the boy, their -son, and he now informed the Jury, that one of the many extraordinary -things in this case was, that the judgment to which they might come -with respect to the prisoners at the bar depended upon the evidence -of that boy, for he was present during the whole of the transaction -which was the subject of the present inquiry. That boy would have to -come into court, and state facts under the solemn promise of his oath, -which might endanger the lives of his father and mother. He hoped he -was not insensible to the situation in which he stood, in having to -call a son to impeach his own parents; and he was sure the Jury would -bear in mind, that if one life had been lost by violent means, the -lives of two persons (the prisoners at the bar) were committed to -their care. The old woman was well received and kindly treated in the -prisoners' house, and coffee was made about nine o'clock, an unusual -hour for persons in the prisoners' situation to take that refreshment. -Some of the coffee was given to the old woman, who immediately felt -herself under the necessity of going to sleep, and she sat down on the -bedstead. The woman at the bar then went near to her, held down the -old woman's hand, which supported her head, and covered and oppressed -her person until she destroyed her life. The man took no share in this -transaction by manual operation, but, on the contrary, opened a window, -and put his head out of it during the time. The Jury would, however, -have to determine whether he, being present, could be unconscious of -what was passing, and whether he did not, in fact, so sanction the -murder as to make himself a principal in aiding and abetting. After -destroying the life of the old woman, the female prisoner, who appeared -to be a very strong woman, took the body up and carried it out of the -room, and deposited it in the cellar of the house. This cellar was -common to every person lodging in the house; but there was one part of -it a good deal concealed, and in that part of it the body was placed. -The prisoners' son had occasion to go into the cellar next day, and -there saw a sack with a head hanging out of it, which he recognized -as that of the woman who was in the room with him the night before. -The female prisoner was seen with the sack going down Goodman's-yard -into the Minories; but what became of the body was not known. He had -mentioned that the old woman had a grand-daughter, who had endeavoured -to dissuade her relation from going to live with the prisoners. The -grand-daughter had particularly desired her relation, when she went -to the prisoners, not to leave the place next morning until she, the -grand-daughter, called upon her. Accordingly, early in the following -morning she went to the prisoners' house, and saw the female prisoner. -Upon her inquiring for her grandmother, the female prisoner said that -she had gone out; at which she expressed her surprise. The female -prisoner added, that they had had a pleasant night of it, that they -had had a good supper, and 'there,' she said, 'is the sack which we -put the old woman in.' 'What do you mean?' said the grand-daughter. -'Why, we doubled it under her, and put her in the bedstead.' 'That is -very extraordinary,' said the grand-daughter, 'for there is her own -bed in a corner of the room.' The grand-daughter still pursuing her -inquiries, the female prisoner at length turned round on her, and said, -'Do you think we have murdered her?' The grand-daughter replied that -it really looked as if they had, and that some inquiry must be made. -Some further conversation then took place, and the grand-daughter, -whose name was Mrs. Butin, with the view of obtaining more knowledge -regarding her relation, agreed to go to a public-house with the female -prisoner, where they had some gin and beer; there the matter was a -good deal more touched upon, but he would leave the witness herself to -describe what took place. The female prisoner left her, and after a -time Mrs. Butin went back to the prisoners' lodgings, and found that in -the mean time the female prisoner had been very severely beaten. The -woman said, 'My husband has beaten me for going to drink with you. He -was afraid I should tell something about the woman;' adding something -which, as it was not said in the presence of the male prisoner, he -could not now repeat. These circumstances created considerable alarm in -Mrs. Butin's mind as to the fate of her grandmother. The transaction -took place in the month of August last, when there did not exist among -the public so much anxiety with respect to a crime which has since -obtained the popular name of 'Burking.' Mrs. Butin searched everywhere -for her relation, but when she applied to the police-offices she did -not meet with much attention; but afterwards, when the public attention -had been more strongly directed to that species of crime which he had -mentioned, she went to Lambeth-street police-office, and there got -the assistance of a clever officer, of the name of Lea, to aid her in -her inquiries. All their efforts, however, to discover the old woman -were in vain; but a very extraordinary circumstance turned up in -the course of their investigation. They went about to the different -hospitals, to ascertain whether any body answering the description -of Caroline Walsh had been carried there, and they learned that, on -the 20th of August, a woman was brought to the London Hospital in a -state of great destitution and wretchedness, and that she died on the -2d of September. The name of that woman was Caroline Welsh. This was -a very extraordinary coincidence, and was a circumstance with which -it was his duty to acquaint the Jury, and of which the prisoners were -entitled to all the benefit. The Caroline Welsh was an old woman, she -had a basket with her, and bore so many resemblances to Caroline Walsh -as, at first sight, seemed to make it difficult to distinguish between -the two. But upon pursuing the inquiry further, it was found to be -impossible that Caroline Walsh and Caroline Welsh should be one and -the same person. The woman who died in the hospital was not at all of -a decent appearance. She was found in the streets on the night of the -20th of August, by the beadle, in a state of almost utter destitution -and starvation. She was taken to the workhouse of the parish, where she -gave no account of who she was or where she lived, and her person was -so filthy, and so overrun with vermin, that her clothes were obliged -to be taken off and burned. She had on a bonnet, but not a chip or -willow bonnet, like Caroline Walsh, but a silk or gauze one; and there -were other material distinctions between the two women. When she came -to the hospital, it was found that she had broken the cap of her knee, -which misfortune rendered it difficult for her to walk, and, probably, -tended to produce the disease of which she died. Caroline Walsh, on the -contrary, was perfectly well in body, and walked without any infirmity. -There was also another striking distinction between the two women: -Caroline Walsh had, for a woman of her age, a fair, healthy, and florid -complexion, while the person who died in the hospital was so extremely -dark, as to make the persons about her believe that she was not of -white blood, but of the African cast. He had already mentioned that -Caroline Walsh had a regular set of teeth, while the other woman had -only two canine teeth in the upper jaw, and none in the lower. Until -Lea, the officer, lent his assistance, this inquiry was not efficiently -pursued, but when he went to the hospital, he caused the woman's body -to be dug up in the month of November, when there was still enough of -her remaining to show who and what she was. A great number of persons -saw the face and skull, and were able to pronounce at once, that it -was not the body of Caroline Walsh. He had already traced Walsh to -the prisoners' house, on the 19th of August, since which time she had -not been heard of. There was a circumstance which greatly tended to -fix the guilt of having unfairly disposed of the old woman, on one or -both of the prisoners. Rag-fair was situated in the neighbourhood of -Goodman's-yard, and the prisoners were there observed to be offering -for sale articles of dress exactly similar to those worn by Mrs. Walsh; -and directing the purchasers 'not to let them appear, as they did not -want the things to be looked at.' The female prisoner was also seen to -sell the very basket which Mrs. Walsh used to carry about with her. -It was also a remarkable circumstance, that the pocket worn by Mrs. -Walsh, on the 19th of August, had been made by the grand-daughter, and -was tendered for sale by the woman at the bar; and he could prove, -that the pocket was worn by Mrs. Walsh, not only from Mrs. Butin being -able to swear to her own work, but in consequence of its having been -seen on her person on the very day she went to the prisoners' house. -It appeared, that on the way there she met with a child, for whom -she felt much affection, and wishing to give the child something, -she lifted her petticoat to get at her pocket, which was observed by -a person near, who could swear to the pocket, in consequence of a -mark of iron-mould upon it. He had now stated nearly all the facts -which would be proved before the Jury. The fate of the prisoners was -in their hands, and he had no doubt that, aided by that Providence -which overlooked them all, and who seldom permitted deep crimes to go -unpunished in this world, they would arrive at a just conclusion. The -learned counsel then proceeded to call the evidence. - -The first witness called was Edward Cook, the son of the prisoners. As -he passed by the bar where they stood, they looked sternly at him, and -the mother asked whether 'he had come to tell any more lies?' - -EDWARD COOK examined.--Is in Aldgate Charity School; goes backward and -forward to the school every morning and night, and comes home to his -meals. The prisoners are his father and mother. In August last was -living in Goodman's-yard, Whitechapel, in a single room, the garret. -Previously lived in Red Lion-court, in the same neighbourhood. Knows -Ann Butin; has seen an old woman, a relation of hers, in her company; -believes the old woman used to sleep with Ann Butin. The old woman -used to carry a basket about the streets with matches in it. On a -Friday in August witness saw the old woman in his father's room. Does -not know the day of the month; remembers Ann Butin coming to inquire -at his father's house; thinks Ann Butin came on the same day as the -old woman; first saw the old woman in the afternoon at five, after -returning from school; does not know whether the old woman had been in -the house before. Witness's mother and father were in the room with -the old woman. They were drinking beer, and some coffee was made about -nine o'clock. The usual time of taking coffee or tea at home was five -or six o'clock. The old woman took one cup of coffee, and afterwards -went and laid herself on the bed. Did not notice whether she went to -sleep or not. In about half an hour after saw his mother go towards the -old woman, and clap her hand on her mouth, and keep it there, perhaps -for half an hour. She put the other hand somewhere about the chest. His -mother leaned over the woman at the time. Witness observed the woman's -eyes rolling--he believed after this his mother took her hands off. -He was certain it was when his mother took her hands off. Never saw -the old woman speak or move after. Has seen two or three dead persons; -the old woman appeared to him to be dead. Believes his father went -to the window before his mother went up to the woman. The window was -opened by his father, he believed, after the drinking of the coffee. -Whilst witness was looking at his mother, he could also see his father. -Witness had his back to the fire, and the window opposite him. The bed, -which was not very high from the ground, stood between the fire and -the window. Heard his mother say something about an hospital; does not -know whether she spoke to the old woman or his father. Neither of them -gave any answer. Did not hear his father say anything in the course of -the evening. His mother carried the old woman out of the room, like -a baby in her arms. His father came round the bed to the fire, about -half an hour before his mother carried the old woman away. Witness -went to bed about twelve o'clock, and did not see his mother any more -that night. He awoke in the night and heard some screaming, but would -not say whether this occurred on Friday or Saturday. He rose at seven -o'clock. Saw his mother in the room, but does not recollect having -seen his father. About five minutes before eight o'clock went down to -the cellar. Some person had told him that there were ducks there, and -went to look for them. Went to the part of the cellar where the stairs -stand; it is rather darker there than in the other parts. There is a -corner over which the stairs ran. Witness saw a sack in the corner, and -some hair hanging out of it. The sack appeared to be tied round the -top with some string, but not tied close. The hair was black and grey. -Saw his mother take a sack from under the bed; but is not sure whether -that day or afterwards. Believes the sack he saw in the cellar was -the same. On Saturday night saw his mother going down Goodman's-yard, -between eleven and twelve o'clock. She was carrying a sack across her -shoulders, with something apparently in it. - -Cross-examined.--Witness was twelve years old last Christmas. Continued -to attend the charity-school daily until November. Since being taken -into custody, has continued at the House of Correction. Has not been -questioned, respecting this matter, by any other person, excepting his -schoolmaster, and Hawkins, and Steward, two prisoners. Believes no -one else has examined him, excepting Mr. Lea, the officer, who asked -him a few questions. Has been examined by four or five persons in a -private room in the police-office. Cannot say how he recollected that -this affair took place on a Friday in August. Never mentioned this -matter to any person living in the same house. Does not know whether -he had spoken on the subject to any person, previous to being taken -into custody. Went to the school on Saturday morning, after having -been in the cellar. Saw no other person in the room on Saturday, but -his father and mother, and the old woman. Believes his mother fetched -the coffee. Witness drunk a little white mugfull. Believes the old -woman took a cupfull, but is not sure whether she took any. Does not -recollect speaking to his father at all. Next morning witness went to -the cellar for the purpose of using the privy, but did not use it. The -place where the sack lay under the stairs was darkish, but positively -swears that he could not see that the hair protruding from the sack was -black and gray. He does not know where he was when he saw his mother -carrying the sack in Goodman's-fields; but he believes he was at the -window of his room, which was three stories high, and the hour was -eleven at night. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CHURCHILL.--The cellar and privy were common to -every person lodging in the same house. Did not examine the sack. - -Re-examined.--Witness would not have seen the sack, if he had gone -direct to the privy and back. The cellar is lighted by a window, which -had a shutter to it. Thinks that the shutter was open when he went into -the cellar. - -Mr. Justice PARKE.--Did you not tell Mr. Lea, that you had all of you -bread and cheese for supper that night? - -Witness.--Does not recollect saying that; thinks he said coffee. Does -not recollect saying to Lea that he went to bed at eight o'clock, nor -that they all went to bed at that hour. Does not recollect saying that -his father came to bed to him, and that the old woman made her bed in -the corner. When his mother had her hand on the old woman, he thinks -that the countenance of the woman appeared brown and yellow. - -[Illustration: _Elevation of Eliza Ross's House. Goodmans Yard._] - -[Illustration: _Plan of the Attic in which Eliza Ross lived._ - -_1 The Bed._ _2 The Window._ _3 The Fireplace._ _4 The Table._] - -Mr. Justice PARKE.--You said that you had seen dead bodies before this -Friday. Where did you see them? - -Witness had seen two children, neighbours, lying dead. - -By Mr. Justice JAMES PARKE.--Saw no difference in the appearance of the -woman's countenance before or after the coffee. Witness did not use the -privy when he went into the cellar, and thinks he told the magistrate -so. Thinks he has given a different account of this occurrence before. -Thinks he told the magistrate that the woman was alive on Saturday -morning. He said so because he did not like to tell the truth. - -Mr. HENRY REYNOLDS.--Is a surgeon living in Prescott-street. Has heard -the account given by the preceding witness of the manner in which the -old woman was treated. Such treatment was sufficient to cause death by -suffocation. The motion of the eyes might be produced by suffocation. -It is generally the last motion of life. - -Cross-examined by Mr. CHURCHILL.--It is not a matter of course that -there would be a change of countenance after suffocation: that is a -circumstance modified by age. Generally speaking, a change takes place. - -A plan of the room and cellar was handed to a surveyor, who swore that -they were correctly drawn. The room was eleven feet eleven inches from -the fire to the window, and lengthways thirteen feet. The bedstead in -the room was six feet long and four feet two inches broad. The light -thrown into the cellar by the window was obstructed by the stairs. - -On cross-examination, the surveyor stated, that the place under the -stairs was darker than in other places; but after being in the cellar, -the eye became accustomed to the place, and could distinguish any thing -lying under the stairs. - -EDWARD COOK was recalled, and, in answer to a question, stated that he -did not suspect what his mother was doing when she placed her hand -on the old woman. Did not see his mother take any clothes off the -old woman. Heard his mother say something about some hospital; but -does not know what. Said before the magistrate, that his mother told -him herself, on Sunday morning, that she took the body to the London -Hospital. Witness still declared that his mother did tell him so on -Sunday morning. - -ELIZABETH JONES.--Is the wife of George Jones. In August last kept a -house in Goodman's-yard, in which the prisoner lodged. The privy, in -the cellar, was not much frequented, on account of the great number of -rats. There was another privy, not in the cellar, which was used by -the inmates. The window of the cellar was generally opened about seven -o'clock. Remembers an old woman coming to the house, at ten o'clock, -on the 19th of August. She was a tall person; but witness did not see -her face. She had on a dark stuff gown, a light blue shawl, and a black -willow bonnet: her feet were through her stockings, and she wore shoes. -Witness, on her first examination, described the shawl to be an old -dark one; but upon recollection, knows that the colour was light blue. -Witness took particular notice of the woman, on account of her looking -poor. Supposed that she had come to lodge in the house, in consequence -of her carrying a bundle. Everything behind the woman appeared tidy, -but witness did not see her face. Afterwards saw Mrs. Butin--thinks the -next morning; Mrs. Butin came to inquire after her grandmother. - -Cross-examined by Mr. BARRY.--Witness slept at home on Saturday, the -20th of August. - -ANN BUTIN.