Today I present you a killer video!
I'm speaking so much about death lately that I'll be Sonia Abrão's (Brazilian tv host) rival really soon!
'What's going on? What's going on? What's this? What's going on?'
Last video I spoke about 1832 Anatomy Act, and left in the air
ho had given the kickstart for this act to be approved so quickly.
An important magistrate? A Scottish king?
A pair of serial killers!
William and William.
But of course Will and Will weren't known like that.
They were known by their family names Burke and Hare.
Continuing with the videos about Edinburgh, I'll be speaking about this duo that is still famous there.
William Hare met William Burke while drinking at a pub, of course.
He was sitting there, looked at Burke and asked:
'Are you twins?'
'What twins? It's only me here, drinking happily...'
'Oh...what's your name'
'William.'
'I'm William too!'
'And where are you from?'
*hiccup*
'Ireland.'
'I'm from Ireland too!'
'Tell me. Do you work?'
'No!'
'Oh! Come here my friend! Give me a hug!'
William Burke and William Hare became good friends
At this time, Hare and his Wife owned a lodging-house at Tanner's Close.
Another drinking night they were returnng from the pub to the lodging-house in a good mood
and Hare's wife, the one who really ran the place
was sitting at a table looking concerned.
Hare immediately tought 'what did I do now?' But instead she said: 'William we have a problem'.
That old man that was staying here is dead.
He has nobody. No one from his familt came to claim the body.
I don't know what to do, so you should get rid of it.
Burke looked at Hare, Hare looked at Burke and said: 'It's ok, we'll figure out what to do.'
What did they figure out?
Last video I also spoke about Dr. Robert Knox, professor and surgeon at Edinburgh University.
The one who paid a good amount money for fresh corpses.
Just for you to understand, the average salary at the time in Edinburgh was of £3,5.
Nowadays this is nothing, but it was enough
to live a decent life. It was possible not to starve and have a place to live.
But Robert Knox paid around £10
for those able to sell him a fresh corpse he could cut open during his anatomy classes.
Burke and Hare didn't hesitate and took the old man's body to Dr. Robert Knox
who welcomed them and told the duo
to sell him more bodies because he was willing to pay really well.
Initially what had they thought?
They would be just like any other body snatcher.
They would break into a cemetery to look for tombstone indicating a recent death
to remove the body from the grave, taking it to the doctor.
But that was very hard because there were those watchtowers
and there was also the chance of the body to be already too decomposed
So what had they thought?
At that that time, Edinburgh's main streets
were packed with prostitutes, drunks,
old people with no family or money to
live decently the for rest of their years.
So what was the idea?
They didn't think somebody would miss those people if they vanished.
So they visited those streets every night
and started talking to their victim
and offered a drink.
They took the victim to a pub, and when the person was very drunk
Burke used to say 'Look my friend Hare owns a lodging-house.
You are welcome to spend the night for free.
If you stay like this in the street there's a big risk of
meeting two serial killers, maybe!
The person accepted, and as soon the victim was laying on the bed
Burke would make his maneuver.
He sat over the victim's chest
closing mouth and nose, causing suffocation.
Ironically the word 'burke' is a synonym to suffocation.
So the maneuver he used to kill their victims was called by Hare as 'the Burke maneuver'.
They sold the fresh corpses to Dr. Robert Knox,
But eleven months and seventeen deaths later. Some say it was less, some say it was more,
they started to get reckless.
Burke met an Irish old woman at a store.
So he thought: 'well, she's new in town, nobody know her, so I'm befriending her!'
He was able to take the women to the lodging-house to kill her.
But instead of taking the body to their hiding place, they just put the body under the bed!
This called the attention of a couple that was stayng there.
Burke and Hare tried to blackmail the couple.
It didn't work. They went straight to the police, and Burke and Hare were finally caught.
December 17, 1828. 8am.
A huge crowd had gathered outside the High Courts behind St. Giles in the Royal Mile
waiting to be allowed in. But the trial only began at 10.15 in the morning!
The authorities had Burke and Hare in front of them
and since they had almost no evidences against them, they offered them the chance
to confess. In return they would have a lighter sentence.
Hare didn't hesitate. He pointed at Burke and screamed: 'It was him!'
'He killed everyone! He even used the Burke maneuver!'
'Coincidence?'
He is the killer! Burke and the woman he lives with!'
After the accusation. It was decided that Burke, the real killer was to receive the death sentence
and Hare was spending few years in jail.
To make thing worse, David Paterson, a man who worked for Dr. Robert Knox testified in court.
He told that he saw them talking to his boss many times.
Well. There was no way out.
Hare was Burke's partner in crime. So he went to jail for some four years.
At the end he was freed.
He got rid of a lynching at Edinburgh's doors.
Running away with his wife.
Helen McDougal was also able to get out of the High Court a free woman.
But Burke was sentenced to death and hanged
in January 28, 1829.
in front of 25,000 people.
25,000 people is the number of people in a gig!
Since karma is a bitch!
Where did William Burke end?
At Edinburgh University's medical school. His body was given for dissection!
His body was studied.
And not only was studied! His skeleton was given to the Anatomical Museum of the Edinburgh Medical School!
But wait! There's more!
Part of his skin was removed and used to bound books and make wallets!
Those curious artifacts rest today at Surgeons' Hall Museum.
Here you can buy exclusive products!
Exclusive products made with the hanged man's skin!
Buy it today!
So for those who want to visit, Burke skeleton and the leather (?) artifacts
are still in Edinburgh.
If you are packing your bags to Edinburgh and want tourinformation, they are linked below.
If you like this video, thumbs up! If you don't...
Burke and Hare will get you!
No comments:
Post a Comment