The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-18
WAS BISHOP DEAD?
The Physicians Held for Their
too Hasty Autopsy,
THE MIND READERS MOTHER
Makes a Statement Regarding
frances into Which her Son has
Fallen In the Past-she WIN
Prove That he was Killed,

, ! FNA sNNfH NN fFNNhN| ." FFN %"HN%NNNH
! the death OF Washington Irving Bishol
the mind reader, He examined DR., ,
, A. Irwin, and other surgeons who wer
present at the autopsy, DR., Ferguson
; who made the autopsy, said he did so Q
DR., Irwin's request He made a spec
ialty OF autopsies, lie made the autops
Of Mr., Bishops body at about 3;45 p, II
DR., Irwin said he thought death ha,
occurred about noon. Lawyer AtChin
sou, representing the family, and th
District Attorney declared crime ha,
been committed, Itwas mlsdemeano
to have performed the autopsy wlthou
the Coroner's consent, and manslaugh
ter il tho man was not dead when til,
the autopsy was made. He though
bail should be liked binding all whC
were present at the autopsy, DR.. irwin
objected, but the Coroner held him, DR.
Hance and DR., Ferguson in s., 900 eact
to await the inquest which will be helt
next week,
The sweeping charges made by Mind
Reader Bishops wife that the scalpel o.
the surgeon was applied to the body o.
her husband before life was extinct, and
that he had been barbarously sacrificed
tn the interests OF science, created pro
found sensation, not alone In medical
circles, but throughout the city yester-
day.
Mrs. Bishop wascomphtely prostrated
by her bereavement, and what she
claimed to have been Va high.handed
outrage on the part oil the doctors" She
was confined to her room at the HoE.
man House, and reported by her ply.
sician TO be in q preCarious condition.
No one was permitted to SEQ her, perfect
quiet and rest being imperatively ex-
acted.
The dead mind readers mother was
also unable to visit the undertaking
rooms where the body still remains and
is watched by several friends. She was
very hysterlCal during the day, but last
night she became composed and con.
sented to receive the reporters. She Is q
middle.aged woman, very stout in build,
and with o pleasing face. She talked
coherently about the case, and exhibited
no hesitanCy in declaring that her boy
had ''been murdered by the doctors
AS she related the incidents OF his child
hood, phenomenal preCoCiousness, and
his devotion to her, her eyes filled with
tears, and she sank half fainting into tho
arms OF her young secretary.
"He was murdered, l know, she said,
"and half Of the money ! possess will be
spent in determining whether the doc.
tors were Justified in killing him to
serve. some scientific end. Tho last
words he said 10 mo in kissing me good.
by in Philadelphia before leaving for
New York last week were; Mamma,
don't think your boy Is dead II the doc.
tors say so, as you know go into those
frances. Never allow doctors knife 10
come near me II ! should BECOME uncon.
soious. Twill not be dead
"Irving has had smaller attacks, aud
as no doctors had the cruelty to perform
an autopsy lie recovered. When he was
q boy @ years old he came into the house
II was then living at the corner oI
Forty.seCond street and Fifth avenue
and complained OF feeling cold. l took
him in my arms and soon lie lost con.
sciousness and was apparently dead.
DR.. Kirby, our family physician, was
called in, and alter IN examination, pro.
nounced him dead. DR.. Knapp was also
called in by Dr.. Kirby, the case being
regarded as remarkable one, and as
demanding some further examina.
tIon. ! Insisted that he ygs Ii q
TRANCE, and they watched him ior
two days, the while expressing then'
selves as certain that lie was extinct
and that It was decidedly wrong to hold
the body. A knife and every means
known for discovering the existence ol
animation were employed and no evi.
dence was developed. l remained lrm,
and urdays after they had discontinued
their calls ilo recovered consciousness
had almost abandoned hope after the
fourth day, and was thinking seriously
Of making preparations Tor the burial
but something, l know not what, told
mo not 10 despair, that life still remain,
cd. Eyen my friends and relatives
shared the belief Of the doctors, aud
OounSeled me to accept their statement
and prepare the body for the grave.
awhile attending Fordham College
when he was 14years old, he was striGk
en- In similar way, and Dr.. Spelasky, q
German doctor on visit 10 this coun
try, and who was stopping at the New
YORK Hotel, was called in. lily Sonf
body was cold and apparently liIeless
and the doctor pronounced him dead OF
tho second day. He oven prepared 1
certificate Of burial, and, l believe, gave
the cause OF death as Catalepsy. Agar
Ireluscd TO arrange for the interment
70 tho horror and indignation Of NJ
fel9tiyeg, :
4 'tOh tile fourth day he recovered, anC
; was apparently none the worse for hi
protracted trance. He then went L
Scotland, and, as q result Of his exposur,
at tho Tay bridge disaster, was attacked
In like manner. He had saved th
life OF q young woman, and In attempt
Hing 10 affect tho rescue oi another vic
tim was precipihtel into the river,
: "The excitement and the shock N
sustained brought on the attack. Fo
: three weeks eslay In q trance, and tn
best medical authorities In the countr,
had no hesltanCy In pronouncing hin
dead. His friends, who were aware 3
!. his predisposition 10 such attacks, 10
, fused 10 Rcauiegeo Ia their Judgment
: From that Nm6 he hHdS mortal dTeSl
pi being buried alive, In Malta, CllbnI
. tar, he lay In q trance for two days,
: "All the facts show ConClusiveIy 10 m
8 mind that the doctors were Crininall
: hasty In performing the autopsy. DH
J. Irwin and Ferguson pronounced hit
= = dead, but they were lust as likely 10 b
y mistaken ID equally eminent physiciau
y who had beenlCallId Vhen no vac lsih
Q lMly Attacked, nrs, Knapp, Kirby In
gleiBk6y were jubt as competent, In IN
opinion, 10 distingulsh between deaf
=, and trance, and yet they were mislod.
y they had acted with The unwafrantC
V dispatch pt DTs. Irwin aud EefgtiB6fi,, A
/, Would have been buried many Years Ap
ID He was murdered, Qithat ain as nh
N AZ that ! am sitting here this momen
l. / am going 10 insist upon some mott
y scientist making another examinalit
and determine, II, as Dt. Irwin saws n
possible YET 10 learn whether any II
IN existed At tue time Of tho NutonSy, Tho
!. vas moi a criminal haste In pbflofmil
y Eiib operation. ltwould BeOif that sor
N oi his irlen1s might come 10 my aRsil
"A ...a - aiA atg.1 faaNIa ...-...s N