The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-20
BISHOPS DEATH.
Was He Killed by the Surgaons2
His Mother Declares Him to Have
Been Murdered.
Belief That He Wns Only In a
Cataleptio Trance.
Differing Opinions OF Prominent
Physicians on tho Subject.
The Mother Wants This inscription
Put Upon the Coflln Plate: "W.
l. Bishop, Murdered,
May l3. 1890"

From tho New York Herald.
The physicians who made the autopsy
on Mind Reader Washington Irving Bishop
so soon after he became unconscious, aud
who are charged by the dead mans
mother with having murdered him, have
been summoned to appear before Coroner
Levy at noon today so that the serious ac-
cusation may be investigated.
The dramatic death OF Bishop and the
hasty autopsy which followed. with the
grave questions II has raised, were yester-
day the talk OF the town.
There is general sympathy with Mrs.
Bishop, the great mind rcaders mother,
and with his wife. The wife Is i'll in bed
at the Hoffman House and the mother is
in the same hotel greatly asitated and suf-
lering from nervous excitement. She was
surrounded by number Of ladies', her
friends, yesterday, and they did what they
could to soothe her, but she is unable to
eat and is liable TO become as i'll as her
daughter-in-law.
SHE CALLS TuEa NURDERERs
For the doctors who performed the au-
topsy so soon after the death and without
n shadow OF authority, Mrs. Bishop has
but one term and that term Is murder
ers." She is as much convinced in her
own mind that her son was literally
butchered by surgeons SAWS and knives Us
she is that she IL alive.
She says that she herself Is subject 10
frances and that her soninherited the ten.
dency from her that he would frequently
lie for days 10 all appearances dead; that
these attacks followed the exercise OF his
strange powers. and that lac, knowing how
liable ho was to fall into such a state, was
morbidly afraid OF just what. she thinks,
actually dad happen 10 bim-an autopsy
while he was still alive.
Mrs. Bishop sat proppcd up with pill.
lows on q sofa in the HOLMAN House yes
tcrday afternoon and denounced the con-
duct Of the doctors In terms which, al
though ladylike throughout, were as Wig
orous as the English language supplies.
MRS. nisnoP's nor INDioSATioN.
eyes, they murdered yy poor boy"
she said, deliberately murdered him In
the interest OF science. IL Is an infamous
outrage and will never stop until those
who porpctratcd il are punished. have
written to Coroner Levy aud demanded
an inquest have engaged four eminent
lawyers and | will hayo the matter
brought before the Grand Jury, and II
there Is nn indictment found will have
il pressed II Il takes everything own in
the world and | have 10 crawl on my
knees aud beg.
at Is not for myself alone I am doing
this it Is for the rro,t ction OF humanity
from the repetition OF such brutal crimes
You and | or anybody may suffer ns my
son suffered. Dead or alive we may be
sliced and sawed into bits IN the interest
OF science. Where Is tho. thing going TO
ond7 At this pace II will get so that II a
surgeon meets you on tho street and
thinks ho sees any physical peculiar
ity about you, he win dissect you on the
spot in the interest OF science.
"My son was not dead. Nothing will
convince me ho was dead, he was in a
trance such as | have seen him In any
number OF times, aud such as | have been
in myself. lle was not only alive, but
kccnly conscious OF all that went on; aud,
obi tell you sir, II almost makes me
mad 10 think Of his lying there helpless
and spcechlcss, paralyzcd beyond all
power Of the slightest motion, aud know.
ing when that awful saw was put 10 his
head. Can anybody conceive OF anything
more horriblc2 II seems ~ though | should
go frantic when think VI II.
WILL PROSECUTE TiiE DOCTORS.
"And why was there all that indecent
hastc2 Why did they not communicate
with mo or with his wi,c, who was living
with me IN my house In Philadelphia
We were not hard 10 find. Why did they
not telegraph 10 me and ask my conscntl
Even supposing Irving was dead
which he was not-but even supposing he
was, they had no right 10 do such u thing
without leave or authority Nothing shall
stop me or deter me. Twill pursue those
men until they arc punished, and know
the people viii DO with me, Tor their dear
ones are as liable now 10 b. mangled and
mutilated a. was mine. Il Is time the In
fanny stopped, and Ia the name Of human
ily arn going 10 do all In mypower 10 sec
that II is."
All this aud very much more 10 the
same purpOrt the unhappy woman said
part pretty well, but with the tears seldom
WNA VI NNNNs NHt NAliA AllAh ~ AAAN
ton TO the lawyers she hns tocgraphcd TO
an eminent scientist In Washington, Who
has already arrived, and will give his ties.
iimony whom called upon. Mrs. Bishop
said also that three OF the most eminent
physicians In the city had called upon her
and told her that they thought she had
been subjected 20 gross outrage and Of
iered their services IN any way that she
could make use Of them. They left their
cards, with the request that their names
be not made public for the present
ARRANGING ron TnE TuNEntL
Mrs Bishop has arranged that the fu-
neral OF her son shall tako place in Grace
Church at 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon
noxt She wrote 10 the Row. DR.. Hunt
ington, rector OF the church, and he ro-
piled in sympathetic letter Offering to
oiiiciale at any lime she might wish. She
thereupon fixed the date given. To this
there was strong opposition. II was tho
wish OF the Lambs Club and Of the order
Of Elks that the funeral take place today
al l O'Clock, and strong pressure was
brought 10 bear upon Mr. Bishop to IN
duco her 10 agree 70 this arrangement sho
remained trm as iron.
ut Is only an effort on lho p3ri Of those,
doctors, she said, TO gtt NV murdered
boy under gfound aud The matter hushcd.
lie will not be buried mt there has been