The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-19
Investigating the Death OfBishop,
The Mind Reader.
AGONY OF THE WIFE AND MOTHER
-'she Said, Slowly and Distinctly 'Engrave,
Born March 4, 1856; Murdered May IL,
"-The Arrest.
Especial to THE HERALD. Examiner Dispatch. !

of his nervous mother raised an idle
issue?
The impression is growing mere that the
curiosity of the doctors exceeded their dis
erection or their humanity. They have
evinced throughout the most complete con
tempt for the feelings Of the deceased's
mother and appear only to be concerned
about their own position in the case. The
mother of the dead man, however, has been
most determined il her attitude. When
the undertaken called on her to ask what
inscription he should put on the dead mans
coffin plate she said slowly and distinctly:
'Engrave Washington Irving Bishop, Born
March 4 1856; Murdered May H. 1889"
1t was with difficulty that she was per
suaded to change the word murdered" TO
died" But she believes her son was. and
public opinion seems TO be settling on her
side One thing is certain; the doctors are
in periiOus position. They are certainly
guilty Of some Uffense. This otfense, at
least is a misdemealOc and 1t may be
felony.
The simple truth IS that Doctors Fergu-
son and Hance had no right to perform the
autopsy in any case. The section Of the
New York penal code which applys to,dis-
sections are very explicit.
3 Section 30S says that Il dissection, when
d. {
lied by law to hold an inquest upon the
body, so far as such coroner is authorized
to have dissection for the purpose of the
induest and no further; and whenever and
so far as the husband. wife, next of kin of
the deceased being charged by law with
the duty Of burial, may authorize dissec-
ton for the purpose Of ascertaining the
cause of death and no further.
Section BOG says: "a person who makes
or causes or procures te be made any dis
section OF the body of human being, ex-
cept by authority of law, or in pursuance
of a commission given by deceased, is guilty
of a misdemeanOr."
Now, there is no pretense that Doctors
Irvine and HanCe acted except upon their
own responsibility. They are, therefore,
clearly guilty OF u misdeneanOr. But are
they guilty of murder, This is a question
the coroner will, however, decide, and
afterwards, perhaps jury OF twelve citi-
Zens.
Mrs. Bishop, the mother of the mind
reader, called upon Coroner Levy to hold
another autopsy TO ascertain beyond a
doubt if possible, whether her son died
surgically or from Catalepsy, and with 4
view to taking steps TO get Justice for the
alleged mutilatiOn of his body. The broken
hearted woman has received an additional
shock by the knowledge that not only was
&c mind-reader's head examined, but that
Ms body had been mutilated in order that
his entraiIs could be examined
Upon consideration of all the facts, the
coroner decided to make a thorough inves
tigation, and summoned DR.. Frank Fergu-
son, DR.. Hale, Dr. Irvine and DIR. Lee to
be present at an examination into their
own conduct.
When the celebrated case was opened,
the coroner addressed the following ques-
ton to DR. Irvine:
IBID you ever say" began the coroner,
THAT 1t was better to have an autopsy
made by a competent pathologist than to
have it bungled by a coroner of the
county,
81 made no such remark" replied DIR
Irvine, land if any such statement has
been published l am incorrectly reported"
Have you ever had case like this be-
fore during your medical practice!'
"Once, very similar one Mr.. Bishop
died of catalepsy, and it was very re
markable case in all its features He
called on me several times for advice"
At this stage of the proceedings, T. A.
q AtchisOn entered the room and announced
himselfS as the legal representative of
District Attorney Fellows which author
lied him TO represent that Office.
''Now, l make the following motion"
said Mr.. Atchison. ''There are certain
parties here who are certainly guilty of
some sort of crime. If Washington Irving
bishop was dead when the autopsy was
made, they were according to the law
which l shall read, guilty of a INSIDE
meanor; but if Bishop was alive, they are
guilty Of a felony, which is equal to homi-
eide. /, therefore, move, THAT these
preliminary hearings be adjourned and that
an inquest Zoe held. 2-That the parties
present at the autopsy be apprehended and
held under ball.
After examining the law and holding a
conference with his4deputy, EDr. Jenkins, the
coroner announced that the. second motion
was granted. The coroner held Drs. If
vine, Ferguson and Hance, who were pres
,'ent at the autopsy, in $500 bail each. The
three physicians seemed thunderstruck.
After the proceedings, George Francis
Train entered the court room. He ex-
pressed his qualification at what had been
done. He announced himself as the repre-
sentative Of Nine. Eleanor Fletcher Bishop
and said that he was convinced that her
son was alive when the autopsy was made. |
The wife and mother seemed more calm.
and resigned yesterday. Both expressed
themselves as quite satisfied now that the
coroner had taken official action, but Meth
er of them has been and moved from the be-
lief that the mind reader was in a trance
when the surgeons knife was used.
The inquest has been fixed by Coroner
Levy for Tuesday or Wednesday. A num-
Der of members of the Lambs club, |
Bishops relatives and friends and some eX
perts have been subpRnaed as witnesses.
Deputy Coroner Jenkins will make the Off
cial autopsy on the remains some time
to-day. In order that there might be no
error in the finding DR.. Z. G. Janeway of |
fBellevue hospital; Prof H Biggs, of the |
pathological section of Bellevue medical |
college; DIR. Spitzka and Drs. Allan, Nc |
Clean and Hamilton have been asked to as
sist.
1t is difficult to guess what defense the
doctors will make. They have become very |
reticent since their arrest was known. 1t |
is claimed that DR.. Irvine has set up an al |
legged understanding between him and |
Bishop, to the effect that should Bishop die, |
the DOCTOR if he was within reach, was to !
perform an autopsy. Dr. Irvine has not |
yet said that Bishop ever distinctly asked !
him in so many words, or even in so many
ords gave him permission to make the |
autopsy The most that he has said so far,
is that he and Bishop frequently talked |
about Bishops wonderful gift, and that
Bishop was morbidly anxious that people |
should be convinced that it was gift, |
mysterious power about which he himself |
knew nothing, and that it was In no sense
a mere trick and deception.
1t was in this connection, the doctors say,
that he talked on the autopsy, expressing
the belief that it might throw some light on
what was so mysterious. On the other
hand, Mrs. Bishop, the mother OF the de-
ceased, says her son had a genuine terror
OF dissection. Time and time again, she
Issys, he begged her, should he die, never
TO let surgeons knife touch him, and i
never to Let electricity be applied to him, |