--Is a married woman. Her husband travels in the country. -In August last had a grandmother of the name of Caroline Walsh. She -was sixty-four years of age, and very tall. She was a robust and -hearty woman. Witness had only known her to be ill one week during -the last six years. She lodged with witness in July last, and got her -living by selling tapes and laces, which she carried in a basket. She -was very cleanly in her appearance. She last saw her on the 19th of -August. She then wore a dark gown and light blue shawl, with part of -the colour washed out; also a black willow bonnet, broken in the crown, -and pinned with two pins. Her petticoat was made of figured stuff. It -had the pattern of a leaf. She had an old shift, very much pieced, but -of a good colour, also a pair of grey worsted knit stockings. Witness -knitted those stockings, which were quite different from what are sold -in shops. They were very much broken at the heel, and had been mended. -She had on a small pair of men's shoes, which were too large for her, -and by slipping wore out the stockings at the heel. Shortly before -the 19th of August witness had obtained a lodging-for her grandmother -at Mrs. Shaw's. Witness made a pocket for her, which she wore on the -19th of August. Witness saw her grandmother on the 19th of August, -about twelve o'clock in the day. Saw her again at five o'clock, in the -street, and then found out that she was going to Cook's. On that day -witness had called at Cook's at twelve o'clock. Saw a bundle tied up -in the room, and found it to contain her grandmother's nightgown and -night-cap, small mattress, a rug and sheet. Knows it was the 19th of -August, because that was the day on which her sister's child went to -nurse. Saw the boy Cook there. He was in the daily habit of seeing -her grandmother. Left a message with the boy for her grandmother. At -five o'clock met her grandmother in Cutler-street, and was angry with -her for going to Cook's. Had tried to persuade her not to go there. -Appointed with her to call at Cook's next morning, and told her not to -go out till witness came. Her grandmother agreed not to go out. Mrs. -Cook had frequently said that she wished witness's grandmother to come -and lodge with her. She was very inquisitive. The prisoner knew her -to be the granddaughter of Mrs. Walsh. Has never seen her grandmother -since the time she parted from her in Cutler-street. Has a sister -named Lydia Basy. At nine o'clock went to Mrs. Cook's. Saw the female -prisoner in the room. Witness asked her where the old lady was; the -prisoner told her that she had just gone. Witness said that she was -very much surprised, as her grandmother expected her. Prisoner replied -that the old lady had told her so; that she had gone out soon to be -soon home, and that they all had a jolly good supper. Witness observed, -that she was very glad they had enjoyed themselves, and should take -the liberty of asking what they had. The prisoner answered, that they -had potatoes and meat, and Cook went out to get something short, to -make the old lady comfortable; that Cook seemed very partial to the -old lady, and that she slept on the bedstead last night. Witness said -that she was very much surprised, as her grandmother had her own bed -to sleep on, and had never been in the habit of sleeping with any -other person. Witness observed the bundle in the room lying in the -same state in which she had left it. The prisoner said that Cook had -doubled up that piece of sacking to put the old woman in last night. -There was a coarse piece of sacking in the room. Witness expressed her -surprise, and asked what she meant. The prisoner replied, that Cook -doubled it up, and put it underneath the old woman. The prisoner also -said that the old woman had got no shift on; but if witness brought -one, she would wash it for the old woman. Witness said that she did not -think her grandmother wanted a shift; but if she did, witness offered -to give her one. A week before, witness had given her a clean shift -and clean cap. Witness asked the prisoner how she came to know that -her grandmother had no shift? and said, 'You must have examined her -person very close to know that.' The prisoner afterwards said, that -witness had a coffee-pot, a frying-pan, and a tub, to give to the old -woman. Witness said she would give them to her grandmother when she -saw her. Witness and the prisoner then went to Bishop's, a gin-shop, -at the corner of Goodman's-yard. They drank some gin and beer. Witness -began again to talk of her grandmother. The prisoner observed, 'From -what you say, you seem to think that we have murdered the old woman.' -Witness said, 'I hope not.' The prisoner repeated, 'From what you say, -you think we destroyed her at our place.' Witness said, 'Mrs. Cook, -you put the words in my mouth; what I suspect I don't say now, but -you shall know of it hereafter.' Prisoner wanted witness to go to her -house to have something to eat. Witness refused: but prisoner asked -so often, that witness gave her threepence-halfpenny to fetch a loaf -and cheese, and promised to take some of it in the public-house. The -prisoner went away, and never came back. Witness waited two hours in -the public-house, and then went searching for her grandmother for about -three quarters of an hour. Witness afterwards pledged a gown, in the -name of Welsh, at a pawnbroker's, named Austin. Witness returned to -Cook's lodgings about five or six o'clock; both prisoners were present. -Witness asked whether the old woman had come home yet. The female -prisoner gave no answer to the question; but put up her hand, and told -her not to speak. The male prisoner had gone to the window, and this -sign was made behind his back. The female prisoner then said softly, -'You must not tell Cook that I was in your company to-day.' The male -prisoner in a few minutes after went down stairs. The female prisoner -then told witness, that Cook had beaten her most unmercifully.--(She -had marks of having been beaten.) The prisoner said that Cook had -beaten her for having gone out with her; that Cook had said she had -no business to go out looking for the old lady. Witness went several -times to Cook's, to inquire for her grandmother; also went to the -hospitals and poor-houses, and found nothing of her. Mrs. Cook went -with her to one of the poor-houses. On the Monday night saw the man -Cook at his house, between six and seven o'clock. The female prisoner -was present at the time. Witness told them what she had been doing; -and the man said that she had better wait till the month was up, and -it was very likely that she might hear of her grandmother, dead or -alive, then. The female prisoner asked witness several times to stay -all night. The husband could hear what the woman said. The female -prisoner said that she (witness) must be tired, and that she might -sleep on her grandmother's bed; and perhaps, while she stopped there, -her grandmother might come home. Witness replied, that she had her -sister's house to go to, and did not wish to stop at Cook's. Witness -made some complaint to the police-office; but it was not till October -that Lea, the officer, took up the matter. When the prisoners were at -Lambeth-street police-office, witness heard the female prisoner say -something about 'hot and cold.' What the prisoner said was heard by the -magistrate. - -Cross-examined.--While her grandmother was living at Shaw's, witness -was in the habit of seeing her every other day. The female prisoner -told witness that Cook had beaten her unmercifully for going out and -getting drunk with her. - -WILLIAM AUSTIN.--Is a pawnbroker, living in Houndsditch. He received a -gown in pawn, in the name of Welsh, on the 20th of August. - -JOHN DRAPER deposed that he took the child of Mrs. Butin's sister to -Norwood to be nursed, on the 19th of August. - -LYDIA BASY.--Is Mrs. Butin's sister. On the 19th of August went with -her grandmother (Mrs. Walsh) between six and seven o'clock, to Mrs. -Cook's room. It was on the same day that her child was taken to -Norwood. Her grandmother wore a black willow bonnet, rather broken -on the top, a blue shawl with a border, and the colour rather washed -out, a black stuff gown, a purple-figured stuff petticoat, a pair of -grey knitted stockings, and a pair of men's shoes, of a small size. -Witness had a child in her arms when she accompanied her grandmother -to Cook's. As they were going there, her grandmother put her hand into -her pocket, and gave the child a biscuit. Her grandmother in doing so -lifted up her petticoat, and witness saw the pocket. Witness's sister -made the pocket. There was an iron-mould on the pocket, and a stain on -the shoulder of the shawl. Witness left her grandmother at the door of -Cook's room; and she had at that time her basket in her hand. - -Cross-examined.--Witness's grandmother had never, to her knowledge, -been a pauper in a workhouse. Never gave information to the magistrates -of the absence of her grandmother. - -Mrs. BUTIN recalled, and deposed that she gave information of the -absence of her grandmother at the Mansion-house, about a week after the -19th of August. - ----- LEA.--Is an officer at Lambeth-street. In consequence of -information he received, he went, on Friday, the 28th of October, to -White Horse-court, where the prisoners had removed to. He saw the -female prisoner coming out of the court, and witness followed her to -Rosemary-lane. Mrs. Butin was with the witness, and pointed her out -to him. Witness went up to the female prisoner, and told her that she -must go before a magistrate respecting an old woman. Then prisoner -said, 'that the last she saw of her was on Saturday morning (witness -had not previously mentioned the name of any person); that the old -lady had given her some halfpence to buy sugar: that she had given the -old lady her breakfast before her husband came home, that he might not -know it. Witness asked at what time Cook got up? The prisoner replied, -between four and five o'clock. She then said, 'Have you got Cook?' -Witness asked her where Cook was. She answered, at a tea warehouse at -St. Katharine Docks. Witness asked the prisoner at what time she went -to bed on the Friday night? She replied, that they all went to bed at -nine. Witness inquired what they had for supper? She said, cold meat -and coffee. As they were going along, Mrs. Butin asked what they had -done with the old woman? She observed, that if she had done anything -with her, God burn her soul in h--l's flames; and added, that after -giving the old woman her breakfast, she went out and left her and -Cook smoking by the fire; and that when she returned she found the -room swept up, and the old woman gone. Witness afterwards went to St. -Katharine Docks with Mrs. Butin, and called the male prisoner out. -Witness pointed out Mrs. Butin, and the prisoner acknowledged that he -knew her. Witness told him he must go before a magistrate respecting an -old woman who was missing. The prisoner said, 'Very well; it is very -proper that it should be inquired into;' he admitted that the old woman -was in his room on the Friday night, and said, that she made her bed -in the corner of the room. Witness asked at what time he went to bed? -He replied about a quarter past eleven o'clock. Prisoner added, they -had hot meat and tea. He said, that he saw the old woman at breakfast -next morning: he had got up early to go to look for work, and returned -about seven o'clock, but he did not recollect whether the old woman -was gone before or after he returned. Witness went and apprehended the -prisoner's son. The prisoners were confined in three separate cells. A -conversation took place between them while so confined. The woman began -the conversation. She called out, 'Ned! ask little Ned who told him -to say what he has been saying about me?' The man then called to the -boy, 'Ned, your mother wishes to know who told you to say what you have -about her?' The boy answered, 'Nobody.' The man returned the answer to -the woman. She again said, 'Ask Ned how he came to say what he has?' -The question was repeated by the man; and the boy called out aloud, -'Why, because she did it.' The woman then said, 'Oh! that we should -have to suffer for what we know nothing about.' The man said, 'God -knows that I had no hand in it; never mind, there is nothing in this -world that we should wish to live for; there will be forgiveness by -God at the last moment.' That was the whole of the conversation which -took place at that time. On other occasions, the male prisoner said -to witness, 'You have had a great deal of trouble about this affair;' -and the woman added, 'With all your trouble you have not found the old -woman's body yet. All the things which I have sold, the granddaughter -brought in a bundle to me.' She said, that that was the old woman -(alluding to Mrs. Walsh) who had been taken to Bethnal-green workhouse. -He also deposed to having found upon the premises, certain fragments -of black stuff, which there was reason to believe had formed part of -the apparel which had been worn by the deceased. The discovery was -made nearly a month after the prisoners themselves had been taken into -custody. He also described at length the depositions of the boy after -his apprehension, which did not differ in any material particular, from -those which were elicited at his examination in the police office. - -MARY LABEL, a clothes-woman in Rosemary-lane, (Rag-fair) proved that -the female prisoner had offered her various articles of wearing -apparel, immediately subsequent to the date of the murder, and more -particularly a pair of home-made lead-coloured worsted stockings, much -darned in the heel, which she purchased for fourpence. Stay-laces, -a plum-coloured petticoat, a cap, and a shawl, were among the items -enumerated. Some were purchased by witness, and others by neighbouring -dealers in a similar line of business. The prisoner testified great -apprehension lest the goods which she offered for sale, should be seen -at the time by any one but the purchaser. - -SARAH COTTON, HANNAH CHANNEL, CELIA BURKE, WILLIAM THOMAS ELDER, -MARY HAYES, SARAH BRADLEY, MARY GOLEBURGH, and ELIZABETH DUNHAM, -respectively corroborated the testimony of the former deponent, all of -them earning their livelihood by following the same vocation. - -The articles purchased were then produced and identified by the -granddaughter, as having constituted part of the personal property of -the deceased. - -At this stage of the case the counsel for the prosecution called a -number of witnesses, for the purpose of showing that one Caroline -Walsh, who died a pauper in the London Hospital at the period of the -murder, was not the one suspected to have been destroyed by those -described in the indictment. - -JOHN SKEIG, a parish beadle, stated in evidence, that he found, on -the 20th of August, an Irishwoman, named Caroline Walsh, lying on the -steps of a hall-door in London-street, Fenchurch-street, apparently so -exhausted by sickness and distress, that he resigned her to the care of -the superintendent of Hoxton Workhouse, not being able to discover the -residence which she mentioned to him as her temporary address. - -The surgeon and several nurse-tenders in that establishment deposed, -that the old woman so confided to their care, was in a state of such -squalid filth and nastiness, that it was found necessary to dispose -of all her raiment, by depositing it in the burying-ground. It was -also ascertained that her hip-bone was fractured, whereupon she was -transferred as a patient to the London Hospital, and shortly afterwards -expired. - -A professional gentleman and one or two domestics in that institution -described minutely her personal appearance, which did not at all -correspond with that of the deceased Caroline Walsh. The one was found -in a state of loathsome squalidness, whereas the other was particularly -cleanly and neat in her appearance. The one wanted her fore teeth, -whereas those of the other were wholesome and un-decayed. The feet -of the pauper were deformed by bunions and such-like excrescences, -but the female supposed to have been murdered was entirely free from -such a defect. The one was about sixty years of age, and the other -upwards of eighty; and, to leave no doubt whatever upon the subject of -identity, the body of the pauper was disinterred in the presence of the -granddaughters, who, at once, denied that it bore any resemblance to -that of their relation. - -The case here closed on the part of the prosecution. - -The prisoners, on being called on for their defence, severally put in -written papers, asseverating their innocence of the crime with which -they were charged, and maintaining that the evidence of their son was a -tissue of unnatural and nefarious falsehoods. - -Mr. Justice PARKE then proceeded to address the Jury, and summed up the -whole of the evidence, having previously explained the state of the law -affecting accessories and principals as it applied to cases of murder -generally, and more particularly to that which it was their duty to -decide upon. - -The Jury retired for half an hour, and returned a verdict of _Guilty_ -against the female prisoner, acquitting her companion, who was detained -for the purpose of being indicted as an accessory after the fact. - -The woman was immediately sentenced to death by the Recorder, and -ordered to be executed at the usual hour on the following Monday. She -did not testify any such emotion as might have been expected, but -persevered in protesting her innocence, without, however, offering -any plea for the postponement of the execution of her sentence. This -wretched woman is Irish, if we may judge by her accent, and her -paramour is apparently a native of the metropolis. - - -Eliza Ross, was on Monday the 9th, executed for the wilful murder of -Catherine, alias Caroline Walsh, in front of Newgate. The unhappy -woman, though convicted on the evidence of her own son, persisted in -asserting that she was innocent of the diabolical act for which she was -about to suffer. - -All necessary preparations had been made the night before, and a -considerable number of constables sworn in to preserve the peace and -prevent any accidents. The persons assembled, however, did not exceed -the number on ordinary occasions. Shortly after six, the sheriffs and -under-sheriffs arrived, for the purpose of visiting the criminal, who -had declined all religious consolation from her priest, and begged the -attendance of the Rev. Mr. Cotton, the ordinary. - -On Sunday, she expressed her wish that Cook and her son should be -allowed to visit her, which, however, from motives of prudence, was -refused. She retired to rest at an early hour on Sunday night, two -females having been placed in the cell with her, but her slumber was -frequently broken by half-uttered ejaculations; one of which was--'Oh! -Cook, you could have cleared me if you had liked;' another was, 'Oh my -child, my deluded child, thus to hang her who suffered for you!' - -Upon her being led into the bread-room on the morning of her execution, -by Slarks, accompanied by the reverend Ordinary, to be pinioned, she in -a firm tone of voice exclaimed, 'Oh, my God! am I going to be hanged -for what I am innocent of!' She then walked firmly to the yeomen to be -pinioned; and while they were engaged in their sad office, she said, -'Oh, my God! why did I leave my country to be thus treated! Oh, Mr. -Wontner, I thought you were more of a Christian than to suffer a poor -innocent woman to be hanged. I left my husband and boy sitting with -the old woman, and I never saw her after. You have now in your custody -one who can prove me innocent, and quite clear me of the charge. -Oh, my poor, my deluded child!' Mr. Cotton, at the request of Mr. -Sheriff Pirie, again addressed her with a view to elicit an admission -of the justice of her sentence, but the only answer returned was, 'I -am innocent: I never touched the old woman. Oh, my God, why did I -leave my native country, thus to die in a foreign land for what I am -guil--innocent, I mean! Oh dear, oh dear!' - -On arriving at the foot of the scaffold, she said to Mr. Cotton, -'Pray, Sir, am I going out in the street?' Mr. Cotton answered in the -affirmative, and again conjured her, in the name of God, to make her -peace with the Father of all mercies; 'All hope of mercy on this earth -is past, and a few moments will place you in the presence of him who -knows the secrets of all hearts.' She replied, 'I'm innocent;' which -she persisted in declaring until the fatal drop fell. She died without -a struggle. - -A short account of the extraordinary life of this woman, who may with -the strictest propriety be stigmatized as a human fiend, may not be -without its attendant uses. Her ultimate fate may operate as a serious -lesson to those who addict themselves to an indiscriminate use of -spirits, for to that revolting and disgusting habit may, in a great -degree, be traced all the crimes which the wretch committed, for rather -than not satisfy her inordinate passion for drink she would commit -the pettiest theft, and she has even been known when her husband has -brought her home an ounce of tea, to hurry off to some neighbour and -dispose of half of it, in order that she might have the immediate means -of purchasing a glass of gin. - -She appears to have been early instructed in the crime of murder, for -about twenty-six years ago we find her living in a brothel in East -Smithfield, at which time a respectable tradesman, a master tailor was -missing, and for some time no tidings could be obtained of him. Through -the medium of one of the girls who frequented the house, some clue was -obtained respecting the fate of the unfortunate man, and in searching -the house, he was found dead in one of the cupboards. The master and -mistress of the house, with Cook, the servant, were immediately taken -into custody, and committed for trial for the wilful murder of the -tailor. The trial came on at the Old Bailey, and the evidence, although -entirely circumstantial, was so conclusive against the keepers of the -brothel, that they were both condemned and executed. Cook was, however, -acquitted, although at the time it was the general opinion that she -assisted in the murder, and the circumstance of her being known to be -in possession of some money immediately after the murder, was in some -degree corroborative of her having partaken of the booty which was -obtained from the murdered man, to obtain which, it was supposed that -his life was sacrificed. - -It did not appear on the trial, nor from any of the circumstances that -transpired at the time, that this murder was committed with any view -to the disposal of the body for the purpose of dissection, and yet -little doubt exists that the anatomical schools have been supplied with -subjects, the life of which has been forcibly taken away, long before -the detection of Burke and his associates. It is not to be supposed -that the act of strangling the unfortunate old woman, which led to -the conviction and execution of the malefactor Burke, was the only -murderous act which he had committed, tempted by the facility with -which he could dispose of the bodies of his victims, and the great -gain which flowed in upon him from such horrid practices. He himself -admits in his confession to the murder of several individuals, all -of which were disposed of to the anatomical schools, although the -professional men, in an inquiry which was substituted in Edinburgh -touching these occurrences, were exculpated from any criminal knowledge -of the atrocities committed by Burke and Hare, and, consequently, -of the manner in which the subjects which were offered them came by -their death. This, however, is not saying much for the value of _post -mortem_ examinations, nor for the accuracy of those conclusions to -which professional men arrive respecting the cause of the death of -an individual, and in which opinion, particularly in our courts of -justice, the life of the prisoner is frequently made to depend. To say -that the very freshness of the bodies supplied by the Burkers, is not -in itself sufficient to excite suspicion, would be at direct variance -with the most common experience; for it is at once a distinctive proof -that the subject did not die of any