The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-03 00:00:00

THR CONDEMNED CRIMINALS.

NARRATIVE OF BISHOP AND HIS
ASSOCIATES.
The fate of Bishop and his associates being now placed
beyond a doubt, and the horrid crime for which they were
charged being completely established, it cannot, therefore,
be looked upon as an ex-parte statement, or with having
any view or intention whatever to prejudice the public
mind against them, if we should enter into a brief bio-
graphy of their lives, as well as to take a passing gEnce
at other topics connected with the profession which Bishop
admitted he had for the last twelve yews followed; and in
doing so we particularly wish to direct the attention of
those who follow in the path of Bishop's condect to bear

it in mind.
BISHOP'S LIFE AND PATE.
Itwas well known among the gibe of " body-snatchers,'
over their convivial cups, that Bishop was a rank toward,
and never had the courage to manfully risk his life by en-
tering a grave-yard, unless he was 'well satisfied the watch-
men had just received their regulars. His fort: hitoge-
iher lay in the obtaining of the bodies by stealth or by
stratagem out of private houses ; his claiming, either
through himself, his wife, or some employed friend, those
persons who were unknown and unclaimed at inAtiWt, or
at workhouses ; his bribing the watchmen et parish bone-
houses; and though last, not least, his 'Bnurderous alter-
native of Byriting! Bishop on orie occasion knew there
was a corpse in a house in Old-street, and seeing lodgings
po•ted in the window, he took them in the cha-
racter of a journeyman carpenter, with a basket in his
baud, and on the first night he stole the body away.
A similar and an equally successful stratagem he
played off at Hoxton, as well as several. other places.
He was, however, in one or two cans detected, and suf-
fered some confinement. At'oue time he bribed, or rather
agreed to buy six bodies from two watchmen, th.tt rcerein
Shoreditch bone-kouse, and on settlin6 'with them
before the removal of the bodies. he had not sufficient
money to pay them; one of the watchmen was willing to
take his word for the baknre, but the other would not, and
apprised the master of the workhouse of the facts, who
sent for Armatrong, the officer at Worship-street, who lay
in ambush for Ilishop and his party. 'the watchman who
confided in Bishop, seeing they were likely to he caught,
by a prevoncerted signal (while Bishop and his party were
mounting the wall), cried out " Hush, cut off the wall,"—
the consequence was Bishop and his party escaped ; and
that transaction (in common with others) remains to this
day as a blot upon Shoreditch. Bishop's thirst for money
on all occasions was insatiable. At one time he Went to
the Old Bailey for a bribe of 3/.—and swore that two men
named Chapman and Johnston, who were tried and after-
wards executed for horse-stealing, were in his company in
London on the night they stole two horses in Gloucester-
shire, and on that occasion the Judge ordered him to be
detained, but he effected his escape through the negligence
of the officers. The public feeling entertained for
Bishop since the development of the horrid deeds,
particularly in the neighbourhood in which he resided,
may be judged from the facts, that from that
4sy the premises have been beset by crowds of
persons of both sexes, and on Sunday the throng
was an great as to overpower the police that were
in the care of the house : the palings were forced—the
garden was entered—the gooseberry hushes were torn up
by the roots, and a tree was completely stript of its
bouebs, and the smallest particle of the branches carried
away in triumph. It is bi;t justice to add, that during
these scenes not the slirghtest insult, or attempt at injury,
was offered to the police. The landlord has since opened
the gardens at a penny a-piece, and has thereby gratified
public curiosity. On Monday evening Mrs. Bishop and
Mrs. Williams paid an indiscreet visit to the neighbour-
hood, and on their being recognized they were instantly
assailed by an infuriated mob, and were obliged to fly for
safety to the house of a licensed victualler in Shoreditch,
who with difficulty saved their lives by getting them over
a wall at the rear of his premises. A respectable woman,
named Messenger, in the Hackney-road, who wore a cloak
and bonnet resembling that of Mrs. Bishop's, was roughly
handled by the mob, who could scarcely be persuaded
of their mistake, as were several other females; and to
such a pitch has public indignation arrived at, that on
Friday morning an elderly man, named Mortimer, a
tailor, and one of the witnesses bound to prosecute, and
who resides in the neighbourhood, sooner than ap-
pear as a witness, and have his name coupled with such a
transaction, cut his throat; be was conveyed to St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, where slight hopes are entertained
of his recovery.