Year: 1878

ies startled Scotland when it was discovered, had for an assistant one William Hare, na tive of Ireland, who was employed at the time of his acquaintance with Burke as beat man on the Union canal at Edinburgh. Mr. Hare evidently had the superiority over his colleague, but in details and elaborate minute ness of finish it seems now to be admitted that Mir. Burke had the advantage. Hare imparted to Burke scheme for improving upon the then slow production efsubjects for dissection, and the latter embraced it Immediately with the ready decision of genius. They proposed to lure their victims into fitting den, and there to do away with them in such manner that would appear that they had died from natural causes They discussed the various methods which has before been tried by peo- pie desirous of removing theF neighbors from these earthly scenes, and they philosophically rejected them all. Burke conceived an idea in comparison with which in his superb imagi. nation all others appeared vulgar. It fitted neatly into Hare's outlined plan, and they pro- ceeded to test it practically. Everything suc- ceed according to their wish, and the pioneers of science-f0r the fruits of which they were rendered to the goddess-abandoned the ways of waterside characters and devoted themselves entirely to the new av0cation. They found it convenient not to dwell long in single place, but wherever they went Mr. Burke ostensibly worked at the trade of cobbler. What Hare pretended to do does not appear, unless it was to deal in old clothes as a means of accounting for the presence in their lodging of the gar ments which had been worn by their victims. They denominated the latter. after they had been converted into merchandise in one form and condition, by the generic term of ''shots," so that their casual conversation might not be- tray the rscret which benighted world would not be apt to regarCbin the same scientific light that they did. They found no difficulty in settling them, and, indeed, their principal pa- tron, Dr. Knox, a celebrated teacher of anat- omy, was very much delighted to procure sub- jects so fresh and SO life-like as those which these artists regularly furnished to him. As a consequence his class became very popular among aspiring students At length, h0wev- CT, there was breaker in this smooth tide of success.

 HOW THE CRIMINALS WERE DISCOVERED.

 The first knowledge which the public had of these fearful doings transpired through the un- accountable disappearance of begging woman nemed Mary Campbell of Duffie or Docherty, who had been last seen alive in the lodgings of Burke and his wife in the Tanners close, in West Portsburg The discovery had been brought about by an overdoing of their busi- ness Burke had been in the habit of letting part of his house to transient lodgers, always

 

 eye of converting them into stock Tn trade, and in the last week in October poor man, named Gray, with his wife, had stopped there on their passage through the town. In the evening they had seen Burke entering his own apart ments, accompanied by an old and meanly y-clad woman. In the morning they were surprised at not seeing her, and, prompted by an instinc- tive suspicion, they peeped into room which was occupied by Burke, and from which they had ord V1ro0oodia0 fI.o nfa sal on the night before. On the floor they saw fresh marks of blood, and they found on re- moving some straw which was heaped under a table haggard and repulsive corpse, which they recognized as the woman they had missed. Struck with terror, they retreated from the room, tied up their small bundles and were about to quit the house, when they met Mrs. Burke entering the door. Their looks and un- guarded words betrayed their knowledge. She fell upon her knees and rendered them money, to induce them to stay and refrain from in- forming. .tlIe police of what they had seen. It is highly probable that Burke and Hare had determined upon treating them exactly as they had Mrs. Campbell, and the woman, therefore when she took this course, had two objects in view. They were seized with great terror, however, at her proposal, and fled from her presence. On the next day the police were warned.

 

 made by Burke and Hare for the delivering of the ''shot. which they had perfected, into the hands of Knox. A tea-chest was purchased of a grocer, and in this it was packed It was then conveyed by porter to the dissecting- room. They received for it the sum of f5, and E3 more were to be paid to them if it proved as good ''shot' as it was represented to be.

 IN THE GRIP OF THE Lvw

 On November 2d the police went to the house at the bottom of Tanners lane, and found these two murderers and traces of their crime. The clothes which the old woman had worn lay in a corner with 2 heap of other gar ments of all sizes and patterns. There was blood on the floor, and the pallet of stray was reeking with it. The house itself was dark and grimy, and almost shut out from the light of heaven. The tea-chest and it's contents had already been seized at the doctors museum, and the latter had been examined by medical experts. All the indications about it strength ened the suspicion of a murder by suffocation. Hare had no more than been lodged in the Tol- booth than he had determined to obtain by his craft an advantage over Burke and to give kings evidence. Accordingly he confessed the crime, accusing Burke and his wife, and seeking to shield himself and Mrs. Hare. These women were respectively named Helen McDougal and Mary Laid. One was a native of Bedding. Scotland, and the other of Ireland The trial took place on the 24th of December, 1928, and was characterized by the most in terest All England and Ireland and Scotland had by this time become excited to fearful pitch over the narratives published in the newspapers, and the chamber of the high court of judiciary was densely packed withsthe yeo manry and peasantry of the Lowlands and the Highlands.

 THEIR LAST VICTIM.

 Upon the evidence it appeared that Madge, or Margery, or Mary McGonegal or Dofie, or Campbell, or Docherty, according as she bore the names of one or the other of her successive husbands, had first met William Burke in the shop of grocer, where she was begging for charity She told him she was going to St. Magys Wynd to meet her son, lad of Il years Burke immediately claimed to be a distant relative of hers, and urged her to go with him and breakfast. She went very will ingly. She was seen by several persons at his lodgings during the evening, the latter part of the time being much the worse for drink. Hare and his wife were also present, and they all became merry, singing, laughing and dancing, and Mrs. Campbell could hardly keep her feet. Hare, according to his confes- sion, began to quarrel with Burke, and they soon came to blows. The old woman became alarmed and ran twice into the passage way adjoining the room, calling for the police. Helen McDougal went after her and brought her back each time. In the struggle Hare pushed her over stool and she fell upon the fioor, and she was too drunk to rise again. Burke threw himself upon her so that his breast covered her face She uttered several cries and then only moaned. Burke put one hand on her nose and mouth and the ether under her chin, thus stop ping her breath completely. He never spoke while doing this, and Hare sat opposite him on chair without a sign of pity or recoiling from the terrible spectacle. The women, in the meantime, had fled from the room, unable to endure the sight of the murder. Burke arose from his prone position, still holding his hand over the mouth of Mrs. Campbell. She appeared to be quite dead, and at the end oi ten minutes they pulled off her clothing doubled her up and, placing her in a corner covered her with straw.

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