Chapter I: Preface

The history of the Scottish nation has, unfortunately, been stained with many foul crimes, perpetrated either to serve personal ends and private ambition, or under the pretence of effecting the increased welfare of the people. These have given life to a large amount of literature, much of it from the pens of some of the most distinguished legal and antiquarian authors the country has produced, such as Arnot, Pitcairn, MacLaurin, Burton, and others. But of all the criminal events that have occurred in Scotland, few have excited so deep, widespread, and lasting an interest as those which took place during what have been called the Resurrectionist Times, and notably, the dreadful series of murders perpetrated in the name of anatomical science by Burke and Hare. The universal interest excited at the time of these occurrences, also, has called forth a great quantity of fugitive literature; and as no narrative of any considerable size, detailing in a connected and chronological form the events which bulk so largely in the history of the country, had yet appeared, the Author considered a volume such as the present was required to fill up an important hiatus in the criminal annals of his country.

In the preparation of this work the Author has had a double purpose before him. He has sought not only to record faithfully the lives and crimes of Burke and Hare, and their two female associates, but also to present a general view of the Resurrectionist movement from its earliest inception until the passing of the Anatomy Act in 1832, when the violation of the sepulchres of the dead for scientific purposes was rendered unnecessary, and absolutely inexcusable. He has, in carrying out this object, endeavoured to give due prominence to the medical and legal aspects of the whole subject; and to the social effects produced by the movement throughout the century and a half during which it flourished in Scotland. In order to do this the Author has consulted books, newspapers, and documents of all kinds, and has sought, where that was possible, to supplement his information by oral tradition. But in addition, he has, in the body of the work, and in the Appendix, brought together stray ballads, and illustrative cases and notes, which help to give a better and fuller understanding of the historical aspect of the question, and of its influence on the minds of the great bulk of the Scottish people.

The Author has to express his thanks to the many gentlemen who have kindly allowed him access to their rare and valuable collections, from which he derived great assistance in the course of his investigations.

GLASGOW, May, 1884.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION.--

_The Resurrectionist Movement--Its Contributing Causes and
Results_, 13

CHAPTER I.--

_Early Prohibition of Dissection--Shakespeare's Tomb--The
Progress of Anatomy--Curious Incident in Edinburgh--An Old
Broadside Ballad on Body-Snatching--Tumults in Edinburgh
and Glasgow--Female "Burkers"_, 16

CHAPTER II.--

_Tales of the Resurrectionists--The Students at Work_, 25

CHAPTER III.--

_Tales of the Resurrectionists--What the Doctors did_, 33

CHAPTER IV.--

_Tales of the Resurrectionists--The Professional
Body-Snatchers--A Dundee Resurrectionist Ballad--A Strange
Experiment in Glasgow_, 38

CHAPTER V.--

_The Early Life of Burke and M'Dougal--Their Meeting with
Hare and his Wife--Some Notes Concerning the Latter_, 47

CHAPTER VI.--

_Death of Donald the Pensioner--Hare's Debt--Negotiations
with the Doctors--A Bargain Struck--Sale of Donald's Body_, 54

CHAPTER VII.--

_New Prospects--Description of Hare's House--The Murder of
Abigail Simpson, the Old Woman from Gilmerton--The Two Sick
Men_, 57

CHAPTER VIII.--

_Qualms of Conscience--The Murder of Mary Paterson, and
Escape of Janet Brown--Preservation of the Fallen Beauty_, 63

CHAPTER IX.--

_Unknown Victims--The Two Old Women--Effy the Cinder
Raker--"A Good Character with the Police"--Burke and Hare
Separate--The Murder of Mrs. Hostler_, 69

CHAPTER X.--

_Old Mary Haldane--The End of her Debauch--Peggy Haldane in
Search of her Mother--Mother and Daughter United in Death_, 74

CHAPTER XI.--

_A Narrow Escape--The Old Irishwoman and her Grandson--
Their Murder--Hare's Horse rising in Judgment_, 79

CHAPTER XII.--

_Jealousy--An Undeveloped Plot--Hare Cheats Burke, and they
Separate--The Foul Work Continued--Murder of Ann M'Dougal_, 82

CHAPTER XIII.--

_James Wilson, "Daft Jamie"--Some Anecdotes concerning
him--Daft Jamie and Boby Awl_, 88

CHAPTER XIV.--

_Daft Jamie Trapped into Hare's House--The Murder--The Body
Recognised on the Dissecting Table--Popular Feeling_, 94

CHAPTER XV.--

_The End Approaches--Proposed Extension of Business--Mrs.
Docherty claimed as Burke's Relative--The Lodgers
Dismissed--The Murder of Mrs. Docherty_, 99

CHAPTER XVI.--

_An Ill Excuse--Strange Behaviour--Discovery--The Threat--
Unavailing Arguments--The Last Bargain_, 103

CHAPTER XVII.--

_The Arrest of Burke and M'Dougal--Discovery of the Body--
Hare and his Wife Apprehended--Public Intimation of the
Tragedy--Burke and M'Dougal give their Version of the
Transaction_, 107

CHAPTER XVIII.--

_Public Excitement at the West Port Murder--The
Newspapers--Doubts as to the Disappearance of Daft Jamie
and Mary Paterson--The Resurrectionists still at Work_, 113

