The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-21
Great rials Of History.
TRIAL OF WILLIAM BURKE.
ONE OF THE DAYS BEST CARTOONS.

derers n tho annals OF English crime
was william Burke. an Irishmnn. who
his birth when he vas twenty- si,
year uoo Of age he ief, his home and went
heard of him in his new home until
n lS27. when he took up lodgings with
William Hare. In Edinburgh. In this
! there died an old pcnsioner named Don
aiu' ana Burke and Hare. who even At
that time seem to have formed part
h,eLship IN crime. instead OF giving the
I BODY burial, they sold 1t to Or. Robert
hnoN' a surgeon. FOR the purpose OF dis
cured proved sadly ominous
Hare. from tho evidence that was
brourht ont. appears to have been the
gested TO burke n further stroke Of
business, namely. that they would in
Ncislc unknown and obscure wayfarers
INTO tho lodging house ana then Kill
During the ensuing months they, as
sisted by their WIGS. murdered at least
to invite The victims into various
nonses. make them drunk, ana then
SURROGATE them in such n manner thar
no signs OF violence appeared on their
bodies. The bodies OF all OF these
yictims they sold at good figure to
But the end OF ii ali had TO come
on October 81, 1888. Burke. having In
tho meantime moved TO a liome OF his
woman called Margcry Campbeii' and md
disposed OF the body in the usual man
n"Is having hecn aroused, tie police
were communicated with. and tho
corpse was found in 4 box In the ceilnr
OF Dr. knozs house. Burke WAS placed
on trial for THIS murder In the Iifrh
Count OF Justiciary at Edinburgh al,
December -. ISIS. when William Hare.
the partner ia his crimes, being ad-
rnittcd 10 Kings evidence, his guilt
was clearly proved. and he was hanged
nesscs cried out "l!urke him. "Rurk.
him the word Burke meaning To
cn9llte.n and IS derived from this cclc
The house In which inc Burkes com
inlttcd ne murder was in an obscur"
part Of Edinburgh. VOL calculated from
ln this place Burke carried on n trade
81 cobhllng, ana mere. occn ~!onaiiy. took
hoth seNes dancing and midnight
hriwis-and screams were so rrcoucut-
~ heard during the night that the
neichbors ut last paid little attention
10 Inc nuisance and were with rcluc-
lance rouscd from their beds by the
rrics OF The old woman. whose death
brought the murdcrers to justice
SO much wrought up were the Deo-
pie when the crimes OF tho Burkes yvcro
Temporary reinforcement Of upwards
OF 200 men. At the trial no less than
imrity-iiyc witnesses gave testimony
IN" trial was presided over by tho
RIGHT Hon. David Boyle. Lord Justico
clerk; Lord riunily. Lord MeadowbanE
ana Lord Mackenzie. At It's concIision
the Jury retired for fifty minutes ana
brought in Il verdict of guilty against
william Burke. but found lilo indjct
tncnt not proved against Helen Nc
l1ougal, who had been living with
Burke as his wife.
me following IL the sentence ms
passed: y n respect TO the verdict lust
rendered, order that tho said william,
burkc be carried from the bar back To-
the tolbooth OF Edinburgh. therein 10
ne detained, and TO be fed upon bread
farliainen, passed In the twenty-fifth
year of King George the Second, until
ednesday. tho 2Sth OF January, and
on that day TO DO taken forth OF the
said toibooth To the common place or
execution in the Lawnmarltet Of Euin
burFfi, and then and there to he hanrei
by the neck by the hands OF tho com
mon cXecutioncr. and his body there
after to be delivered TO DR. Alexnnder
Monro, professor Of anatomy in the
University of Edinburgh, to be by him
puDliciy diSscctcd aud anatomical and
ordain all his movable goods ana gear
70 be eschcat ana inbrought TO His
MaJeSty's use"
Immediately after tho trial OF Burke
an attempt was made to indict Hare for
me murder of one Of his victims. james
wilson, VINO had been put out OF the
way in the previous October The law
officers decided that he could not legal
~ be put on trial. and on February 3
1929. he vas set at liberty. II Is be
!icved that he then sought refuge in
Eng land. and nothing was ever heard
of him thereafter.