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.

    18/392 (page 8)
    WEST l’ORT 5tl itDERS. to be. afforded to the prisoner, both in preparing for bis defence and on bis trial ; where the rules of evidence ought to be most strictly adhered to, in so far as regards either the admissibility or credibility of testimony ; where the accused should have the fullest benefit of every presumption in his favour ; and where his defence, ought if possible, to be conducted with the great- est legal ability. Now Burke had all these advantages. The Court, in the exercise of the discretion with which it is entrust- ed, adjudged the trial of the prisoner to proceed upon only one of t-.hr® separate acts of murder charged against him in the indictment; while the splendid array of Counsel, who vo- luntarily and gratuitously undertook the conduct of his de- fence, exerted their whole skill, talents, and eloquence, in his behalf. And wre repeat that we rejoice at this; for, as was well observed by the Lord Advocate in addressing the Jury for the Crown upon the evidence which had been led, if the prisoner had any good defence, it was thus sure to have ample justice done to it; and if a conviction was ob- tained, it would be more satisfactory to the country, and in- finitely more important to the purity and efficacy of the law. In these circumstances, however, a conviction has been obtained against the panned Burke—the prime murderer —the immediate and direct agent by whom the crime charged was committed—the agent also, wc firmly believe, by whom not three but thirteen■ persons were slaughtered, with the intent of excambing their murdered bodies for gold; this monster, we say, has been convicted, and ad- judged to suffer the highest punishment of the law : tpid, with a sort of poetical justice, lie who made subjects of others, is to be made a subject himself, and he now knows that his vile carcass, when the hangman is done with it, will be subjected to the same process with the bodies of bis murdered victims. The idea of banging him in chains would have been out of all keeping with his crime; and hence, though once entertained, it was most properly and judiciously abandoned. But the conviction of Burke alone will not satisfy either the law or the country. The unanimous voice of so- ciety in regard to Hare is, Delendus est; that is to say, if there be evidence to convict him, as we should hope there is. He lias been an accessory before or after the fact in nearly all of these murders ; in the case of poor Jamie he was un- questionably a principal; and his evidence on .Wednesday only protects him from being called to account for the murder ofDocherty. Wc trust, therefore, that the Lord Advocate, who has so ably and zealously performed liis duty to the country upon this occasion, will bring the “ squalid wretch