CHAPTER XIX.--

_Burke and M'Dougal amend their Account of the Murder--The
Prosecution in a Difficulty--Hare turns King's Evidence--
The Indictment against Burke and M'Dougal_, 118

CHAPTER XX.--

_Public Anticipation of the Trial--Appearance of Burke and
M'Dougal in the Dock--Opening of the Court--The Debate on
the Relevancy of the Indictment_, 124

CHAPTER XXI.--

_The Trial of Burke and M'Dougal--Circumstantial Evidence--
Hare's Account of the Murder of Docherty--What he Declined
to Answer--Mrs. Hare and her Child_, 130

CHAPTER XXII.--

_The Trial--Speeches of Counsel--Mr. Cockburn's Opinion of
Hare--The Verdict of the Jury_, 136

CHAPTER XXIII.--

_The Last Stage of the Trial--Burke Sentenced to Death--The
Scene in Court--M'Dougal Discharged--Duration of the Trial_, 142

CHAPTER XXIV.--

_The Interest in the Trial--Feeling as to the Result--Press
Opinions--Attack on Dr. Knox's House_, 146

CHAPTER XXV.--

_Burke's Behaviour in Prison--Liberation of M'Dougal, and
the Consequent Riot--Visitors at Burke's House in the West
Port--Burke's Idea of the Obligations of Dr. Knox--His
Confessions_, 150

CHAPTER XXVI.--

_"The Complicity of the Doctors"--Numerous Disappearances--
Dr. Knox and David Paterson--Paterson Defends Himself--"The
Echo of Surgeon's Square"--The Scapegoat_, 155

CHAPTER XXVII.--

_The Legal Position of Hare and his Wife--Gossip about
Burke--Mrs. Hare and her Child--Constantine Burke--
Anatomical Instruction--Mrs. Docherty's Antecedents_, 163

CHAPTER XXVIII.--

_Burke's Spiritual Condition--The Erection of the
Scaffold--The Criminal's Last Hours--Scene at the
Execution--Behaviour of the People_, 169

CHAPTER XXIX.--

_Lecture on Burke's Body--Riot among the Students--
Excitement in Edinburgh--The Public Exhibition--Dissection
of the Body of the Murderer--Phrenological Developments of
Burke and Hare_, 174

CHAPTER XXX.--

_Hare's Position after the Trial--Warrant for his
Commitment Withdrawn--Daft Jamie's Relatives seek to
Prosecute--The Case before the Sheriff and the Lords of
Justiciary--Burke's Confession and the "Courant"--The Lord
Advocate's Reasons for Declining to Proceed against Hare--
Pleadings for the Parties_, 182

CHAPTER XXXI.--

_Hare's Case before the High Court of Justiciary--Speech by
Mr. Francis Jeffrey--Opinion of the Judges--A Divided
Bench--The Decision of the Court_, 191

CHAPTER XXXII.--

_Popular Feeling against Hare--His Behaviour in Prison--
Withdrawal of the Warrant--His Liberation and Flight--
Recognition--Riot in Dumfries, and Narrow Escape of Hare--
Over the Border--Ballad Version of the Flight_, 198

CHAPTER XXXIII.--

_The Confessions of Burke--The Interdicts against the
"Edinburgh Evening Courant"--Burke's Note on the "Courant"
Confession--Issue of the Official Document--Publication of
both Confessions_, 206

CHAPTER XXXIV.--

_Burke's Confession before the Sheriff--A Record of the
Murders--The Method--Complicity of the Women and the
Doctors--Murderers, but not Body-Snatchers_, 211

CHAPTER XXXV.--

_The "Courant" Confession of Burke--Details of the
Crimes--Burke's Account of his Life--The Criminals and Dr.
Knox_, 219

CHAPTER XXXVI.--

_The Fate of Hare--Mrs. Hare in Glasgow--Rescue from the
Mob--Her Escape to Ireland, and Subsequent Career--Helen
M'Dougal--Burke's Wife in Ireland_, 229

CHAPTER XXXVII.--

_Dr. Knox's Connection with Burke and Hare--His Egotism--
Knox's Criticism of Liston and his Assistants--Hanging
Knox's Effigy--Popular Tumults--Demand that he should be
put on Trial_, 234

CHAPTER XXXVIII.--

_Inquiry into Dr. Knox's Relations with Burke and Hare--
Report of Committee_, 240

CHAPTER XXXIX.--

_English Newspapers on the West Port Tragedies--The "Sun,"
and its Idea of the Popular Feeling--Gray and his Wife_, 244

CHAPTER XL.--

_The Relations of the Doctors and the Body-Snatchers--Need
for a Change in the Law--A Curious Case in London--
Introduction and Withdrawal of the Anatomy Bill_, 249

CHAPTER XLI.--

_"Burking" in London--Apprehension of Bishop, Williams, and
May--Their Trial, Confession, and Execution--Re-introduction
and Passing of the Anatomy Act_, 254

CHAPTER XLII.--

_The Passing of the Anatomy Act--Its Terms and Provisions_, 260

CHAPTER XLIII.--

_Conclusion--Review of the Effects Produced by the
Resurrectionist Movement--The Houses in Portsburgh--The
Popular Idea of the Method of Burke and Hare--Origin of the
Words "Burker" and "Burking"_, 267