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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    to Constantine's, and the second bottle of whisky finished. While engaged on it, M'Dougal, who had hitherto hern un- observed, suddenly started from a bed, and joined in drinking the spirits. When she appeared, Constatttine's vile whis- pered to the girls that she was Burke's wife, and upon her upbraiding him for his conduct, Brown aptflogised tor being in his company, mentioning that they did not know him to be a married man, otherwise they would not have come, and proposed then to leave the house. M*Douga] re- plied that she did not blame them, but that it wa* his constant practice to desert her and spend his money upon loose wo- men. She requested them to sit still, and seemed anxious that they should not go away. The quarrelling between Burke and her then got more violent, and she took up the eggs which had been set down for breakfast and threw them CD into the fire. Upon this Burke took up a dram glass and flung it at her; it hit her forehead above the eye and cut it. At the commencement of the uproar, Constantine Burke's wife ran out of the house, as Brown supposes for the purpose of bringing Hare; indeed, as she saw no other person dis- patched any where, it is difficult to account otherwise tor this vampire's speedy appearance. After her departure Burke succeeded in turning M'Dougal out of the house, locking the door upon her. By this time Paterson was lying across the bed in a state nearly approaching to insensibility, and the murderer seems to have considered her as incapable of exertion, and certain to fall an easy prey when he had lei- sure to finish her. On this account, doubtless, he endea- voured to commence his diabolical work upon her more ac- tive companion ; he affected great kindness towards her, and pressed her to go along with him into the bed which M'Dougal had so recently left. As she herself observes, however 8