The Sun. — 1831-12-02 (London, England)

THE MURDER OF FANNY PIGBURN.  B OW-STREET.  Yesterday afternoon Mr. Pilcher, a surgeon, who is either a partner in, or otherwise professionally connected with, Mr. Grainger's anatomical theatre in Webb-street, Borough, appeared before Mr. MINSHULL, and stated that he had read in the mewspapers the confession made by the porter Shields as to his having brought the body of a female subject to Mr. Grainger's on the morning of Sunday, the 9th of October. This statement was perfectly true, for a body answering the description of that described by Shields was purchased by Appleton, the dissecting-room porter, from the prisoner Bishop, one g gei the( r, t oexplain mh oowr neivneg r ef e r r ed to o t o. li% 1,4 (1r: Pilcher) b gistrate, that about three weeks ago, and before any suspicion had existed respecting the body in quesion, he (Mr. Pilcher), on learning of the murder of the Italian boy, called upon Mr. Thomas, the Superintendent of the Police, and stated to him that such a body had been received at Mr. Grainger's dissecting rooms, and the circumstances under which it was purchased. Mr. Thomas admitted that Mr. Pilcher had made such a communication to him. Mr. MiNsituu, asked Mr. Pitcher if he had seen the body prior to its dissection ? Mr. Bieber said that the body was received on the Sunday morning, and that he did not see it until the Monday morning. Neither did he observe any marks of violence upon it; it appeared, however, much fresher than bodies usually were, and he concluded that it had been stolen from some dead-house or bone-house shortly after death. Mr. Dunn, the pupil by whom the body was dissected, was present, and would state the appearances which it presented to his observation. It was Appleton's opinion, when he purchased it, that the body had never been buried, but stolen ; and his reason for believing that there was nothing wrong in the transaction was that Bishop accepted part of the money, and called on the following day for the remainder. Mr. Thomas observed that it was quite out of the question that the body could have been obtained from a dead-house or a bone-house. He had traced the circumstances connected with this murder, as far as he possibly could; and, from the inquiries he had made, he had ascertained that the deceased Fanny Pigburn left the house of Mr. Chaplin, in Church-street,Bethnal-green,at half-past nine o'clock on the night of Saturday, October 8; and that about half-past eleven Bishop and Williams were seen dragging a drunken woman answering her description towards Nova Scotia-gardens, and that cries of murder were shortly afterwards heard from the direction which they had taken. The body sold, therefore, the next morning, it was no more than reasonable to presume, was the body of this woman. From facts that had come to his knowledge, he had reason to think that suffocetion was produced by immersing the poor creature's head in water; and this notion was supported by the fact that the vessels of the heart were gorged, an effect which drowning would hare produced. Mr. Pilcher nodded his head in assent. Mr. MINSIIULL asked whether Mr. Pilcher believed the death in this case to have been the result of violence ?—Mr. Pilcher said, that he was not able to forte any judgment on the point, as it vas the custom for Appleton, and persons in his situation, to wash and prepare the body for dissection, bodily until lration would destroy all traces by which violence could be detected. Not having seen the after it was prepared, he could not, of course, say whether or not violence had been used. Mr. Mtrestwet, observed that in coming forward as he had done Mr. Pilcher had acted very properly. His statement was quite satisfactory so far as it went, but still it would be his (Mr.Minahull's) duty, at a more fitting opportunity, to further investigate the matter. Mr. Pilcher said, that the Magistrate might examine Mr. Dunn, the pupil, if he thought proper to do so.  Mr. ICIINSHULL, however, declined, observing