mortal disease, nor that it had -ever been interred. The idea of the subjects being bodies of suicides, -cannot also be rationally entertained, as in that case some preliminary -proceedings and an interment must have taken place, before such bodies -could have found their way to the dissecting-rooms. - -No one will, we presume, pretend to deny, that a burked subject is not -more preferable for dissection, than one that has been for some time -interred. The former die in the full vigour of the organic functions of -life, which being in healthy play to the moment of expiration, leave -the arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels and nervous economy so fully -distended, that the demonstration of them must be greatly facilitated -and more clearly traced than when injections are necessary, or the -subject become flabby and on the verge of decomposition; not to mention -other personal conveniences, of the absence of any unpleasant olfactory -sensation, or the hazard of a scratch from the dissecting-knife, -causing an incipient and sometimes fatal mortification, which has -happened, we believe, in more than one instance. These circumstances -considered, it is not surprising that the Edinburgh murders by Burking, -and those which were committed in London previously to the detection -of the murder of Carlo Ferrari, were undetected by the demonstrators' -sagacity, who might have hoodwinked any suspicion by reflecting on -the advantage afforded to the interests of science, as it is termed, -but which does not remove from our mind the belief, that there must -have been a most disgraceful culpability in anatomists in not having -detected the villainous proceedings of the Burkers, by which those -wretches furnished bodies for dissection; at the same time that it -tends materially to call into doubt the pretensions of the medical -profession being able to elucidate the cause of death from _post -mortem_ examinations; for if it cannot be perceived that a person had -died from strangulation, or suffocation, what hypocrisy must it be to -profess they afford the means of ascertaining the remedies of diseases, -when it appears that the cause of death cannot be really known. Had -Cook, at the time of the murder of the tailor, been acquainted with the -ready channel by which she could have disposed of the body, at the same -time that it was attended with considerable emolument to herself, it -is not probable that the body would have been allowed to remain in the -cupboard, to have afforded the immediate instrument of detection, and -thereby expose the perpetrators of the deed to an ignominious death. - -It is not to be supposed that the particulars of the life of such -an obscure individual as Cook can be easily traced out; it appears, -however, that wherever she fixed her abode, she soon became the terror -of the neighbourhood. Generally in a state of intoxication, any -personal offence offered to her, whether real or supposed, was sure to -draw upon the head of the offender the whole weight of her indignation. -She would vent her anger in the most abusive language--threatening to -scalp the object of her rage, and brandishing a knife in her hand, -swear to skin him like a sheep--or to pull his skin over his ears--or -to open him like an oyster--or to take his heart and lights out. In -one instance, when she lived in St. Catherine's, the landlord of the -Sampson and Lion offered her some offence, and she was determined to be -revenged upon him: she waited for the opportunity when she could catch -his cat, in which she no sooner succeeded, than she skinned the poor -animal alive, and going into the public-house, when the landlord was -standing behind the bar, threw it violently into his face. In whatever -quarter she domiciliated herself, the cats gradually disappeared; -and the manner in which she was detected in this cruel and barbarous -practice is rather singular: she never lodged in a house in which there -was not a dark cellar, and which, being seldom or never frequented by -the other inmates of the house, was the theatre of her operations on -the cats, which were so unlucky as to be entrapped by her. For some -time it was observed, by her fellow-lodgers, that she frequently left -the house early in the morning, carrying a bag with her, which appeared -to contain some articles of weight, as it was sometimes with difficulty -that she could carry her load. One of the female lodgers, prompted by -curiosity, once followed her in one of these expeditions, and traced -her to a scavenger's dust-yard, where she immediately repaired to -one of the heaps, and began to grope amongst the rubbish, as if in -search of some particular object. The person who was watching her, -judging that bones or rags were the object of her search, as she was -frequently known to roam about collecting these articles, with the -produce of which she immediately hastened to the gin-shop, desisted -from any further attention to her motions; and the cause of her visits -would, perhaps, have remained a secret, had not her frequent appearance -in the yard excited the attention of the proprietor, who perceiving, -contrary to the custom of the collectors of bones and rags, that she -always came with her bag full, and left there with it empty, determined -to watch her motions narrowly; but having some acquaintanceship with -her character, he wisely forbore to enter into any personal rencontre -with her, especially as she always took the opportunity of paying her -visits to the yard, when the people who worked in it were absent at -their meals. One day she was observed exceedingly busy, digging as it -were a hole in the heap of rubbish, and having finished her task, very -deliberately walked away. She was no sooner out of sight, than the -proprietor repaired to the spot, and removing the rubbish, found, to -his great astonishment, the bodies of six cats, which had evidently -been skinned alive, there being no marks of violence about them -indicative of a violent death. This circumstance no sooner transpired, -than the whole neighbourhood rose up in arms against her, every missing -cat was laid to her charge, and she was ultimately taken up, and -carried before a magistrate, on the charge of stealing the animals. -Here, however, as in many other instances, she again slipped through -the meshes of the law; for although several individuals came forward to -prove that they had lost their cats, still, in their skinned state, the -identity of the animal could not be proved, and consequently the charge -fell to the ground. - -At the time of the murder of the tailor in the brothel, Mrs. Cook -went by the name of Ross, but that was an assumed name, her real one -being Reardon, her connexions in Ireland being rather respectable; -but impelled, by the violence of her passions, and her proneness -to drunkenness and vice, she emigrated from her native country, to -prosecute her iniquitous actions in the great metropolis. About -sixteen years ago we find her living in St. Catherine's, and shortly -afterwards in Maypole-court, East Smithfield, in which place she was -brought to bed of young Cook, who afterwards, as we have seen, was -the chief evidence against her on the trial for the murder of Mrs. -Walsh. At the time that this child was born, she was in the deepest -possible distress--a half decayed mattress, thrown down in the corner -of her room, was the only bedding she possessed--destitute of all -upper covering, and not another piece of furniture in the room but two -broken chairs, which, with a piece of deal placed upon them, served her -for a table. Not an article was prepared in which to wrap the child, -and from the general dislike which was entertained against her in the -neighbourhood, no person was ready to render her any assistance. Cook, -the father of the child, had not then long left the Royal Marines, -and worked as a labourer; whatever his earnings might have been, -they were no sooner in the possession of Mrs. Cook than the gin-shop -was her hourly resort, and unless Cook had been provident enough to -secure to himself a few shillings secretly, the whole of the week was -passed in a state of want and dependence on any casual circumstance -that might arise by which a few pence could be obtained to satisfy the -exigencies of the moment. Until the new police was established, Cook -was a watchman in Aldgate parish, and it is conjectured, that it was -whilst he was in this situation that he became acquainted with some of -the resurrectionists, whose horrid avocations he afterwards followed, -and, in some instances, with considerable success. In the woman, whom -he had chosen as his companion, he found a most able coadjutor; and, in -some cases, granting her assistance with a spirit which could only have -lived in the heart of a fiend, and which, as appertaining to the female -character, sets all description at defiance. She was as ready to assist -in the extraction of the putrefying mass from its resting place as she -was afterwards in the disposal of it, and then indulging in her brutal -drunkenness, until she was called again by her desperate paramour to -co-operate with him in the violation of the graves. On being dismissed -from his situation as watchman, he obtained a scanty subsistence in -the occupation of a porter in Thames-street and Billingsgate, but it -was suspected that he adopted this line of life as a blind to his real -occupation as a resurrectionist; and he was one of those men on whom -the _fraternity_ could rely in carrying their disgusting masses to the -different hospitals and schools where they were to be disposed of. A -few days before he was taken into custody, he was at work in the St. -Catherine's Docks, and whilst he was there, apparently earning a very -scanty and precarious livelihood, Mrs. Cook occupied herself with -discovering the friendless and unprotected, who, on various excuses and -subterfuges, she enticed to her lodgings, with the ultimate view of -depriving them of life. If she met with an aged, houseless wanderer, -she, with the show of the greatest kindness and humanity, would invite -them to rest for the night in her lodgings, which invitation was seldom -refused; and it is conjectured that, in some instances, they never left -those lodgings again in life. - -In regard to the murder of Sarah Vesey by this inhuman wretch, little -doubt can exist, although the actual fact could never be brought home -to her; partly arising from the dread which the neighbours entertained -of her, and the fear of giving her offence, and partly from the close -and secret manner in which she carried on her proceedings. Suspicion -had, for a considerable time, been most busy in pointing at her as -being concerned in some deep and tragical actions; but no one dared -openly to express it, as the consequences which would ensue were well -known, were her violent passions to be aroused, stimulated by revenge, -and a decided indifference as to the means which she might select -wherewith to satisfy it. - -It was during her residence in White Horse-court, Rosemary-lane, in -November, 1830, that a girl, of the name of Sarah Vesey, was on a -sudden missing, and no intelligence whatever could be procured of her. -She was then about fourteen years of age, and lived in the capacity -of a nurse girl in a tradesman's family, who resided in the vicinity. -This girl was often observed to go into Mrs. Cook's room with the -child which she had under her charge; and although the lodgers in the -same house were well convinced that the design which Cook had upon the -girl was base and wicked, yet their suspicion did not extend to the -dreadful idea that the murder of the girl was in contemplation. The -manner, however, in which the wretch worked upon the credulity of the -unfortunate girl, is in perfect keeping with the general depravity of -her character. She began to flatter the vanity of the girl, by her -praises of the beauty of her features, and that, if she would only -follow her advice, she would put her in the way of making her fortune, -as well as providing her with the immediate means of obtaining some -handsome clothes, in which to exhibit the neatness and beauty of her -form. She further instilled into the mind of the girl a distaste for a -life of servitude, representing it as one of constant drudgery, and in -which a girl seldom finds a husband. Mrs. Cook soon found out that this -poor girl was a friendless, unprotected creature, having been brought -up in Whitechapel workhouse from the early age of twelve months, -ignorant whether she had a father and a mother living, and neither -friends nor relations, with the exception of two brothers, who have -never seen her, nor have obtained any tidings of her, from the time -that she was missed to the present period. - -It was amongst such friendless creatures, such outcasts upon the -world, that Cook sought for her victims; and, in fact, it is the line -of conduct pursued by all the resurrectionists, who, rather than not -supply the subjects required for dissection, have recourse to the -dreadful crime of murder to satisfy the demand. - -It is impossible for a person, even of the most limited observation, to -perambulate the streets of this huge metropolis, without being struck -with the number of miserable outcasts who appear to have no home, nor -the means of providing for themselves a single meal. Hundreds daily -present themselves to our observation, to whom death would appear as -a blessing, and who, to outward appearance, have not a single object -belonging to them to render life desirable. Creatures of this stamp -and condition may suddenly disappear from their wonted haunts, and -their absence occasion, perhaps, merely a casual inquiry, and the next -moment, they are forgotten. With no one to interest themselves about -them, it is immaterial as to the fate which has befallen them; and the -friendless beings are enticed to the abode of a Bishop or a Williams, -and, under the plea of kindness or humanity, are offered a dwelling for -the night, from which they never again emerge as a living being. - -We have been favoured with a computation, though for the truth of which -no positive grounds have been adduced, that in the metropolis alone, -on an average, there are above five hundred individuals annually of -whom no information can be obtained as to their absolute fate, but who -are supposed to have fallen victims to the horrid practices of the -Burkers. It is at variance with all probability that the Italian boy -was the only victim which had suffered under the murderous grasp of a -Bishop, or that Mrs. Walsh was the only one that had breathed her last -in the hateful den of Mrs. Cook. There are also some existing facts -which have led to the conclusion, that although Burke in Edinburgh -was the first person who was entrapped in the crime of butchering his -fellow-creatures for the sake of gain, yet that it was a practice -which was known amongst the resurrectionists long before his time; -but, like the Greeks, who had no punishment for parricide, conceiving -it a crime which could not be committed, we, even in the depth of our -moral degeneracy, could not conceive it possible that a set of wretches -could inhabit the same world, and breathe the same air as ourselves, -who could attack the unprotected orphan, or helpless old age, for the -avowed purpose of personal profit, and without the instigation of any -of the grosser passions of our nature, as hatred, revenge, or malice, -deliberately deprive them of life, to be mangled by the knife of the -dissector. - -We may be allowed in this place to transcribe a few remarks contained -in a pamphlet entitled 'Plain Reflections on Burking,' written by Mr. -Andrew Sleight, and the chief argument of which goes to prove that -an actual visual examination of the human body is not necessary to -constitute a skilful surgeon; but, on the contrary, it is proved that, -in many instances, surgical operations have been performed with success -by individuals who have not been regularly educated, and who, perhaps, -were never present during the whole of their life at the dissection -of a human body. It is fair, in all cases, to hear both sides of a -question; and although we cannot coincide with Mr. Sleight in every -particular, yet there are in his arguments very valuable materials -for the erection of a system contrary to that which is adopted at -the present day, and which would certainly put an end at once to the -horrible crime of Burking. - -Mr. Sleight commences his arguments by saying, 'that the idea of the -necessity for a visual anatomical study of the human body seems to have -been very strong in the mind of the public generally, when, shortly -after the discovery of the Edinburgh Burking transactions, a measure -was introduced before parliament, enacting a sale of the dead bodies -of the poor, at, we believe, ten shillings each, and authorising the -establishment of a dissecting-school by any surgeon who might obtain -a licence for that purpose, under the title of a Bill for Regulating -Schools of Anatomy, which passed through the House of Commons without -any public effort to impede the progress or alter the provisions of -that, in my view, most gross legislative proceeding; and so snug was -its progress, not a word that was said upon it, either _pro_ or _con_, -that I ever saw, was reported; so ashamed must the supporters of it -have been, that they would not allow their sentiments on the subject -to have publicity, as truly so nefarious a law it never entered into -the heart of man to conceive since the world began, and that, too, in -the professedly refined, civilized, humane, liberal, and philanthropic -nineteenth century, when some writers were so inhuman, degraded, and -debased in sentiment, as to advocate the passing of such a carnal and -unchristian law.' - -We must be allowed, in one or two instances, to correct Mr. Sleight -in some of his remarks contained in the foregoing passage, which we -wholly acquit him of having wilfully misrepresented, as the lawyers -would call it, to bolster up his case. But in the bill alluded to by -Mr. Sleight, and which was known at the time by the name of Warburton's -Body Bill, no price whatever was stipulated at which the body of the -pauper was to be sold. On the contrary, it was to be left to find its -value in the market, according to the plenty or the scarcity of it, -like any other article of trade or commerce. Obnoxious, however, and -repellent to our amiable feelings as the clause of a bill may be, -which not only authorises the sale of the corpse of a pauper, but -actually makes it imperative on the parish authorities to dispose of -the bodies of paupers, for the purpose of dissection, yet when it is -taken into consideration that an antidote has been provided for the -most objectionable part of the bill, by enacting in it that no corpse -of a pauper shall be so disposed of without his previous consent being -obtained during life, or that such corpse be demanded by any relative -or friend, we candidly confess that the indignation manifested by Mr. -Sleight is, in a great degree, groundless, and that he has raised up a -shadow to fight with, which has neither substance nor tangibility. - -In regard to the manner in which the bill was smuggled through -the House of Commons, it is impossible to speak of it in terms of -reprobation sufficiently strong. It was, however, one of those _common_ -bills, which the faithful representatives of the people were well -convinced had no immediate reference to themselves, as not being likely -to have their bodies sold as paupers from a workhouse, and therefore -the merits or demerits of it were never canvassed, but it was suffered -to steal through the house, whilst the representatives were enjoying -themselves over a chop, and a bottle of Bellamy's _best_. - -Mr. Sleight, however, proceeds to argue, 'That the committing of -murder by Burking is horrible, no one will dispute; but its having -occurred is no sound reason why any law should be made to sacrifice the -feelings and sympathies of the poor and unprotected; nor would such a -scheme ever be sanctioned by any christianized or liberal mind, which -considers every man in the light of a brother of immortality, and whose -hopes rest on the faith of the scriptures, that the resurrection of the -body to eternal life will ultimately take place, which any law to sell -dead bodies would be repugnant to, if not entirely subversive of the -belief in the grand doctrine of the Christian system, and which might -lead to every sort of riot and debauchery, to a worse degree than they -now exist, when it might be said in the words of the Apostle, "Let us -eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Neither is the existence of the -crime of Burking a good ground, that another evil less palpable to the -mind should be legalized to prevent it. Any person, if he possessed the -feelings of a man, would make every exertion to suppress in the most -effectual way, namely, _by discontinuing to dissect the human body_, -if it could not be done but through the aid of so foul a deed, and by -endeavouring to bring to justice the villains who might commit murders -by Burking, as the assistant demonstrator at the King's College, to his -everlasting honour, did. - -'As it is a misdemeanour to possess a dead human body, it shews -with what care Englishmen formerly reverenced the mortal remains of -humanity; surely they would have had sense enough to perceive, if, as -it is now asserted, dissections were necessary to qualify for the -profession of surgery or medicine, and the preservation of health in -their days; but as impediments were thrown in the way of the practice -of anatomy, it is clear it was then considered proper to prevent, if -possible, the violating the sanctuary of the dead, though they may now -be called ignorant, prejudiced, &c. Still it may be fairly presumed, -that they had as much common sense as the generation of this period -have, and _I