West Port murders, or an authentic account of the atrocious murders committed by Burke and his associates; containing a full account of all the extraordinary circumstances connected with them. Also, a report of the trial of Burke and M'Dougal. With a description of the execution of Burke, his confessions, and memoirs of his accomplices, including the proceedings against Hare, &c.

  • Burke, William, 1792-1829.
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: West Port murders, or an authentic account of the atrocious murders committed by Burke and his associates; containing a full account of all the extraordinary circumstances connected with them. Also, a report of the trial of Burke and M'Dougal. With a description of the execution of Burke, his confessions, and memoirs of his accomplices, including the proceedings against Hare, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    WEST POUT MURDERS. crammed, and went to sleep, some of them at least, as coolly as if nothing of the kind had occurred. When daylight re- turned, the tea-box, so often mentioned in the course of the trial, was procured, and the slaughtered body crammed into it, and sent of! by the porter M‘Culloch, to Surgeons’ Square ; after which Burke and his accomplice Hare Bet off for Newing- ton to obtain the whole or part of the price of the subject they had procured by murder, and actually got Jioe pounds, being one half of the price agreed upon.* • * The following narration lias been taken down from the lips of the officer w ho apprehended Burke and his accomplices:— “ On Friday, the .'list of October, a little elderly woman was seen begging- about the West Port: she entered the shop of Mr. Ilyxner, adjacent to Burke’s house, for this purpose, wlien Burke was tliege purchasing whisky. , Tie seems to have immediately fixed upon lier as a lit subject for his atrocious purposes, and endeavoured to decoy her into his power. He asked her name, and what part of Ireland she came, from; and upon receiving her answers, replied that he was from the same place, and that she must be a relation of his mother, whose name was Doeherty. He then promised to give her breakfast, and they left the shop together, and were seen to enter Burke’s house. She was afterwards seen in the house at different times during the day; and two lodgers, (fray and his wife, were sent to Hare’s house to make room for her, under the pretence that she was a friend from Ireland. They were afterwards seen making merry, drinking and dancing in company with Hare and his wife, first in the house of Ann Connaway, and afterwards in Burke’s. During the night, a great noise of quarrelling and cries of murder were heard in Burke’s house; hut the neighbours, knowing that two men and three women were in the house, and having frequently heard similar uproars, did not think much of it, nor interfere. One of them, however, had the curiosity to look through the key-hole, when hi* saw M'Dougal holding a bottle to the mouth of Campbell, swearing at v her for not drinking, and pouring the whisky into her month. Then all was quiet for a little. Shortly after, the noise again commenced, which was again succeeded bv silence. At this time, that is, between 11 and 12 o’clock, it is presumed the horrid deed was perpetrated. “ In the morning, M'Dougnl, who passed for Burke's wife, accounted for the absence of Campbell, or ‘the little old woman’ as they called her, as well as for the noise, by saying that she had, during the night, made too free with her husband, Burke, and that slie had kicked, her out of the house: and this seems to have allayed any suspicions. In the morn- ing, the lodgers Gray and his wife* returned to Burke’s; hut upon Mrs. Gray attempting to search about the bed, and the straw under it for some articles she had left, she M as ordered by Burke with an oath, ‘ to keep out from them.’ Burke afterwards left the house, desiring Broggan a carter who was there to sit on a chair close to the straw until lie returned. Broggan, hon'ever, followed him in a short time, and Mao Dongal «ho appeared to ho in liquor, started up from the bed asking for her husband, and afterwards quitted the house, leaving Gray and his wife sitting in it. Mrs. Gray then commenced searching for her child’s stock- ings and cleaning the house, and from the suspicions uhieli had beenexcit- ed'by Burke’s conduct, she examined the straw and found the murdered l.ody,iwliich her husband pulled out, and which they immediately recog- nised to he that of Campbell: On going up tiie stair, they w ere met by M'Dougal, U'hom Gray informed of the body being found. She af-