The trial, sentence and confessions of Bishop, Williams, and May, at the Old Bailey, London, on Friday, December 2, 1831, for the murder of Carlo Ferrari, an Italian boy ; respite of May; execution of Bishop and Williams; together with an account of many circumstances connected with the period of their early life.

  • Bishop, John, -1831
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial, sentence and confessions of Bishop, Williams, and May, at the Old Bailey, London, on Friday, December 2, 1831, for the murder of Carlo Ferrari, an Italian boy ; respite of May; execution of Bishop and Williams; together with an account of many circumstances connected with the period of their early life. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    IS should think that death occurred about three hours after the meal. Oh examining the coats of the stomach, after removing its contents for the purpose of having them analysed, I found them perfectly healthy. From the whole of my observations on the body, I as- cribe the death to a blow given on the back of the neck. This ob- servation I have seen verified from experiments which I have wit- nessed in animals, where the same appeai-ances haye followed that species of injury. Cross-examined by Mr. Barry.—I found no external appearance of violence at the back of the neck. It does not, however, neces- sarily follow that a severe blow of a stick on the back of the neck would be followed by a contusion or external mark of violence. It would have produced such a mark if the boy had lived some time after the blow had been given. I agree with Mr. Partridge in the statement that a flushed appearance of the countenance and an emptiness of the heart have been found iu cases of sudden death, where no injury has been inflicted. In the course of my practice, I never found the heart empty after death. I do not think that any blow on the top of the head would present the appearances which were found on the back of the neck. Any violence applied to the back of the neck itself, however, whether considerable or not, might produce it. I can hardly think that such appearances would be pro- duced by the falling down of a person in a fit of apoplexy. I will not say that it would be impossible, supposing that his head fell against a hard projecting body. A fall on a hard projecting point might produce such appearances. I will not swear as to the time when the teeth were removed, but I think it highly improbable that twelve hours elapsed after death before their removal. Re-examined by Mr. Adot<puus.—Forming my opinion as to the best of my judgment and experience, I would say that the teeth were removed within two or three hours after death. I have never seen a person die of apoplexy in which the bi'ain was not injured ; but I believe that such cases have occurred in what is called serous apoplexy. There was no serum effused in this boy's brain, nor did it present any unhealthy appearance whatever. He was apparently about fourteen years old, and in no respect did he seem inclined to apoplexy. By Mr. Baron VaugiiaN.—I have examined the bodies of many persons that have died of apoplexy, and have always found appear- ances to account for the death. There have been cases of serous apoplexy recorded, in which it is stated that no such appearances could be discovered. If the subject in this instance died of apoplexy, it did not present any appearance of it. Mr. Frederick Tyrrell, examined by Mr. Clarkson.—I am one of the surgeons of St. Thomas' Hospital. I have heard the evidence of Mr. Beaman with regard to what he found, and the conclusions that he came to; and in all material points I agree with him. I have never known a case of serous apoplexy in which the appear- ances on the brain did not sufficiently denote its occurrence, I have been always able to ascertain that a quantity of fluid has been effused in what is termed serous apoplexy, and that is snlTicient to