believe they had more_; for it is only since continental -examples, and the pranks of Scotch philosophers have bothered the -brains of Englishmen, that any such thing as legalizing anatomy was -ever thought of, and it is only now intended, in my opinion, to gull -the people into a notion, that unless a surgeon has dissected he is -unable to practise his profession, which an instance or two I shall -relate will show not to be the case. - -'The occurrences of Burking in London having produced schemes for -supplying the wants of anatomists by a compulsory appropriation of the -poor, I, as an individual, protest against any law that would inflict -so flagrant an injustice on those, who suffer enough already, without -any further addition. - -'A publication has been made of an Anatomy Bill, which I suppose to be -a copy of that which has been brought into the House of Commons this -Session, under the auspices of the same member (Mr. Warburton) who -introduced the former one. In the preamble to this Bill it is asserted, -that the anatomy of the human body is necessary for the remedy of -diseases, and the performance of surgical operations. Now, that this -is unquestionable, some reasonable doubts may be entertained, as I -conceive, that dissections do not confer any extraordinary medical -skill to those who perform them, is proved by all antiquity, from the -days of Adam to the present time, the generations of which, I dare -say, enjoyed quite as good or perhaps better health than modern ones -have done; for if surgery was not practised anciently, how were the -conflicting campaigns of the Grecians, Romans, &c. conducted, when -there must have been surgical aid afforded to the wounded, or who among -them would have engaged in a warfare, when the fracture of a limb -might entail a tedious agony, and loss of life? It is not my object, -however, to go into the nature of diseases or remedies for them here; -but I may instance Hippocrates, the renowned physician of Greece, as to -what he is reported to have known of human anatomy, though his skill -in the treatment of diseases is undisputed; if, therefore, dissecting -dead bodies were necessary, would he have been so eminent for his -attainments, and the first methodical practitioner of medicine? No -such thing; he must have been a mere empiric, and not the ensample of -medical knowledge for every subsequent age. Not to mention professional -quacks, whose factotum medicines, I believe, are never compounded -through their dissecting dead bodies; but which are asserted to be -cures for any disease excepting restoring sight to a blind eye. It is -well known in this town [we believe Mr. Sleight alludes to the town of -Boston in Lincolnshire], that a bone-setter residing in it, who has had -no professional education that I am aware of, is, in cases of simple -or compound fractures and luxated bones, as efficient an operator -as any surgeon, and can as ably effect a cure. As to professional -skill, I recollect it was reported of a medical man having treated a -pregnant woman as dropsical[2]; so much did he know, it appears, about -diseases. Again, in the Encyclopædia Perthensis, it is related, that -a sow-gelder performed a Cesarean operation on his wife with success; -that is, cutting the fœtus from the uterus, which from some impediment -she was unable to give birth to, which operation saved her life. Now, -what sort of an anatomist this sow-gelder was, if the relation be true, -I need not say, as that will occur on the least reflection, but it -shows he had sense enough to perform this most difficult operation, -in a way that not one in a thousand surgeons in country practice, I -believe, would succeed in doing. - -'In Cobbett's Register for April, 1829, or something about that period, -a letter appeared under the signature of W. Hornsey, M.D. North -Shields, on the subject of the infamous body-selling Bill, which, from -what I can now recollect of its contents, strongly disapproved of that -measure, and stated how little the pursuit of anatomy had improved -the treatment of diseases, especially that of consumption. This is -corroborated from the hubbub about the cholera morbus, as if it were a -complaint that had never appeared in the world till just now, though -it is well known to be a disease that has infested India for ages, -and if it were of the pestilential character attributed to it, would -have swept away the natives of that part of the universe from the face -of the earth ages ago, nor should we witness now shoals of Europeans -flocking thither to make their fortunes, if setting foot on Asiatic -soil was next to instant death; nor is its progress in England any -credit to the medical profession, some of whom are evidently grasping -at it as a god send to benefit the faculty, by frightening the public -out of their wits, and setting in action the machinery of Boards of -Health, some of the members of which may know as much about cholera -morbus, as the Chinese of Scotch philosophy. Pshaw! doctors of the -north, with all your dissecting--cannot you control Nature's volcano, -nor grapple with diarrhœa, puking and spasms, either of which you would -be ashamed to allow it to appear you could not treat efficiently, if -Nature had any strength. It seems, that part first of the cholera -morbus farce has concluded at Sunderland, and the Board of Health -dissolved. But why so, good ex-members of it? Is not _health_ still to -be dispensed, or has disease wholly vanished through your exertions? -Happy must the people of Sunderland be, with such a miraculous -invention as "A Board of Health," which throws the miracle-working -German prince into the shade, and I suppose gives a hope, that the -greatest of all the blessings of human life, an exemption from disease, -are thus to be obtained! What need have we of anatomy or physic, when -Boards of Health can be formed, and able to root out of the systems of -mankind the horror of horrors, "_Cholera Morbus!_"' - -We admit that the foregoing remarks have no immediate relevancy to -the subject under our discussion; but on the other hand, we consider -that no opportunity ought to be allowed to escape, by which one of -the greatest and most prejudicial deceptions that has been practised -upon the country, can be exposed in all its noxious and alarming -consequences. If the cholera morbus question were confined, simply as -a bugbear, to frighten a score of silly nervous people, it might pass -over as wholly unworthy of any attention, and be suffered to live as -long as a few unprincipled empirics found it their interests to keep it -alive; but when it becomes a question, on which the actual welfare of -the country rests, on which the ruin of thousands is made to depend; -by which commerce is thrown into a state of stagnation, and the usual -channels of industry so choked up, that misery and want stare us in -the face, whithersoever we turn our eyes, and which are in themselves -sufficient actually to produce, and to aggravate the very disease, -which the sapient heads of the Board of Health have distinguished by -the name of the cholera morbus--then it becomes the duty of every man, -to use every exertion in his power to check the growing evil, to expose -the infamous and selfish views of the propagators of the bugbear, and -then leave them to the contempt and indignation of an offended and -injured country. We should be justly accused of digression, were we -here to enter into any further exposition of this subject; but we do -hope that some spirited individuals will seriously and patriotically -take up the matter, and so bring the unprincipled abettors of the -cholera morbus plague before the tribunals of their country, that -they themselves may no longer be allowed to be a plague, and that the -_heads_ of the heads of the Boards of Health may be consigned over to -the executioner of Newgate, to be dealt with by him as seemeth best in -his eyes. - -'There is no occasion in my opinion,' Mr. Sleight proceeds, 'to argue -for human bodies being hacked, and cut up piecemeal for students' -improvement; as the carcasses and extremities of old horses, cows, -bulls, &c., would do quite as well, for familiarizing them to the use -of the knife in operations, which I believe to be the principal object; -as well as those of sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, &c., are -sufficient for demonstrating the action and economy of Nature, as its -principles are the same in the human and the brute creation,--as to the -pulsation of the heart, the circulation of the blood, nervous system, -&c., which for illustrating physiology would be quite sufficient; but, -if anatomists are determined to have none other than human subjects, -they and their pupils should be sent to the Sierra Leone settlement, -where they might perhaps obtain them in abundance, and very cheap. Of -all the world, this is the most proper place to locate the anatomical -departments of the Scotch London University, King's College, and -dissecting-schools; for at this pestilential place medical students -would have to endeavour to preserve their own health, and I believe -have to search more into the principles of sound medical treatment of -diseases than they do in England; and thus be really useful in the -cause of humanity to those of their fellow men, who are resident in -that abode of death, as well as be prepared to cure diseases in a more -skilful way than by the regimen of 'Buchan's Domestic Medicine,' which -I once saw on a newly-commenced practitioner's table in a country -village, a copy of which I bought for three shillings. As to replacing -dislocated joints, there is not a tinker more bungling at mending a -kettle, than some professional men are at setting them; nor is there a -student who has passed his examinations, and is authorized to practise, -who could use a knife, in the difficult case I have before mentioned, -equal to the sow-gelder, but who if he attempted it, his hair would I -dare say stand as erect as the quills of the fretful porcupine. - -'The more dissections which students perform, can never make them -expert operators, in cases of extracting a stone from the bladder, -reducing a hernia with a knife, or cutting off a limb of a living -subject; as their operations require, to become skilful at them, a more -frequent practice than occurs in the course of a country surgeon's -business, and when any do arise, the anxiety of the operator and array -of professional attendance show what little confidence there is of -success. - -'The provisions of the "Anatomy Bill," as to an appropriation of -subjects for dissection being _voluntary_ is very proper, as any -attempt to make a compulsory one would be sure to fail; for those of -the community who see a necessity for anatomical study being prosecuted -by the use of the knife on human dead bodies, might by bequeathing -their mortal remains when dead, as it is to be expected the members of -the medical profession, would be the first to volunteer, afford such -a supply of subjects as would be sufficient for the London anatomical -schools; this being extended to country towns is quite out of the -question, as I believe they would not be endured. So incensed would -the public be against them, if subjects were forcibly furnished, -that they would be upset very quickly, unless guarded by a park of -artillery, but a dissecting practitioner of medicine would soon find -his loss in the account of business, as many poor persons, I conceive, -would rather suffer all that the pains of disease could inflict, -than that their earthly remains should be compulsorily consigned -to the dissecting-knife, for a little medicine. Vulgar prejudice -cannot be pleaded as an impediment to those persons who think anatomy -is necessary in promoting surgical skill, as no soul possessed of -human feelings in any degree, would ever think of grasping, for -anatomization, an individual who was averse from dissection, and -selfishly reserve his body from the dissecting-knife, and allow the -science of anatomy, so far as his good will to promote it extended, -to go to the d--l; though this is precisely, I believe, the character -of Scotch philosophy, to make anything subservient to its purpose, -but is not disposed to make any sacrifice. I apprehend it is none but -Scotch writers who, however intellectual or educated they may be, have -had the insolence to invent the phrase, and call the aversion of the -poor from dissection "a vulgar prejudice," and only select them as -subjects for anatomists, as they have done to find out that the vitals -of English labourers should be wasted by law and Gospel in providing -means for sinecurists and titled pensioners to subsist on. Peasantry, -indeed! They are not shot at like game, certainly; but if they can be -induced to submit to be made brutes of, there seems to be no want of -inclination in Scotch philosophy that they should; for so transfused -does this villainous idea appear to be into the minds of some reading -Englishmen, of "higher orders, lower orders, vulgar prejudice," &c., -that a stupid fellow that I heard talking on the subject of Burking, -who appeared to be what is called a gentleman farmer, said it was only -from vulgar prejudice that the poor objected to be dissected; but -when he was asked if he should like for his wife and daughter to be -anatomized, he became silent, and stared as if he had been a Burked -subject revived. - -'The feelings which Britons have hitherto entertained, I hope will -never be suppressed by a beastly indifference towards the disposing -of the remains of the dead, to be cut up by beardless students, for -the benefit of an anatomist's pocket, or to see, as I once heard one -say, what _guts_, as he expressed it, are made of. The Anatomy Bill, -however, will not, if it should become law, be what anatomists want, -which is, subjects fresh, cheap, and by wholesale; though voluntarily -this will never be the case, and is rather to prevent bodies being -dissected which are murdered, by causing a certificate from a medical -man--but I think any relative would be better--that the person deceased -had died a natural death; for any one, unless he be an idiot, can know -this as well as a doctor; and which, I propose, should also distinctly -state the consent of the person it might refer to, that his or her -body, when dead, should be dissected; though, except repealing so much -of former enactments as to the illegality of possessing a dead human -body, this bill, in my view, will not facilitate anatomical study by -dissection, but otherwise, as it appears that bodies of murderers are -to be interred at a cross highway, instead of being dissected, which -has been considered a proper part of the punishment for that crime. - -'The Creator of the universe and Father of mankind, under whose -peculiar care the Israelites were, gave no direction to Moses relative -to any dissection of them; whose infinite wisdom gave the almighty -fiat, 'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return,' and which has -been responded in all ages, in the respect paid to the remains of -departed life, and will continue to be so, as long as the feelings of -human nature remain what they have been. Notwithstanding the discovery -of Scotchmen, that it is only a vulgar prejudice, there have none -come forward to authorise their brawny bodies to be dissected, nor -ever will, so long as a parliament would create a law appropriating -the poor. However, it would only be proper that any legislation -compulsorily providing human subjects for dissection should be reserved -for a reformed parliament, and let the country see how it will deal -with the matter. But, come what may, it would be better that practical -human anatomy should altogether cease; and rather would I see it to be -the case, than that the feelings of the poor and friendless should be -outraged, and they so degraded as to be reduced to a level with brutes; -as ages after ages show that mankind can exist, and have existed -equally as well as they do now, where anatomy was not practised at all, -or even thought of, and that, too, in a period when the baiting a bull -is considered as repugnant to humanity, and the thrashing of a horse or -ass punished by fine or imprisonment. - -'In concluding these brief reflections, I have just to observe, as to a -publication purporting to be a memorial from the Council of the Royal -College of Surgeons, (a pompous title truly!) to the Home Secretary -of State, that it is sickening to read such a whining inuendo to his -Majesty's government to make a dead body law; though I would say to -those who appear to have signed it, never mind continental examples, of -which we see enough of the evil of copying in the beggarly condition of -the working people, and an enormous national debt, &c., &c., to wish -to imitate their brutal apathy to anatomy, or having our bodies sold -for six or eight shillings a piece, as at Paris, but to make shorter -work of it by proffering yourselves for dissection when departed this -life, which, as a proof of your sincerity, will be worth a thousand -stupid arguments; and this will be the way that I and hundreds more can -only judge how far a necessity for the anatomy of the dead human body -exists in your opinion, for while _you_ keep aloof, how do you ever -think that England will submit to be made subservient to the promoting -of anatomical science, when those of the surgical profession, who are -to be _sovereignly_ benefited by it, wriggle and twist, argue and -assert, rather than come to the practical point of showing example is -better than precept. If students want subjects, get the carcasses of -cattle for them, especially _calves_ and _asses_, to cut up, and I'll -warrant they will make just as good surgeons as if they had cut up -human bodies; for, however they may smatter over descriptive anatomy at -their examinations, they know as little about it a year after as the -man in the moon; but if Englishmen will shut their eyes and open their -mouths to swallow anything, and put an enemy in their skull to steal -away their brains, why so be it, though I hope never to see this to be -the case so long as I live; still nothing shall be wanting in my power -to prevent it,' - -So far we have given the arguments and opinions of Mr. Sleight on this -interesting subject, without at the same time attempting to refute the -one or uphold the other. We are certainly inclined to give Mr. Sleight -all due credit for the humanity and feeling which have prompted him to -enter the arena in support of a cause in which, as Sterne says, there -is much to be said on both sides. That Mr. Sleight, however, has taken -a wrong view of the subject in many points cannot be doubted; for the -very circumstance of a surgical student obtaining a correct knowledge -of the anatomy of the human frame by the dissection of a calf or an -ass, is so utterly devoid of all sense and reason, that our surprise -is great that any individual could for a moment entertain it, much -less make it a part of his groundwork for an attack on the promotion -and extension of anatomical science. We strongly suspect that, if Mr. -Sleight were so unfortunate as to dislocate a joint, or fracture a -limb, he would hesitate for some time before he entrusted himself for a -cure to the care of an individual who had never dissected a human body -in his life, but had always been practising his knife upon calves and -asses. There exists little or no analogy in the structure of the human -frame and that of either of the animals alluded to, and the study of -the anatomy of the horse and of man is as distinct and separate as -two subjects can possibly be. Each of them forms a positive branch of -human knowledge; and upon the same principle that a human anatomist -would commit the most lamentable blunders were he to be guided in his -professional career by his knowledge of animal anatomy, so would the -veterinarian find himself completely at fault were he to attempt the -case of a dislocation or a fracture on his mere knowledge of human -anatomy. The great question, however, is--if it be decided, and we -hesitate not to affirm that it has been decided, in the affirmative -by the most competent and unprejudiced judges, that dissection is -actually necessary to complete and perfect the education of a medical -student--in what manner are human subjects to be procured, by which -that desirable end can be fully obtained? It cannot for a moment be -entertained, that any member of the profession would sanction or -connive at the practices of the Burkers, in order that a constant and -regular supply of subjects may be obtained for the education of the -medical student; but as the law now stands, every obstacle is thrown -in the way of the student perfecting himself in the science to which -he has devoted himself, at the same time that the law is imperative -upon him, that before he shall be allowed to practise publicly as a -surgeon, he shall undergo the most strict and rigid examination as to -his knowledge of anatomy, which knowledge is only to be acquired by -dissection, and from which he must be necessarily shut out by the very -difficulty of obtaining the means of acquiring it. - -We have already, in a previous part of this work, given at large the -arguments advanced not only by professional men, but others wholly -unconnected with the science, in favour of the facility which ought -to be granted in the procuring of dead bodies, and it is only fair -that both sides of the question should be heard. It is only by a -collision of opinions that truth can be elicited; and on a question of -such vital interest, and which, in some of its features, has aroused -the attention of the country in a manner unprecedented, it may not be -without its uses to place all the arguments, as it were, in a state -of juxtaposition, and thence be able to draw those results, which may -ultimately prove of the greatest benefit to those who are so deeply -concerned in the final establishment of