The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-05 00:00:00

STEALING DEAD BODIES.

This offence has of late become so prevalent in several parishes
of the metropolis, that the Overseers Lave been induced to adopt
the most rigid precautionary measures, so as to preserve the.dif.
ferent burial grounds from violation. The resurrection-men, how-
ever, tempted by the extravagant prices which young practitioners
are compelled to give fur subjects, frequently run every hazard of
detection, and scarcely a night passes that some stfch attempt is not
made, even under the eye of watchmen specially appointed for the
protection of the grave-yards, many of whom, it is affirmed, act ill
conjunction with these sacrilegious plunderers.
Tinting the whole of Monday and yesterday, the neighbourhood
of Clcrkenwell and St. John-street was kept in a state of painful
excitement (particularly those families in which deaths had recently
taken place), in consequence of the body of a female having been
detected its transit's, at the top of St. John-street, no doubt in.
tended for the anatomical knife. 'The watchman at the corner of
Middelton-street perceived a single-horse cart driving rapidly
along, in which was a sack tied closely up at the month, and the
driver having refused to stop, lie was interrupted by another watch-
man, when the package was taken out, and on examination it was
found to contain the body of a female, which appeared to have been
same time entombed, as it was approaching to a state of decompo.
sition. The whole was then taken to Bt. John's watch-house, and ,
inquiries were made at the different burial grounds in the neigh.
bourhood, but without discovering from whence the body had been
stolen. At eleven o'clock the mita:mer was brought before Allan S.
Laing, Esq. the sitting Magistrate at Hauon-garden Police Office,
before whom the depositions of the watchmen were taken down ;
and the prisoner, in defence, said that his name was John Mar-
shall, that he was a costermonger by trade, and hail been nut with
his cart at a very early hour on Monday morning, intending to go
to a distant market; and that when passing through St. John-street
road, near Islington, he was stopped by two men, carrying a
bundle, which they asked him to take in the cart as far as Smith.
field, promising to overtake him there, and reward him for his
troll:de. He protested he was wholly ignorant of the contents of
the sack ; and if he had formed any supposition on the subject, he
should have supposed that the men who employed him were
country butchers, who were bringing fat to town for sale.
Mr. Let N NO, however, expressed some doubts as to the truth of this
and committed Marshall to the New Prison, under 411 hours notice
of bail, and recommended the parish officers of' Clerkenwell to be
very particular in ascertaining the responsibility of whatever per.
sons might appear as sureties.
In the course of the day, as the circumstance obtained publicity,
several persona made application to the sextons of different parishes
in the neighbourhood; amongst the number was Mr. Ward, of
Wamer-street, t oldlath-square, whose wife was interned in the
middle burial ground of St. James's parish, Clerkenwell, on
Thursday eveniog ; the nurse who attended Mrs. Ward, during her
illness, went to sec the body which was found in the cart, and con.
ceiving it to be that of Mrs. Ward, the husband was induced to
examine the remains, which were then 'tit to be owned at the
watch-house, in Hosoman-street. Mr. 11-ard was so much affected
on the face being discloser', that he swooned away ; but from the
livid hue it had assumed, he could not speak to it with any cer.
tainty, and resolved to have the grave opened to satisfy his doubts
respecting the disinterment ; the earth was taken off the same even-
ing. and at the depth of nine feet the coffin of Mrs. Ward wan found
undisturbed. No owner appearing during the day, who could idea.
tify the body, It was re-interred on Monday evening, by order of the
parish officer*, in the poor's burial ground, of Clerkenwell. Some
persons have since come forward, who suspecting that their deceased
relatives have been disturbed, are naturally anxious to get the
body disinterred for their inspection ; but considering the state of
the body and the warmth of the weather, such an attempt might
be attended with fatal consequences.

FIRE ON TIIE TIIAME.6.—At eight o'clock last night,
a fire broke out in one of the barges lying in Waterloo Dock, on
the south side of the river, which, fitr some time, threatened de-
struction
not only to the miter craft alongside, but also to the ex-
tensive timber and coal yards by which it was surrounded. The
fire is supposed to have originated from an adjacent vessel, which
was in process of caulking and pitching ; and there being a quan-
tit, of hay and straw on board, the flames proceeded with great
velocity, and soon seized on the riggings in a few minutes after
the mast fell, anti we regret to say that two men, who were assist-
ing, were knocked down. One of them received but trivial injury,
but the other is not expected to recover, the exterior part of the
skull having received a compound fracture. Both were inunetli-
idely taken to St. Bartholomew's hotpital. Several engines came
off, but the approach to the clock being rather difficult, and the
river being nearly at low water-mark, it was found that they could
be of little service; however, one of the land drains was dammed
up, and a well being thus formed, a line of bucket-men was placed
from thence to the barge, by which means the flames were speedily
subdued ; but rot before the vessel and greater part of her cargo,
consiqing solely of hay and straw, were consumed or damaged.
The barge belonged, we understand, to 31r. Pattcy, of Lea Bridge,
an extensive barge-owner. The scene of conflagration was within
a very few yards of the shot-mill near Waterloo-bridge, which was
destroyed by fire some months since.
SINGULAR ALARM.—Yesterday, a short time before the

commencement of the sermon, a man was seen in the gallery of St.
Andrew's Church, and who, from his eccentric dress and actions,
was evidently deranged. As the attention of-the congregation was
attracted towards the individual, the sexton went to remove Min
from the church, which he did vety quietly. When the unfortu-
nate maniac reached the stairs, he ran down very quickly, and the
noise which he made excited some alarm among the female part of
the congregation. Just ut this moment, either the unfortunate
man, or some person m the church, cried out " Fire !" Panic
now seized the male as well the female part of the congregation,
and a general rush towards the door took place. The clergyman
exerted himself to calm the ridiculous fears of his flock, and to
restore tranquillity and order. He ultimately succeeded, but not
until a considerable number of persons had made their escape out of
the church. Several kmales were hurt in the rush, but nor, we
are happy to state, seriously, and Divine service was resumed. We
have received the letter of Otte °law Congregation. in which the
writer animadverts, with seventy, on the conduct a persons who
were so senseless as to imagine that there could be nny foundation
for an alarm of fire, in a attach, at such a period of the year as
the prevent. His censure of their conduct is well merited ; but
people have not their wits always abeut them.--Liv:Tvtl A/tion
of.Voitdoj.