the law, and in the removal of -those difficulties which at present press so heavily on the promotion -and advancement of anatomical science. - -The entire weight of the objections and the opposition which has been -raised against the Anatomy Bill appears to rest on the outrage which -some of its enactments would inflict on the poor and friendless, and -we are free to admit that if it were by law made compulsory on the -pauper to give his body after death to dissection, such law would be a -scandal upon the country, and in direct opposition to the principles -of humanity and Christianity. But the objection to the Anatomy Bill -wholly dies away when it is expressly provided in it, that if the -pauper consents not voluntarily to the anatomization of his body after -death, that the overseers of the parish shall not be warranted in the -disposal of the corpse of that pauper, but that it shall be buried -according to the general custom. The only suspicion which rests on our -mind in this case is, that were a pauper known to be wholly friendless, -and without any relations, some clandestine work might be set on foot -to obtain that consent surreptitiously,--inasmuch as the price which -his body fetched would go into the hands of the parish officers; and -thus a door might be opened to the introduction of many serious -abuses, which might ultimately defeat every humane intention of the -legislature, and give the anti-anatomists the most formidable weapons -in their hands, wherewith to combat their doughty opponents, and it -would then be an easy task to determine on which side the victory -would be gained. Mr. Sleight suggests, in some measure to obviate this -objection, that the certificate of the voluntary surrender by the -pauper of his body for dissection shall not only be signed by a medical -man but also by a relative; but we are putting the question that the -pauper has no friend nor relative, which is, unfortunately, too often -the case with the wretched inmate of the workhouse, and the law, having -sanctioned the disposal of the body, it is in perfect keeping with -the natural depravity of the human character, when gain and emolument -are the objects to be obtained, to suppose that the most punctilious -deference will be paid to the dying wishes of the pauper, or that some -advantage will not be taken of his helpless and unfriended condition -to induce him to subscribe to a document, at which, under any other -circumstances, every feeling of his heart would revolt at. The very -saving which would accrue to the parish arising from the expenses of -the funerals, which, although taken individually, may be small, but if -collectively, amount to a considerable sum in the course of a year, -would also operate on the mind of the parish functionaries to promote -as much as possible the disposal of the body to the surgeons, for in -the latter case it would be a positive gain--in the former, a positive -loss. - -It is naturally to be expected, that the whole medical procession -will be in array against those who, by their writings, even dare -to insinuate that the resurrectionists have not been induced to -commit murder, on account of the great facility with which the body -is disposed of, and the deep and almost impenetrable secresy with -which negotiations of that nature are carried on. The whole business, -however, resolves itself into this simple question: is it, or is it -not in the power of a professed surgeon, to whom a body may be offered -for sale, to determine, on the very first view of it, whether the -subject died a natural death, or whether force or violence has been -used to effect the destruction of life? If the question be answered -in the negative, that the surgeon has no means of arriving at a just -conclusion, what then becomes of the boasted superiority of medical -science over that which was possessed by our forefathers? and yet, it -is not less true, that the medical profession must shelter themselves -behind this shield of ignorance, if they are to stand wholly absolved -in the eyes of the country for having secretly connived at the horrid -practices of the Burkers. We remember that, on the trial of Bishop -and Williams, Mr. Partridge was asked by what circumstance he was -led to draw the conclusion that the body of the Italian boy had -never been buried?--his answer was, that he was chiefly led to form -that conclusion on account of there being no saw-dust in the hair! -This information was a guide to all future Burkers, to take especial -care that, in any future murders, that sign of inhumation should -not be wanting; but it spoke very little for the extent of medical -knowledge as to the appearance and symptoms of a violent death, that -the conclusion of a murder should be drawn from a mere custom in no -way connected with surgical science. It is undoubted, that the body -of Mrs. Walsh and of Sarah Vesey were both of them disposed of to the -anatomical schools; and in one instance, it was thought requisite by -the head of one of our greatest hospitals publicly to deny the fact, -that the body of the former had been purchased for the benefit of -that institution. We have had before us, in the evidence of young -Cook, the exact manner in which his mother deprived Mrs. Walsh of her -life, and we have it also in evidence, that on the following day the -negotiation for the sale of the body commenced. Now, what opinion must -be formed of the extent of the medical skill of those persons, and we -forbear to mention their names, to whom that body was offered, if they -could not distinctly and immediately perceive that it had not come -to its death by natural means, but by an act of the most determined -violence? It would be drawing too largely on the credulity of any one -to suppose for a moment, that persons daily and hourly acquainted with -every mark and symptom of a natural death, should not be able at one -glance to determine, that such could not be the case with the body of -Mrs. Walsh. As to the absence of the usual symptoms of burial, we are -silent upon them, because it is well known, that the resurrectionists -do not obtain _all_ the subjects which they dispose of from the -churchyard, but that they are indebted for a great number to the -obliging civility of the keepers of the workhouses, particularly those -who _farm_ the poor. It is not every coffin that leaves a workhouse -that contains _what it ought to do_, and although the keepers may -know how to shelter themselves from the probability of a discovery of -acting as principals in the business, yet there are well known methods -by which they secretly connive at the stealing of a body, which being -well known to be that of a friendless creature, is never likely to -be inquired after, nor demanded from their hands to be buried in any -other manner than at the parish expense; the absence therefore of the -usual symptoms of burial, may not therefore be considered sufficient to -excite the suspicions of the surgical professor, but if he be unable to -distinguish on the inspection of a corpse, and even on the very first -view of it, whether it came by a natural or a violent death, to what -conclusion are we then naturally driven, but that medical science is -one of the greatest humbugs of the day? It is allowed that the medical -men, who gave their evidence on the causes which occasioned the death -of Carlo Ferrari, were decidedly in error; it is true, they all agreed -that he came by his death by violence; but of the manner in which that -violence was committed, they were manifestly ignorant, that is if that -part of the confession of Bishop is to be credited, wherein he relates -the manner in which he was accustomed to dispose of his victims,--and -to that part of his statement we never heard that any discredit was -attached. We, therefore, revert to the original question, was the -surgical professor, to whom the body of Caroline Walsh was disposed of, -before it had scarcely become cold, so utterly ignorant of the general -symptoms of a natural death, as not to discern immediately that no such -symptoms did present themselves in the corpse then before him, and -consequently that he was morally and religiously bound, as in the case -of Mr. Partridge and Mr. Hill, at the King's College, to institute a -full inquiry into the causes of the death of the subject, and to hold -the persons in custody who brought the corpse, until the requisite -information had been obtained? We know, and it is a melancholy idea -to entertain, that the improvement and knowledge of one of the most -useful of human sciences, are made to depend on the services of a -set of the most abominable miscreants who disgrace human society. It -is certain that the proprietors of the anatomical schools, and even -the heads of the hospitals, although in their hearts they detest the -practices of the men, yet they are obliged to truckle and to display a -degree of servile subserviency to them, or otherwise the means would -be cut off by which their anatomical studies could be prosecuted. We -have it from the authority of the proprietor of an anatomical school, -that he dare not give offence to any of the resurrectionists, for -that they have it in their power to ruin any anatomical school in the -metropolis. This circumstance alone may account for that apparent -indifference which has been exhibited by the heads of the hospitals, -and the proprietors of anatomical schools, in ascertaining the causes -by which a subject came by his death; for to express any suspicion -that it was occasioned by violence, would be met by the most ferocious -indignation, and accompanied perhaps by threats, not of the most -pleasant nature. Subjects, say the anatomists, must be had, and we -must not therefore give offence to those individuals, who are the only -channel by which we can obtain those materials wherewith our studies -can be prosecuted. We know of one instance, in which, subsequently to -the execution of Bishop, a subject was taken to an anatomical school, -and the proprietor proceeded to examine it, in order to ascertain -the manner of its death, and having put some pertinent questions to -the wretch who brought it, which were not very agreeable to _his -feelings_, he with the most violent oaths, huddled up his nauseous -load in his sack, swearing that he would never bring another subject -to that school. Here, then, the medical men are placed in a state of -great difficulty and embarrassment. With the consciousness that they -have an important duty to perform, in investigating the cause of the -death of the subjects which are offered to them, they also know that -if such duty be performed, they have nothing more to do than to close -the doors of their schools, or follow the advice of Mr. Sleight, and -take to the dissection of calves and asses. One of the most celebrated -resurrectionists of the present day, and who, we have good reason -to believe, was the chief instigator of all the annoyance which Mr. -Hill of the King's College has received, has been heard to declare -that he would be d----d if he would take a body to any place, where -any questions were asked him; and this man, who possesses an uncommon -degree of natural shrewdness, once retorted upon a professor, who -put rather a significant question to him,--' Have you been studying -to your time of life, and not be able to distinguish at once between -a Burked subject, and one that has died a natural death? It is only -the fool that asks questions.' Thus it is at once apparent, that -some legislative enactment is imperatively called for, by which the -professors and students of one of the most useful and liberal of human -sciences may be released from this degrading and disgraceful state of -dependence on a set of wretches, who are the very refuse of society, -and their high and honourable feelings not daily and hourly wounded -by being slavishly obliged to truckle to the miscreants, for the very -materials by which their professional pursuits can be carried on. - -We may be accused for this prolixity in our discussion on this -interesting subject, but the public attention is so keenly alive to -every circumstance connected with it, and to the adoption of those -measures, by which a repetition of the horrors may be avoided, by which -the metropolis of this country has been of late, to its great dishonour -and infamy, distinguished, that we would not allow the opportunity -to escape us, of treating the subject in all its various bearings, -and from which, perhaps, may result the gradual removal of those -difficulties which beset the promotion of surgical education. - -We shall now return to the alleged murder of Sarah Vesey, from which -we were led to digress by the foregoing exposition of the conflicting -opinions relative to the supply of the anatomical schools, which, -trammelled as they are at present by legal enactments, are wholly -incompetent to furnish the instruction that is so much desired, and -on which the safety and health of the whole community may be said to -depend. - -Mrs. Cook, unfortunately, found Sarah Vesey too ready to lend a willing -ear to all her artful and villainous insinuations, and she ultimately -so well succeeded as to induce the girl to quarrel with the mistress -with whom she lived, and without giving her any notice, left her house -at night, not even taking her clothes with her. - -The sudden and mysterious disappearance of the girl excited a -considerable sensation in the neighbourhood, and the most active -inquiries were set on foot to discover the fate which had befallen -her. Amongst others, Mr. Lea, of the Lambeth-street police-office, was -instructed to make some inquiries; and learning that the girl was in -the habit of frequenting Mrs. Cook's room, he repaired thither, and -with the knowledge he possessed of the infamous and abandoned character -of the wretch, his suspicions were strongly excited as to the manner -in which the unfortunate girl had been disposed of. On questioning two -of the people who lodged in the same house with Mrs. Cook, Mr. Lea was -informed that they remembered the girl coming about the time that she -left her place to inquire if Mrs. Cook was at home, and Mrs. Cook met -her on the stairs, and said, 'Come up, we are just going to supper; -we have got some herrings and potatos.' It was one of the lodgers -who lighted Sarah up stairs, and the following morning, about seven -o'clock, the man was looking out of his window smoking his pipe. The -room which was occupied by Mrs. Cook was above that occupied by this -man, and on her looking out, and perceiving that her fellow-lodger was -also looking out of his window, she exclaimed with an oath, 'What are -you looking after? cannot you keep to your work?' The lodger, however, -was not to be removed from his station by the obstreperous language -of Mrs. Cook, but continued looking out at the window; and in a short -time afterwards Cook was observed to leave the house with a sack on -his shoulder, apparently containing something heavy. Cook being out -of sight, Mrs. Cook called to the man below, saying, 'Now, you b----y -snob, are you a bit the wiser for what you have seen? Can't a person -remove a little rubbish out of their house, without having a set of -devils to watch us?--Take care you are not caught in the trap some day -or other.' From the natural dread which every one of the lodgers in -the house entertained of this horrid woman, it was not deemed prudent -to prosecute any inquiry into the circumstances of the conduct of Cook -in carrying away a load, as it was termed, of rubbish from the house; -for although the vicious and degenerate dispositions of Mrs. Cook were -well known, it was not suspected that she went the length of murdering -the unfortunate creatures whom she enticed within the precincts of her -loathsome dwelling. - -At the time of the disappearance of Sarah Vesey, she wore a particular -kind of bonnet, made of brown silk, with a very flat crown; for some -months after the disappearance of the girl, Mrs. Cook wore a bonnet of -the exact description of silk, and similar in the make, &c. When Mr. -Lea questioned young Cook respecting Sarah Vesey, the boy said, that he -perfectly remembered a girl exactly resembling the description of Sarah -Vesey coming to his mother's lodgings, and one night in particular -she slept on the stairs. The boy further stated, on his making some -inquiries of his mother respecting the girl, that she had no father -nor mother, that she had been brought up in Whitechapel workhouse, and -that it was from a feeling of humanity and charity that she gave the -girl a lodging for the night. Of the ultimate fate of this unfortunate -girl no doubt now remains in the minds of those who, in an official -capacity, have been employed to make the necessary inquiries after her, -for no trace of her whatever can be discovered, subsequently to the -last time that she was known to enter Mrs. Cook's lodgings. - -We have good reason to suppose that the body of this girl, as well as -that of Mrs. Walsh, did not go out of the parish, and a particular -individual, whom we shall have occasion to mention hereafter, is -strongly pointed at as having been the purchaser of both the bodies. -Here then we have an instance of a healthy young woman, without the -slightest indication of any disease about her, secretly murdered by a -female fiend, and her body immediately sold for dissection; and the -medical man, whose experience ought to have enabled him immediately -to distinguish the manner in which the subjects came by their death, -clandestinely purchasing the bodies, and thus conniving at and -encouraging the horrid crime of murder. It is in vain to attempt to -mystify the matter, or to throw over these transactions the palliation -of their existence as necessary evils; the fact will still always -remain uncontrovertible, that it is the great facility attending the -disposal of their ill-gotten property, the great gain attending it, -and the almost certain escape from detection, the buyer being almost -as deeply implicated in the crime as the seller, that has brought the -crime of murder in this country to a system, which appears to set at -defiance the strong arm of the law, and of which the discovery of a few -solitary cases, and the punishment which has been inflicted upon the -criminals, have not wholly abolished. - -The cellar in Mrs. Cook's house was generally selected by her as the -place in which to conceal her victims; this place was always covered -with straw, for as it was a place to which all the lodgers had access, -it was requisite that some material should be always ready at hand, -wherewith to cover any subject that had fallen under her murderous -grasp. In regard to herself, she would never allow a candle to be taken -into this place, alleging the danger that might accrue from the straw -taking fire; but the other lodgers demurred to this prohibition on -the part of the hag, declaring that, from the extraordinary number of -rats which infested the place, it was not safe to enter it without a -light. One night one of the lodgers descended into the cellar, and to -his great surprise found an old woman asleep in one of the corners of -it. The man questioned her as to the manner in which she got admittance -into the cellar, and the reason for secreting herself in such a -loathsome and a dismal place, but to all his inquiries she either could -not or would not give an answer. There was, however, little doubt that -she had been enticed thither by Mrs. Cook, and that she was on that -night to be included in the number of her murdered victims. - -Keenly alive as the human mind is to every thing that is extraordinary -and wonderful, yet in the cases of the murders committed by the -Burkers, the crime appeared to be too great to be believed. It was -treated by many as an idle tale, framed to feed the vulgar appetite -for the marvellous, and too horrible for any credulity to be attached -to it; nor need we wonder that the most credulous should have been -startled by the recital of such atrocious cruelty, which far surpasses -anything that is usually found in the records of crime. The offence -of murder, dreadful as it is, is unhappily too familiar in our -criminal proceedings; but such an artfully contrived and deliberate -scheme, such a systematic traffic of blood as were disclosed on the -trials of Bishop, Williams and May, of Calkin and of Mrs. Cook, were -certainly never before heard of in this country. It is a new passage -in our domestic history, it is entirely out of the ordinary range of -iniquity, and stands by itself a solitary monument of villainy, such -as would seem almost to mark an extinction in the heart of all those -social sympathies which bind man to his fellow men, and even of that -light of conscience which awes the most hardened by the fear of final -retribution. In works of fiction, no doubt, where the writer to produce -effect borrows the aid of his imagination, we have accounts of such -deeds, perpetrated, perhaps, in the secret chambers of some secluded -castle, or in the deep recesses of some lone and sequestered haunt. -But the awful and striking peculiarity of the cases which we have -been now exhibiting, lies not in the high-wrought scenes of romance, -but in the sober records of judicial inquiry; a den of murderers in -the very bosom of civilized society, in the heart of our populous -city, amid the haunts of business and the bustle of ordinary life, -who have been, if we may so speak, living on their fellow-creatures, -as their natural prey. Words would fail to convey an idea of the -sensation that was excited in the court, as, in the progress of the -trial, the horrid details of the murder of Mrs. Walsh were gradually -unfolded, independently of the novel and extraordinary scene which -was exhibited of the guilt of the mother being proved by her own -offspring. At every view of this unhappy story, it assumes a deeper -dye. What a fearful character does it present of cunning and violence, -the true ingredients of villainy. From first to last we see the same -spirit of iniquity at work to contrive and to execute. We witness no -doubt, no wavering, no compunctious visiting of the conscience, nor -any soft relenting, but a stern deliberation of purpose that is truly -diabolical; and it is fearful to reflect that persons capable of -such crimes should have been so long haunting our streets, mixing in -society, and coolly selecting subjects for their sanguinary trade. - -Amongst the other peculiarities of the present cases, we may remark -that such acts of savage atrocity are rather out of place in so -civilized a community as that in which we live. They are not in unison -with the moral tone of society. Crimes of violence are generally -supposed to be the natural product of barbarism. They grow up to -frightful maturity in that congenial soil; and all savage communities -are accordingly distinguished by cruelty, and the most profligate -indifference to human life. As mankind improve, and as knowledge -is diffused, those crimes disappear, and are succeeded by others -sufficiently odious, no doubt, but still of a less atrocious nature. -The same process by which we cultivate the intellectual faculties, -would seem also to open the heart to more humane sentiments, and to -more kindly feelings. But however we may improve society and diffuse -instruction, there is still a vast expanse of ignorance, poverty, -and vice, which we may lessen by active efforts, but which we cannot -altogether remove; and it is in this intellectual desert, if we may -so speak, where nothing that is humane, enlightened, or moral ever -springs up to refresh the eye, that crimes are produced. Under the -influence of ignorance, all the best affections of the human heart -wither and lie dead; and it is chiefly from those who are within its -sphere that the ranks of crime are recruited, and that occasionally -such wretches arise as Burke, Bishop, Williams, and Cook, who distance -all competitors in iniquity, and shock the feelings of the age by -their enormous crimes. It will generally be found that these criminals -are not only wicked and immoral, but that they are uneducated and -ignorant, living, no doubt, in a civilized community, and with certain -habits of civilization, scarcely, if at all, raised above the level -of savages. Hence the vast importance to society of the diffusion of -knowledge, of bringing all ranks under some process of mental tuition, -and of establishing schools where instruction and morality--for they -go together--are retailed at a cheap rate. It is only in this way that -we can insure the decrease of crimes, and more especially of such -atrocious crimes as have been recently perpetrated. - -It may appear paradoxical, but it is nevertheless true, that in -proportion as civilization has advanced in this country, crime has -risen in its enormity. The philosopher is at a loss to account for the -existence of this anomaly; for if an effect be in direct opposition to -the principles of the cause, there must be either something deficient -in that cause, or that it has been erroneously selected as the means -requisite to produce the desired end. The cosmopolite looks into the -history of other nations, and comparing the extent of crime which -took place whilst they were in a state of barbarism and ignorance, -with that which is exhibited when they have emerged from their savage -state, and the light of science and of learning has been diffused -around them, he is struck with astonishment at the difference which is -displayed, and is thence apt to draw his conclusion, that it would have -been better for the interests of society if man had remained in his -rude, uncultivated state, than, by enjoying the supposed advantages of -civilization, have progressed in crime and villainy. - -In regard to the principle that it is only the uneducated and the -ignorant who are the perpetrators of the greatest crimes, our daily -experience flatly contradicts it. May was by no means an uneducated -man. And if we take a still further retrospective view, and investigate -the character and condition of Burke, we are led still more decidedly -to adhere to the opinion that the quantum of crime does not depend -upon the extent or the deficiency of education. In fact, such is the -strong tendency of mankind to revolt from the idea of such unnatural -enormities being committed in aught of human shape, that when the -system of traffic which had been practised by Burke and his associates -first flashed in full disclosure on men's understandings, not a few -were inclined to search, in some extenuating circumstances of this -kind, for a cause of palliation of this unparalleled wretch's iniquity. -It was at least not an impossible supposition that the wretched man -might have been labouring under a total insensibility of moral and even -of intellectual feeling, arising from an entire want of education, -from a mind dull and inert in its perceptions, originally, and not -only in after life allowed to lie waste, but rendered still more -callous and impassive every day by a constant contact with scenes of -infamy. Could we, indeed, imagine that Burke had been left to have -his character formed under an accumulation of influences fatal and -awful to contemplate as these are,--that his life had been always -spent in profligate habits and dissolute haunts,--that he had been -born with a ferocious and indocile nature, and bred in situations -which barred all progressive movements to good,--that, in short, he -never had any ideas poured into his intellect, or any human feelings -generated in his bosom,--then, perhaps, it might furnish matter of -curious investigation to the metaphysician, whether he were not, after -all, a case which called for deep sympathy. But a sufficiency of the -history of this extraordinary man has transpired to show that he at -least was not placed in any such deplorable predicament. His education -and rank of life, instead of having been by any means of the lowest -order, were such as, in the judgment of the world, and on the authority -of experience, are held of necessity to humanize and inform the mind, -and to communicate perfectly just conceptions of moral distinctions. -It must also appear singular that the mind of Burke was by no means -closed against the truths of religion. He was brought up in the Roman -Catholic faith; but as a Catholic, he was considered wonderfully free -from prejudice, frankly entering into discussions upon the doctrines -of his church, or those of other sects, with whose tenets he showed -some acquaintance. He read the Scriptures, particularly the New -Testament, and other religious books, and discussed their merits. On -a Sabbath especially, although he never attended a place of worship, -he was seldom to be seen without a Bible, or some book of devotion -in his hands. He attended the prayer meetings which were held on the -Sunday evenings in the Grass-market, Edinburgh, and was for some time -remarked as one of its most regular and intelligent members. He never -omitted one of its meetings, and expressed much regret when they were -discontinued. In addition to this, many people hold it to have been -made out that Burke was a man of strong mind, and of an understanding -much superior to his condition. When, therefore, he stood convicted -before his country as one who, for his livelihood, had been a wholesale -dealer in human slaughter, he stood without the benefit of one single -mitigating circumstance to weaken the profound sense of horror and -indignation which pervaded all hearts. - -We have touched upon this trait in the character of Burke, for the -purpose of establishing the negative, that even religion is not -sufficient to deter men from the commission of the most horrid crimes. -We have recently had an instance in the case of Holloway, in whose -mind the principles of religion were inculcated at an early period, -and who professed to adhere to those principles whilst standing on the -scaffold, that they were in themselves incompetent to deter him from -the commission of one of the most horrid murders recorded in the annals -of the country. If, therefore, neither education, civilization, nor -religion be sufficient to effect the prevention of crime, to what other -power are we to have recourse in order to bring about such a desirable -benefit for the human race? We despair of giving a satisfactory answer -to that question. The penal laws of the country have been found -insufficient; in fact, notwithstanding their unexampled severity, and -which is stigmatized as a national disgrace, the most heinous crimes -continue to be perpetrated, as if there were no laws existing by which -the criminal could be punished for his misdeeds. - -It would occupy too much of our pages to enter here into any -disquisition on the effect of capital punishments on the morals of -the people; but we cannot forbear expressing our opinion that the -legislators of this country appear to be the most ignorant of any of -those nations professing to be civilized, in all matters on which the -prevention of crime depends; and whilst they have before them such a -splendid example of human wisdom as the code of Napoleon, they will -still adhere to the customs of their forefathers, which assimilate not -with the present state of society, and which have been found to be, and -are declared wholly inefficacious as a remedy for the evil which they -pretend to cure. - -As a female, Mrs. Cook may be considered as one of the most atrocious -murderers of the age in which she lived, or of any preceding one. -Essentially, and in her real character, an ignoble, base, meanspirited -wretch, this wholesale assassin, by the mere extinction or obliteration -of every moral principle and feeling of her nature, now stands out in -strong relief from the long and black catalogue of those who have most -signalized themselves by their daring violation of the laws both of God -and man. Ordinary homicides slay from passion or revenge; the murders -they commit are the product of an ungovernable and overmastering -impulse which hurls reason from her seat, and in the wild conflict of -guilty passion, precipitates them into the commission of acts, which -are no sooner done, than they would perhaps give the universe if -they were undone. But Cook and her criminal predecessors possess the -horrid and anomalous distinction of having, without the palliation of -passion, or of any other motive which a just view of human infirmity -can admit in extenuation, and from a base and sordid love of gain, -and of acquiring the means of rioting in drunkenness, profligacy and -iniquity of every sort, established a traffic in blood, upon principles -of cool calculation, and an utter recklessness of either God or man, -which would have done no discredit to Mammon himself. Hence it is that -Bishop, Williams, and the others convicted of the horrid crime of -Burking, are perhaps the only criminals who have died on the scaffold, -not only without exciting an emotion of pity in a human bosom, but -amidst the curses, both loud and deep, of the assembled thousands who -witnessed the ignominious termination of their guilty career. The wild -shouts of exultation which saluted them upon their appearance on the -scaffold, and which rung in their ears with still fiercer acclamations -when the world was closing on them for ever, must have appalled even -the hearts of ice within their worthless bosoms, and sounded as the -knell of a judgment to come, where the spirits of the slain would rise -up before them, to demand a just retribution. - -Were we to select any of the most atrocious cases which are recorded in -the Newgate Calendar, we could not perhaps select one more appropriate -to warn the juvenile offender from the horrid vice of drunkenness, than -the case which is now before us of Mrs. Cook. To her inordinate love of -spirits may be traced almost all the crimes which she committed. Her -first step, after obtaining possession of her ill-gotten wealth, was -to the gin-shop; where, having drank to excess, she would take home -with her an additional quantity, wherewith to plunge herself in all the -loathsomeness of drunkenness. - -Would that we could here read a warning lesson to those who indulge -themselves in the horrid vice of drunkenness, as the certain precursor -of their final ruin, and the destruction of all their earthly hopes. -There is scarcely any vice which entails more complicated misery -upon the unhappy wretch that is a slave to it, than intoxication. It -gradually undermines the strength and vigour both of body and mind. We -every day see the most deplorable effects of this most shameful vice -in the ruined health, constitution, and fortune of vast numbers of our -fellow-creatures. How many ingenious and industrious persons has this -vice rendered useless and worthless! How many happy families does it -daily reduce to beggary and indigence! How many innocent sufferers does -it involve in its deplorable consequences! How many have we known who -began life creditably and reputably, with a basis on which, through -industry and virtue, to rear the structure of an ample fortune, by -contracting these fatal and cursed habits, have ruined themselves and -their families for ever; for of all vices, there is no one so incurable -as this, when it is once contracted. Other vices leave us with age; -this fixes its roots deeper, and acquires strength and firmness with -declining years. It kindles an infernal spark, which is absolutely -inextinguishable. - -It was, however, against the juvenile part of the community that Mrs. -Cook directed her thieving propensities, in order to supply herself -with the daily means of satisfying her desire for spirits. It was about -two years ago that she decoyed a little boy from his home, by telling -him that she would take him to see his aunt. She conducted him through -several courts and alleys, from East Smithfield to Goodman's-yard; and -then, having enticed him into one of the dark corners, took from him a -quartern loaf, and the change of half-a-crown. She even took the frill -off the child's neck, and then told him to stay until she returned. -It is, however, surprising with what acuteness some boys are apt to -watch the motions of others; and on this occasion all the actions of -Mrs. Cook were strictly watched by a youth, as if a suspicion had -taken root in his juvenile mind that some nefarious action was about -to be perpetrated. He followed Mrs. Cook and her youthful victim to -Goodman's-yard, and after having watched her departure, he joined the -little dupe, who was anxiously awaiting the return of the 'good old -lady,' and immediately took him home to his father, a jeweller, of the -name of Harris, in East Smithfield, who made the boy a present of a -silver medal for his good and meritorious conduct. - -When Mrs. Cook was brought before the magistrates at Lambeth-street -office, charged with the murder of Mrs. Walsh, she was identified -as the person who had committed the theft on the unsuspicious boy. -She, however, did not deny the charge, thinking it perhaps of minor -importance, and seemed to treat it as a mere trifle, and wholly -unworthy of her consideration. This, however, was by no means the -only case which has come to our knowledge, in which this female fiend -committed her depredations on the young and the helpless. About -eight months ago, she was observed by a gentleman of the name of -Chapman, from his back window in Prescott-street, which looks upon -the Tenter-ground, playing with two children, and giving them cakes -and apples. This lasted for about half an hour, when she ultimately -succeeded in enticing them out of the ground. Mr. Chapman suspected -that the woman had some evil design in view towards the children, as -he judged, from the style of their dress, that they did not belong -to her, and went into Prescott-street, for the avowed purpose of -meeting her with the children. On coming up to her, he inquired if the -children belonged to her; to which she answered, that, although they -did not belong to her, she knew them very well, and was going to take -them home; giving him at the same time to understand, that it would -be as well if some people would attend to their own business, and not -interfere with that which does not concern them. Mr. Chapman, however, -was not to be daunted by the rude and insolent conduct of the wretch; -and on further inquiry he found that everything which she had said was -false, and done with the intent to deceive him. Her real design was to -decoy the children to her home, and there either to rob them of their -apparel, and turn them shivering into the streets, or secretly to make -away with them, to replenish her funds towards the support of her -drunken habits. During the time that she was confined at Lambeth-street -office, under the charge of the murder of Mrs. Walsh, Mr. Chapman came -to the office, and identified her as the same woman from whose devices -he had rescued the two children. - -Mr. Lea informs us, that he is acquainted with five persons whom Mrs. -Cook had attempted to entice to her lodgings to sleep, but who were -saved by the suspicious nature of her proceedings, and the infamy of -her character, which was so well known throughout the whole of the -neighbourhood where she resided. One circumstance, however, deserves -particular mention, as it will display the art and cunning with which -this wretch carried on her nefarious practices, and against which -the most wary could not be always upon their guard. There was an old -woman, whom Mrs. Cook had selected as one of her victims, and into -whose good graces she had tried, though in vain, to ingratiate herself. -She had pertinaciously refused to accept of her frequent invitations -to drink a cup of coffee with her, and to spend a _social_ hour, as -both of them had a great deal of time upon their hands, which might -be agreeably passed over a cup of coffee; and perhaps she would be -able to raise a sufficiency to purchase a quartern of gin wherewith -to regale themselves before parting. Mrs. Cook soon found, that -although no immediate attraction existed for the old woman in a cup -of coffee, yet that there was something which could not be resisted -in the glass of gin. She therefore began by throwing herself in the -way of the old woman, who hesitated not to accept the invitation to -enter the first gin-shop which presented itself; and Mrs. Cook began -to rise many degrees in her good opinion, on account of the kind and -liberal manner in which she treated her with her favourite beverage. -Mrs. Cook soon perceived that the suspicions of the old woman were -beginning to be lulled; and she at last admitted Mrs. Cook so far into -her confidence, as to inform her of her place of residence; and it -ultimately turned out, when almost in a state of complete intoxication, -that the old woman confessed that she had for some time gained a -precarious livelihood by robbing little children of their apparel, or -any valuables that might be about them. Mrs. Cook was, however, too -much upon her guard to make the same disclosure; but she saw in the -confession of the old woman a certain instrument of accomplishing the -purpose which she had in view. She was therefore determined to watch -the motions of the old woman more narrowly, not doubting that she -should soon succeed in entrapping her in one of her petty thefts, and -then the remainder of her plan was easy of execution. The opportunity -was not long in presenting itself; for having once detected her in -taking a coral necklace from the neck of a child, she quietly betook -herself home, and in a few hours afterwards she repaired, apparently -in the greatest bustle, to the lodgings of the old thief, informing -her that the police officers were in search of an old woman, answering -in every particular her description, who was accused of having stolen -a coral necklace from a little girl; and although she did not mean to -say that the theft had been actually committed by her, yet as it was -by no means improbable, she considered that it was but acting the part -of the friend, supposing her to be guilty, to warn her of the danger -which impended over her; and in what manner could she show her regard -more strongly than by offering her an asylum in her lodgings until the -officers had slackened in their pursuit, or had wholly relinquished it -as a fruitless task. The snare was deeply laid; but in this instance it -was cunning arrayed against cunning, and the victim escaped by removing -herself from the neighbourhood altogether; but she was afterwards -detected in her thefts in another part of the town, and sentenced to -six months imprisonment, and hard labour in the House of Correction. - -In regard to the manner in which Mrs. Cook disposed of the bodies, -a considerable degree of light was thrown upon it by an anonymous -letter, received by the Hon. G. C. Norton, of Lambeth police-office, -in which letter some dark insinuations were thrown out respecting a -medical gentleman, who was in the habit of giving lectures within -four hundred yards of Mrs. Cook's house. It was also stated in this -letter that Mr. J----y was very fond of cheap subjects; and, in fact, -intimating that his house was the receptacle of dead bodies, no matter -by what means they were procured. In consequence of the receipt of this -letter, Mr. Lea requested Mr. J----y to attend before Mr. Norton, as -it was natural to suppose that some information might be elicited from -him, which might supply some links that were wanting in the chain of -evidence against Mrs. Cook; for it was not improbable that the body of -Mrs. Walsh might be actually traced into his possession. Mr. J----y, -however, when before the magistrate, positively denied all knowledge of -the body of Mrs. Walsh; and further, that he never knew the prisoner -under the name of Cook, but under that of Ross; and that was merely -from attending her in his professional capacity. At the time when she -was under examination in the name of Cook, Mr. J----y almost took upon -himself the character of her advocate; and he endeavoured very much to -draw Mr. Norton's attention from the statement of young Cook, and even -to discredit it altogether. He alluded particularly to that part of -the statement which touched upon Mrs. Walsh having taken coffee with -Mrs. Cook; as it was not to be supposed that a person of her character -was not better acquainted with the anti-narcotic power of coffee, -than to administer it to the person whose life she contemplated; and -consequently the taking of the coffee would go in some degree to defeat -the measure which she had in view. He himself, he said, always took -coffee to keep him awake, whenever he had any nocturnal cases in hand; -and there was no proof adduced that any soporific medicine had been -administered to Mrs. Walsh, which, in all probability, would have been -the case, had she committed the murder with which she was charged. He -then proceeded to remark on the impossibility of the death of the old -woman having taken place, according to young Cook's statement, without -the most violent struggle; and further, that it almost amounted to an -impossibility for Mrs. Cook to have committed the murder by her own -individual power, without the assistance of some other person; nor was -it likely that the father of the boy should be standing all the time -that the work of death was going on, near the fireside, and withhold -his assistance towards the accomplishment of the murder. - -There is an old adage, which says, an injudicious friend is a dangerous -enemy; and in this instance the warm and indiscreet manner in which -Mr. J----y espoused the cause of Mrs. Cook, only aggravated the -suspicions against her, at the same time that neither the private nor -the professional character of the individual himself was exalted by the -measure. - -On leaving the office, Mr. J----y said to Lea, 'Some one will be let -in for this by and bye;' an insinuation which had at the time its -various interpretations; but the one to which the greatest probability -was attached, was, that it had some reference to the collusion which -existed between himself and the accused parties, relative to some -previous transactions in the disposal of dead bodies, all of which -were supposed to find their way to the lecture-room of Mr. J----y. - -At another examination of the prisoners, Mr. J----y attended -voluntarily, as he alleged, to speak to the magistrates. The prisoners, -it being then early in the forenoon, were not yet brought up for -examination; and Lea informed Mr. J----y that, if he wished it, he -might then communicate to the magistrates what he had to say, as, -most probably, several hours might elapse before the prisoners would -be brought up. Mr. J----y, however, declined the offer, saying he -would wait until the prisoners came; and he did actually wait in -and about the office for nearly four hours. That a conduct of this -kind was calculated to excite suspicion, may be easily conceived; -for an individual seldom enters into the defence or justification of -an accused person, without some ostensible motive being displayed. -Friendship, or a long acquaintance, or personal interest, may induce -a person to come forward and exert himself to obtain the exculpation -of the accused party; but in the present instance the question was -asked, what connexion could possibly exist between Mr. J----y and the -Cooks, to sanction the zealous manner in which he presented himself to -espouse their cause, at the same time that, on a previous occasion, -he had publicly stated that he knew nothing at all about them? Mr. -J----y has been heard to declare that he could always get plenty of -cheap subjects, if he had the means of paying for them; and it has been -ascertained, that although Mrs. Cook may be regarded as one of the most -finished Burkers of her time, yet that she never disposed of any of her -victims in those quarters where it was supposed she would most readily -apply, and where the greatest prices were to be obtained, namely, the -hospitals and the anatomical schools. She appeared to be contented -with almost any sum she could obtain, to satisfy the immediate -necessities of the day; and therefore the probability exists that she -did actually dispose of her victims in that quarter, where confidence -was established, and where cheapness was a primary object. - -On one occasion Mr. J----y presented himself to the magistrates during -the time that the prisoners were under examination; and although he -was very pointedly asked the cause of his thus presenting himself so -voluntarily before the magistrates, yet he sheltered himself under the -plea of a love of justice, and therefore that he considered himself -bound to come forward and state, in common justice to the accused -parties, that he knew nothing at all about them, nor did he possess any -knowledge of the manner in which they had disposed of the body of Mrs. -Walsh. Having given this statement, Mrs. Cook turned to him, saying, -'Thank you, Sir; thank you, Sir.' - -No doubt whatever exists that great suspicion attaches to this -individual in regard to his dealings with the Cooks; for he was -frequently heard to say, that he knew where to obtain cheap subjects, -if he had but the means of purchasing them. In justice to him, it must, -however, be stated, that no direct proof has ever been adduced of any -of the victims of Mrs. Cook having fallen into his hands, nor during -any part of the examination of Mrs. Cook or her husband was the name -of this individual ever implicated. It is not to be supposed that at -this remote period any clue will be obtained as to the actual disposal -of the body of Mrs. Walsh, but of its ultimate fate, no doubt whatever -rests on the public mind. - -The police establishment of Worship-street had, however, scarcely -finished their labours with Mrs. Cook and her associates, than -the attention of the Worship-street officers was directed to other -circumstances, which afforded strong grounds for suspicion that several -Burking murders had been committed by some persons who had recently -taken a house in Severn-place, Three Calfs'-lane, Bethnal-Green, -described as a lonely spot near the fields between Bethnal-Green and -the Whitechapel-road. A search-warrant was accordingly issued, and -executed by the Worship-street officers, who apprehended three persons -whom they found on the premises. - -The prisoners, George Bradley, a young fellow about twenty years of -age, Sarah Skinner, a young woman with whom he cohabited, and Louisa -Covington, alias Carpenter, his sister, were placed at the bar for -examination before Mr. Broughton; and Sarah Bradley, an elderly -Irishwoman, mother of George, who had gone to the office to see the -prisoners, was taken into custody, and placed at the bar with them. - -Mrs. HANNAH SMITH, a respectable-looking, middle-aged widow, deposed -that she lived at No. 6, Severn-place, and the two young women at the -bar lived in the next house, No. 7. She had also seen a young man -there, whom she believed to be the prisoner, George Bradley. - -The prisoner, who wore a fustian jacket, was ordered to put on a white -great-coat produced, and his hat, and the witness then said she was -sure he was the person whom she had seen go in and out of No. 7. - -The witness proceeded to state, that they were very small houses, only -one story high, and the partition between them so thin, that in her -apartment she could hear any talking or noise in the next house. On -Wednesday evening she was sitting at work in her lower room, close to -the partition, and heard a female voice faintly but distinctly cry -'Murder, murder!' and she then heard one man say to another, 'Hold the -b----h, hold her!' Some boys then tapped at the window of No. 7, and -called out 'Burkers,' and a female went and opened the door, but they -had ran away. - -The prisoner Covington here went into hysterics, and the examination -was suspended until she recovered. - -The witness, in continuation, said, that after what she had already -stated took place, all remained quiet until about half-past eight -o'clock, and she then heard a noise in the same room, like persons -cording a box, and after that there was a stamping noise upon the -pavement before the door, which was then opened. - -Mr. BROUGHTON.--Was it a stamping of feet, as of persons carrying a -load, or by way of signal? - -WITNESS.--It was the signal used by the persons who went to that house. -They always stamped upon the pavement, instead of knocking at the door. -She then heard them carrying something out, and she went to her own -door and looked out, and saw a box put upon a lad's head. She could not -positively say that it was the prisoner Bradley. Three men then came -out of the house and went after him, and two women followed. Witness -then went back into her room. She did not give any alarm. - -Mr. BROUGHTON.--You appear to be a respectable woman, Mrs. Smith; but -how did it happen, that, having heard the faint cries of 'murder,' -and some hours afterwards the cording of a box, which you saw carried -away, you did not take any measures for having the parties stopped, by -alarming the neighbourhood, or calling the police. - -The witness said she did not know what to do. She felt some alarm -for herself, and did not like to venture out; and she had not heard -or seen a policeman pass between the time of her hearing the cry of -murder, and the carrying off the box. Her niece, who lived with her, -was at home at the time, and heard and saw the box, but had returned -home after the cries of murder. - -Mr. BROUGHTON.--You are badly off, indeed, in such a lonely situation, -if you had no policeman pass all that time. - -Mr. YOUNG, a police inspector, of K division, said that policemen were -on duty, and must have been frequently past; but the witness might not -have heard them, as they did not call the hour, like the old watchmen. - -Mr. BROUGHTON.--Did you hear anything more of the people at No. 7 that -night? - -The witness said, that at nine o'clock, or shortly after, she heard a -tap at the door, and the stamping of feet again; and looking out, she -saw another box brought out, and put upon the lad's head by a tall man, -who had on an old Witney white coat, and a dirty white hat. The box was -followed by the men as before. - -In reply to various questions, the witness said, she had reason to -believe that the two young women at the bar occupied the room in which -all this took place. They were at home, and in the room, that evening, -for she heard and knew their voices; and it was the impression upon her -mind that they were the two who followed after the box. They had lived -there about a fortnight. The box appeared to her to be about a yard in -length; but her niece saw it more distinctly than she did. - -MARY HARDING, the niece, stated, that she lived with her aunt, and knew -that the two young women at the bar lived at No. 7; and she had seen -the young man go in and out, but did not know that he lived there. She -had been out on Wednesday, and upon her return home, soon after four -o'clock, her aunt told her that she had heard the cries of 'murder.' -She afterwards heard the cording of the box, and saw it carried away as -described by the last witness. She did not like to follow it. It was a -larger box than her aunt described. She thought a person might be put -into it. Three men and the two females followed it; and about an hour -afterwards she saw a second box carried out in the same way. - -Neither of the witnesses knew anything of Sarah Bradley, the mother. - -JAMES BROWN stated, that he and the other officers went to No. 7, -Severn-place, on Friday evening; and he, with another, got in by a back -way, while Attfield went to the front. They found the three younger -prisoners together. He produced two men's coats, with some other -apparel, a very thick pair of men's shoes, and an old pair of women's -shoes. - -THOMAS EAGLES said that the prisoners made no explanation of any kind -to him. He saw the produced coats lying upon a bed, and he found a long -stout cord, and a bundle, containing some ragged articles of apparel, -all tied up together. - -WILLIAM ATTFIELD stated, that he went to the front door, which was -opened by Sarah Skinner, and he asked if Mrs. Smith lived there? -She said no. He afterwards asked the three prisoners where they had -lived before they came there. Skinner said that they came there from -No. 16, Foster-street, Whitechapel, but Covington said, from No. 10, -Luke-street. He did not know where Luke-street was, and she would -not tell him; but upon inquiry at the place mentioned by Skinner, -he found it was three months since they lived there. He had heard -that they came from No. 12, Thomas-street, Whitechapel, which they, -however, denied. Upon searching up stairs, in a box were the clothes -produced, and a bottle, labelled 'poison,' and containing oxalic acid -in solution, which the prisoners said was for cleaning boot-tops. -The box had no cover, and upon the top of the clothes in it was the -drab-coloured hat produced, with a broad crape band upon it. - -It was remarked in the office that it was precisely such a hat as the -boy Newton had described to have been worn by the tall man whom he -saw run from the spot where the body of Margaret Duffy was found in -Cowheel-alley. - -JAMES HANLEY produced a small tin box, which he found in the room with -the prisoners. It contained six pawnbrokers' tickets; one of them for -a shawl, and two for other articles of female apparel, all pawned on -Wednesday, the day mentioned by Mrs. Smith. - -Police-inspector YOUNG produced a small phial which, he said, had been -found in the house that morning, by a constable who had been placed -there, but was not now present. It contained some oil of vitriol. - -It appeared that Mrs. Smith had intimated her suspicions to the police, -and a constable had been placed in her house since Thursday, to watch -the next, and a written statement made by her was now shown to the -magistrate. - -Mr. BROUGHTON recalled Mrs. Smith, and asked if she had seen any -females at the house besides the prisoners, or seen or heard anything -suspicious previously to last Wednesday. - -She said, that on Monday week an old woman, leading a young person who -was intoxicated, knocked at her door, and asked for Covington. She -directed her to the next house, No. 7, and saw her go in there with the -girl. She afterwards heard people going in and out, and thought at the -time that they were fetching liquor from the public-house. The girl -afterwards ran up stairs, and witness heard her run about the upper -room, followed by a man. The girl said, 'Oh! you'll kill me, you'll -kill me.' The old woman remained in the lower room, and the witness -heard her say, 'Oh, my dear,' when the girl cried out, but she did not -appear to move, or take any further notice. Witness heard the girl fall -when she cried out. It was then late at night, and about two in the -morning she heard a rustling in the passage, as if two persons were -carrying something out. - -Mr. BROUGHTON, after some further inquiries, had the prisoners placed -at the bar separately, to hear if they wished to make any defence -or explanation; but he repeatedly cautioned them that they were not -obliged to say anything, and that if they did, it might be used against -them. - -They all protested very earnestly, that what Mrs. Smith and her niece -saw carried out was nothing but a bedstead and a table, and other -things, which had been carried away by night. The noises and crying out -which she had heard were laughing, which ended in a quarrel; and an old -woman, named Smith, who had lived with them, moved away in consequence. -It appeared, in fact, that the prisoners had been shifting about, from -place to place, and bilking their landlords. - -The witness Harding being again questioned, declared that what she saw -were boxes. She was near, and saw them distinctly, and was certain she -could not be mistaken. - -It was stated, that a daughter of Mrs. Smith's, who is married to a -policeman, also saw the boxes, and she actually followed the party -some distance; but seeing that they were going across the fields, she -was afraid to proceed further. She was not then present, however. - -Mr. BROUGHTON said, that from the positive swearing of the witnesses, -he must believe that it was a box which they saw carried out; and it -was exceedingly to be regretted that means had not been taken to stop -the party, and ascertain what the box contained. God forbid that he -should say that it did contain a body; but the circumstances stated by -Mrs. Smith as to what had occurred on Monday week, when she heard the -girl running about, followed by a man, and crying out, 'you'll kill -me,' and her hearing the faint cries of murder on Wednesday, and seeing -the box carried off some hours afterwards, made it a case of strong -suspicion, and he would give ample time to search for further evidence. - -Sarah Bradley was discharged, nothing having been stated against her. -The other three prisoners were remanded for a week. - -Accordingly, on that day, the prisoners were again brought up; but no -conclusive evidence being adduced against them, they were discharged. - -On taking a summary view of the chief subject connected with the -crime of Burking, and which has particularly engaged our attention -during our progress through this work, we are fully aware that we -have, in several instances, laid ourselves open to the animadversions -and the opprobrium of the surgical profession at large, inasmuch -as we may have been supposed to attach to it a positive degree of -stigma, as having been the encourager, and in some cases, the actual -parent of the Burking system, which, without their co-operation and -connivance, would never have been known in this country. In this -respect, however, the charge against us is unfounded. We have adhered -to a strict line of impartiality in recording the different arguments -which have been adduced, publicly and privately, against the practices -of the anatomical schools in general, and particularly in regard -to the culpable ignorance which has been manifestly displayed by -several persons connected with the purchase of dead bodies, in their -discrimination between a murdered person and a corpse that has been -exhumed. It would be an affected display of sensibility to condemn -altogether the sale and purchase of human corpses; for it is a practice -which must and will prevail, so long as a knowledge of the anatomy of -the human frame constitutes a part of the education of the medical -student. Our great aim, however, has been, by a collision of arguments, -and an impartial exposition of facts, to devise those measures by which -the science of anatomy may be encouraged, facilitated, and maintained, -without having recourse for its support to midnight murders, and to -the reckless sacrifice of life, on account of the tempting gain which -is held out to those whose consummate villainy can lead them to the -commission of such dreadful crimes. It is on record in the preceding -pages that several individuals have fallen under the murderous grasp of -the Burker, whose bodies have been conveyed to the hospitals and the -anatomical schools, and there disposed of with the utmost facility, -and apparently without the slightest suspicion, as if they were the -carcasses of so many pigs; whilst at the same time the experience of -the purchasers of the subjects, leaving the extent of science out of -the question altogether, should have enabled them at once to decide -upon the manner in which the subject came by its death, or, in other -words, whether it was violent or natural. In the illustration of this -part of our argument, let us, for instance, take the cases of Mrs. -Walsh and Sarah Vesey. It was proved in evidence, that on the morning -after the murder of the former, her body was carried out of the house -by the husband. Of its destination no doubt whatever can exist. What -opinion, then, can we form of the surgical professor, who can have -a human corpse offered to him before it is scarcely cold, destitute -of all the distinctive marks of exhumation, and without any of the -concomitant signs of corruption, coolly and deliberately purchasing the -same, without instituting the slightest inquiry into the suspicious -nature of the subject, and whether he was not himself actually abetting -and encouraging a human wretch in the crime of murder? We have never -been told by any of the surgical professors of the anatomical schools, -that their science, or, more properly speaking, their knowledge, is -still so far in its infancy, that they do not know of any criteria -by which to judge of a murdered subject, and one that has undergone -the ceremony of exhumation, and been torn from the grave by the -resurrectionist. The public, however, must take it for granted that -such ignorance on the part of the professor does actually exist; or -what is the natural inference that must be drawn? that he must be -conscious to himself that some deed of violence has been committed -upon the body, so as to occasion death, but that it does not become -him to institute any inquiry into the business, as he is not supposed -to entertain the slightest suspicion but that the body has been -clandestinely obtained from the grave. We cannot designate this conduct -by any other term than a bonus held out for the crime of murder; and -it is on this account, and on this account only, that in our arguments -we have dwelt particularly on the necessity of the interference of -the legislature to devise those legal means, by which the science of -anatomy may be supported, without being obliged to have recourse to the -dreadful crime of murder, or even to the disgusting avocation of the -resurrectionist. - -It appears that, notwithstanding the greater facility which is offered -in France to the surgical student in the prosecution of his anatomical -knowledge, owing to the removal of many of the impediments which exist -in this country in the procuring of human corpses for the purpose of -dissection, yet that the attention of some of the most enlightened -men of that country has for some time been directed to the devising -of those measures, by which the human body may, in a great degree, be -dispensed with, whilst, at the same time, the promotion of science -is neither frustrated nor impeded. Amongst those men, who have -chiefly signalized themselves in these laudable endeavours, stands -conspicuously M. Auzouz, who, by perseverance, industry, and skill, has -succeeded in the construction of an artificial skeleton, which promises -to answer almost all the purposes of the human body. In the preparation -of this extraordinary piece of mechanism, if it may be so called, he -has been employed for several years. It has received the sanction and -approbation of the principal medical professors of Paris, and it is now -brought to this country as an exhibition, with the intent of promoting -the science of artificial anatomy, and the removal of those abuses and -inconveniences with which the dissection of the human body is attended. - -We have been favoured with the pamphlet of M. Auzouz, descriptive of -the uses and plans of his ingenious invention, as well as with the -Report of the Royal Academy of Physic at Paris on its peculiar merits -and advantages. We give the following translation of it. - -'Since, in 1822, after a number of experiments, and several years -of incessant application, I published my first work on artificial -anatomy, a kind of excitement arose in the schools of medicine, and -amongst those individuals who are supposed to guide the public opinion. -Hitherto the study of anatomy was confined to the amphitheatres; and -it was not considered possible to perfect the study of it in any other -manner. On the other hand, so many ineffectual attempts had been made -to procure a regular and sufficient supply of subjects, that artificial -anatomy became the subject of very contrary and dissimilar opinions. - -'Some individuals, by a method of reasoning wholly divested of proof, -beheld in artificial anatomy nothing less than the means of encouraging -the idleness of the students, and a fallacious resource for the -practitioner; whilst, on the other hand, others, exaggerating the -benefits of it, beheld in it the means of dispensing with dissections; -others, as is always the case when anything of a novel nature appears, -declared the thing to be both impossible and impracticable; and the -remainder were content with decrying it altogether, or they became the -servile imitators of it. - -'The academies, where judgment is always the result of profound -deliberation, having announced the importance of this discovery, -encouraged me to prosecute my plans and experiments, pointing out to me -at the same time some imperfections in them. These learned societies -scrupled not to place artificial anatomy above everything which had -been hitherto done in France or in other countries, and to regard it -as the means of facilitating the study of that particular branch of -natural history. - -'In the report which M. Le Baron Desgenettes made to the Academy of -Medicine, on the 5th of September, 1823, he says, "If this work be -continued, it cannot fail to be useful to those who devote themselves -to the study of the medical science, and more especially to those who -practise surgery and physic at a distance from the great cities." - -'Professor Desruelles, in his report to the Medical Society, at their -sitting on the 19th of November, 1823, says, "If we declare to you -that a piece of artificial anatomy, placed in an amphitheatre, in -exhibiting to the student the parts of which he is in search, as well -as those which he ought to avoid, adjust, or even take away, may be -useful to him, abridge his labour, and save him from many fruitless -experiments; if we declare to you, that these pieces would be very -advantageously placed in the studio of a painter; if we declare to you, -that they might, more advantageously than books, remind the surgeons -and physicians, not having the benefit of a corpse at hand, of the -relations of certain parts; and finally, if we finish by showing to -you certain individuals curious to become acquainted with their own -formation, studying it with success, in order to obtain a superficial -knowledge of anatomy, without having recourse to the disgusting and -afflicting spectacle of a corpse,--then, gentlemen, so far from -censuring our eulogium, you will approve of it; you will applaud the -zeal of M. Auzouz, you will give encouragement to his efforts, and you -will assist him to the utmost of your power, to enable him to succeed -in rendering that perfect, which, under his hands, has already made -such rapid advances to positive perfection." - -'In the report made by Professor Dumeril to the Academy of Sciences, at -its sitting on the 11th of April, 1825, he says, "No one is ignorant -how great is the natural repugnance which is felt for the study of -anatomy, and especially to the examination and inspection of those -objects which form the subject of it, by all those persons who are not -attached towards it by the necessary calls of their profession. It were -desirable that general ideas of the organization of the human frame -should be imparted to young people, and which ought to form a branch of -their earliest education. Is it to be supposed that an educated man of -the present day should be ignorant in what manner, and by what organs -our motions are executed; in what consist the instruments by which -our sensations and our principal functions are performed? Besides, it -is indispensable that every skilful designer, who wishes to become a -painter or a statuary, may be enabled, without applying himself to -anatomical researches, to learn in what manner the forms are constantly -modified in the motions by the organs by which they are either -permitted or produced."' - -M. Alard, in his report, made to the Academy of Medicine on the 5th of -July, 1825, thus expressed himself.--"We will not dilate any further -on the great utility of these pieces, which, doubtless, will soon be -generally felt. It may be sufficient to add, that they are competent, -by a preliminary knowledge of the situation of the relations of the -parts, greatly to simplify the study of anatomy, by facilitating the -dissections which are indispensable to the study of medicine; from -which will result the eminent advantage of rescuing a great number of -students from those accidents which are caused by a protracted stay in -the dissecting theatres,--further, that they are well calculated to -supply the place of corpses in those places where it is not possible -to procure them; and that, by the study of similar pieces, and the -dissection of certain animals, a knowledge can be acquired of the -structure of the human body, sufficient for the majority of cases, and -much more precise and indubitable than that which can be acquired by -any other artificial means." - -That celebrated man, M. Geoffrey St. Hilaire, says, in his report to -the Institute on the 2nd of August, 1830, 'A general knowledge of the -parts of the human body ought one day to constitute a part of natural -history, and form an early branch of education amongst every class of -society. Sooner or later, this study will be adopted in our schools; -but this will never become, nor is it possible to be executed without -the resources offered by the new branch of industry created by M. -Auzouz.' - -M. Richerand, one of the most celebrated professors of medicine -of France, says, 'He who cultivates the science of human anatomy, -resembles, in some degree, the chymist; in the same manner that the -latter cannot attain to a correct knowledge of a substance without -being able to decompose it, and to analyze it in all its parts, so the -anatomist cannot obtain a perfect knowledge of the human body until, -having studied separately, and with the greatest care, each of its -organs, and each of the systems which are formed by a certain number -of similar organs, he is able to assign to each of them its proper -place--to determine the relations which they bear to each other, and -the proportions into which they enter, in order to form the composition -of this or that of our members.' - -From these commendatory reports from some of the most scientific men -of France, as well as from the opinion of a great number of physicians -who were invited to give their opinion on the utility of his artificial -skeleton, M. Auzouz drew the following results. - -'1st. That these preparations differ totally from all others which -have been hitherto made or constructed for facilitating the study of -anatomy, and which have nothing further in common with them, than that -their immediate tendency is the same. - -'2nd. That they exhibit in the same subject, in a vertical attitude, -all the parts which constitute the composition of the human body, with -all the characters which belong to them. - -'3rd. That the use of these pieces will considerably diminish the time -which the students devote to the study of anatomy, and shorten their -stay in the anatomical schools. - -'4th. That they will possess the advantage of recalling the anatomical -details to the memory of the students and practitioners in general, who -have already devoted themselves to the science. - -'5th. That they will render the study of anatomy possible in all -seasons of the year, and in all countries in which the climate or -prejudice is opposed to dissection. - -'6th. Finally, with the assistance of these pieces, the study of -anatomy may be made a branch of public instruction, and thereby become -advantageous to every class of society, particularly to those who -devote themselves to medicine, to the fine arts, to military science, -or to navigation. - -'Since the period that my first model appeared, artificial anatomy -has been made use of in a great number of public establishments, for -the purpose of anatomical illustration. Complete subjects have been -sent to the following schools of medicine:--To Boston, to Martinique, -Guadaloupe, Isle of France, College of Yale, (United States,) Metz, -Strasburg, Lille, Val de Narre, the Museum, (Stockholm,) Evreux, Oxaca, -(South America,) Louisiana, Vera Cruz, Cairo, Toulon, Turin, New -Orleans, Harvard, (New England,) Charlestown, the Faculty of Medicine -of Strasburg, &c. In regard to myself, many thousands of students -have attended my lectures, or have studied in my cabinet. I have -collected with great care all the remarks and observations that have -been addressed to me; I have frequently, for the last eleven years, -carefully revised, several times a day, all the parts of my labour; -and I have introduced into them all the corrections which have been -suggested to me; and finally, in order to render artificial anatomy -more worthy of the success that it has obtained, I have constructed a -new model, and thus many important modifications and numerous additions -have been made to the subject of my labours. - -'The augmentations do not consist of some minute details, nor of some -additions of little or no importance. The former have been completely -changed, and the incisions multiplied. The model published in 1825, -consisted only of sixty-six regular pieces, and three hundred and -fifty-six in detail; whereas that which was made public in 1830, -consisted of one hundred and twenty-nine regular pieces, that is, -pieces which are capable of being separated, and eleven hundred and -fifteen pieces in detail. The skeleton taken for the model, represents -a man of an athletic constitution. I have given it the attitude of -Antinous, to which it may be compared, on account of the beauty and -exactitude of its forms. The left foot is fixed in a wooden socket, -for the purpose of giving it a rotatory movement. All the parts united -present a man, from whom the skin only has been taken. One half of -the subject is represented entire; all the parts which constitute the -other half may be detached; every muscle, every organ may be removed, -one by one, from the skin to the bone, with the greatest facility, -and replaced in the same manner. An order number, corresponding with -a synoptic table, is made to indicate the name of the organ, and the -extremity at which the displacement should be made. - -'A few moments only are necessary to cover a table with the numerous -pieces which enter into the composition of this anatomical imitation, -and a few minutes are sufficient to put them together again, and to -form the complete skeleton.' - -So far may be considered as the report of M. Auzouz himself, relative -to the advantages of his invention; and being afterwards submitted to -the Royal Academy of Physic to pronounce upon its merits, the following -report was made on the 10th of May, 1831. Dubois, Ribes, Adelon, -Craveilhier, Breschet, Cloquet, and de Massy, were appointed by the -academy to examine the invention of M. Auzouz, and the report is drawn -up and signed by M. de Massy. - -'It was in the year 1822, 1823, and 1825, that M. Auzouz submitted for -your examination a number of pieces of artificial anatomy, adapted to -represent the different parts which belong to the composition of the -human body. - -'It is by means of a particular paste that M. Auzouz executes his -preparations. This paste, in a fresh state, is susceptible of being run -into moulds, to take and preserve the most delicate impressions, and to -acquire by desiccation a solidity equal to that of wood. - -'In due course of time, you appointed Messrs. Dumeril, Berlard, -Cloquet, Desgenettes, Breschet, Richerand, and Alard, whose well-known -science rendered them fully competent to give a correct opinion of -similar works, to report to you on the labours of our associate, M. -Auzouz; and they reported to you the importance of the discovery, and -called upon you to bestow your commendations on the inventor. They also -reported to you that he was deserving of the encouragement which the -government bestows upon those who render a benefit to their country. -Your reporter, M. Alard, says, that France at this time possesses the -advantage of surpassing all other countries in the art of anatomical -imitations. - -'Your decision, gentlemen, has been fortified by the zeal and anxiety -evinced by the public establishments of other countries to become -possessed of similar anatomical subjects. Your commendations, and the -anxious activity with which foreigners have applied for the works of -our skilful associate, inspired him with fresh ardour and zeal to -render his work still more perfect. - -'We will here repeat with pleasure what was said by the Medical Society -of Emulation in 1823. "It is with pleasure that we bestow upon M. -Auzouz every encomium of which he is deserving, for his zeal for the -promotion of science; for his patience, his ingenious attempts, and -finally for the results which are due to his perseverance, and his -correct knowledge of anatomy." - -'After five years of the most persevering and obstinate labour, -M. Auzouz submitted to the Academy, on its sitting on the 25th of -May, 1830, a new piece of anatomy, for the examination of which you -appointed Messrs. Dubois, Ribes, Adelon, Craveilhier, Breschet, -Cloquet, and myself. - -'It is not only to some slight modifications, or to some trifling -additions, that our associate has directed his application and his -skill; he has almost recommenced his labours, preserving only the -_modus faciendi_. - -'M. Auzouz has taken for his model the corpse of an adult of five feet -six inches high, and he enforced upon himself the task of reproducing -it in all its most minute details. - -'This new model, compared with that previously made, even with the -complete piece which was submitted for your examination in 1825, and -which appeared to leave nothing further to desire, exhibits, however, -these differences, which could not have been expected from the same -individual. The forms have been completely changed, the details almost -doubled; and by means of some ingenious incisions or cuts, M. Auzouz -has succeeded in reproducing everything which has any relation to -the various branches of the science. It is not only the bones that -have been reproduced with an exactitude and fidelity which, if we had -not been aware of the circumstances, would have led us to consider -the bones as real,--the most tender, the most delicate, as well as -the most voluminous; the softest, as well as the hardest; the most -superficial, as well as the most profound, all are represented with the -most scrupulous exactness in their form and colour, their relations -and connexions. We consider that it would be useless to lay before you -an analysis of all those details, and will therefore only draw your -attention to some particular facts to which your commissioners have -principally directed their attention. - -'The heart has been produced with the happiest success, by means of a -particular cut. This organ is divided into two moieties, on each of -which are two cavities, which may be opened in such a manner as to -admit of a full inspection of the valves. All these parts are united -with such extreme nicety and exactness, that the traces of the division -are scarcely distinguishable; and when combined, they exhibit a heart -of the natural size, from which the vessels arise which digress from -it, or which terminate in it. All these vessels being produced from -their origin to their termination, it becomes an easy task to study the -branches which depart from it, the numerous anastomoses which they have -between them, and their relations with the different organs. - -'The preparation of the head, in which are found the head, the -pharynx, the larynx, the nasal cavities, with the muscles, the veins, -the arteries, the nerves which accompany those parts, or which are -distributed about them, appears to your commissioners to exhibit a -whole, which has never before been produced. - -'This work is, however, not yet complete; even M. Auzouz himself admits -that some errors may have crept in. Your commissioners have employed -several sittings in the examination of this new preparation, and they -have discovered some inaccuracies, some anatomical errors. These -inaccuracies and errors were, however, no sooner pointed out, than -they were rectified, so great is the facility with which M. Auzouz can -remove and replace every one of the parts. - -'Your commissioners congratulate themselves on having announced to -you the entire realization of the hopes which not only your former -commissions and those of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and the Medical -Society of Emulation have entertained, but also of several very able -physicians who have been called on to give their opinion.' - -In regard to the measures adopted in this country to legalize the sale -of bodies, Mr. Warburton has succeeded in carrying his Bill through -the House of Commons, extending the provisions of it to Ireland. It is -supposed that some of the clauses of the Bill may have an injurious -effect upon the private anatomical schools; but taking the general -principle of the Bill under our consideration, we are convinced that, -when certain prejudices are overcome, it will be found fully adequate -to remedy the evil which has so long existed, to the odium and disgrace -of the country, and that the general interests of science will be -encouraged and supported by it. - - -THE END. - - -Printed by W. CLOWES, Stamford Street. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] The Editor of this work, on once going the nightly round with -the head-officer of the Queen Square police, was shown into a -house of this kind in one of the most remote and obscure streets -in Tothill Fields; and it is rather singular that Bishop, who has -lately forfeited his life on the scaffold, was then in the house. A -celebrated resurrectionist of that time, of the name of Alexander, was -also present; and on the officer familiarly asking Alexander, if he -had no particular business on hand that night, he answered, with the -greatest _sang froid_, "No--I had a good drag last night;"--and shaking -his coat-pockets, added, "I have got a rare set of grinders here, all -young and white." The countenance of this man bespoke his trade;--it -had neither the sharpness nor the acuteness of Bishop's; but it would -have served a Correggio for the model of the determined, resolute, and -undaunted villain. - -[2] We also know of a medical man who reversed the case by treating a -dropsical woman as a pregnant one, as in the case of Johanna Southcott, -by Dr. Reece, of Chemical-hall notoriety. Mr. Sleight must, however, -be aware that the treating of a pregnant woman as a dropsical one, is -by no means a rare case; it is of very frequent occurrence, and for -reasons which need not here be stated. The _skill_ of the professional -man is in these cases wholly out of the question; it _must_ be dropsy, -or ---- _verbum sat_. It was the _interest_ of Dr. Reece to declare the -pregnancy of the immaculate Johanna. The Southcottonians flocked to him -from all quarters, as the chosen man by whose obstetrical aid young -Shiloh was to be brought into the world; it was a case of Interest -_versus_ Skill, and the latter was nonsuited. We should not, however, -have entered into this exposition, had it not been to invalidate the -argument of Mr. Sleight, that the mere treatment of a pregnant woman as -dropsical, implies a want of professional skill; we have merely thrown -out the hint, that _circumstances_ determine the case. It is either -dropsy or pregnancy, accordingly as the patient wishes or determines -that it shall be. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF THE LONDON -BURKERS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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