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n There followed three writtennstatements from the prisoners. Bishop wrote that he was a carrier, who hadnsupplied bodies to teaching hospitals,
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n“I declare that I never sold any bodynbut what had died a natural death.”n
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nHe had bought the cap from MrsnDodswell, a clothes-dealer from Hoxton Old Town, for his own son, Frederick,nand had sewn a green lining into the peak himself. He swore he knew nothing aboutnthe other clothing that had been dug up from his garden and asked that the juryndisregard all the talk about ‘wearing apparel’ as he nothing to do withnit, finishing with,
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n“May and Williams know nothing as to how I becamenpossessed of the body.”n
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nMrs Dodswell was called and confirmed that she hadnsold a cap to Mrs Bishop; she also mentioned that Bishop’s daughter had beennher servant, twelve months before.
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nWilliams’s statement was anmasterpiece of evasion – he wrote (or got somebody to do that for him), that henwas a bricklayer and a glassblower, and he hadn’t sold bodies before, and henwas only helping Bishop out, and he didn’t know what was going on, and itnweren’t me guv’nor, and gorblimey I’m being fixed up, wot wiv me bein’ innocentnan’ all, gertcha, and,
nWilliams’s statement was anmasterpiece of evasion – he wrote (or got somebody to do that for him), that henwas a bricklayer and a glassblower, and he hadn’t sold bodies before, and henwas only helping Bishop out, and he didn’t know what was going on, and itnweren’t me guv’nor, and gorblimey I’m being fixed up, wot wiv me bein’ innocentnan’ all, gertcha, and,
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n“I shall, therefore, leave myncase entirely to the intelligence and discrimination of the Jury, and thenlearned and merciful Judge,”n
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n… that final part, one suspects,nwas added to the statement by Williams’s counsel.
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nMay wrote that he was a happilynmarried family man of moderate education who had been apprenticed as a butcher.nFor the past six years he had been employed in the procurement of anatomicalnspecimens for the medical establishments throughout the metropolis, togethernwith working with horses, and had accidentally met Bishop in the Fortune of Warnpublic house, a place frequented by gentlemen employed in his given profession,nwhere Bishop had consulted him on a professional matter, vis-à-vis thenprocurement and disposal of ‘subjects’ and what remuneration might be thenreasonable recompense for such a service. Undoubtedly, he was well accustomednto the commerce in the dearly departed but it were only stiffs guv an’ none ovnyer livin’ coves, lor’ luv a duck, wot wiv me bein’ a right diamond an’ pukkanan’ all, leave it ahht, me ole china and
nMay wrote that he was a happilynmarried family man of moderate education who had been apprenticed as a butcher.nFor the past six years he had been employed in the procurement of anatomicalnspecimens for the medical establishments throughout the metropolis, togethernwith working with horses, and had accidentally met Bishop in the Fortune of Warnpublic house, a place frequented by gentlemen employed in his given profession,nwhere Bishop had consulted him on a professional matter, vis-à-vis thenprocurement and disposal of ‘subjects’ and what remuneration might be thenreasonable recompense for such a service. Undoubtedly, he was well accustomednto the commerce in the dearly departed but it were only stiffs guv an’ none ovnyer livin’ coves, lor’ luv a duck, wot wiv me bein’ a right diamond an’ pukkanan’ all, leave it ahht, me ole china and
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n“…I shall, therefore, leave mynfate entirely to the intelligence and discernment of the Jury, and the learnednJudge.”n
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nWhich, if nothing else, provesnthat lazy lawyers were not above a little copy-pasta even back then, when thenjudges and learned friends would obviously swayed by stock phrases that theynhad most certainly had not heard before on a daily basis. Or maybe, just maybe,nthe defence counsel had a spark of humanity left in their adamantine, avaricious,nlegal hearts and were deliberately setting their scumbag clients up to fail.nIt’s a tough call to make, I know – lawyers or murderous grave robbers, but onnthis occasion at least, I will side with the lawyers. Not least because of thencharacter witnesses that were called next. Rosina Carpenter, a single lady,nswore in court that Mr May had been in her company throughout the night ofnNovember 4th – she was surenit was the 4th – and she was sure, too, that he had never left her.nSure, she was very sure. And she was sure he didn’t have any human teeth in hisnpocket. Really sure about that one.
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nMary Ann Horne spoke next fornMay. She was a single lady, and the happily married family man Mr May had beennentertained by her on November 4th, and had been with her untilneight o’clock on Saturday morning, and he couldn’t give her any money just thennbut he would have some for her later, because he was a fine, dependable fellow,nand she knew that because May was with her more than anyone else, and sure, shenhad gentlemen callers but not nearly so many as James May. Oh yes, and hernlandlady owned a jackdaw.
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nCharlotte Berry was a single ladyn(do you spot a pattern here?), who had a room in the same building as Horne,nand spoke next for May. She had, accidentally, pinched her landlady’s jackdawnbehind the door and it had flown into Horne’s room and its blood must havengotten onto May’s trousers, because there was trousers and blood and stuff, andnthat explains that, right? Sure?
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nThe final witness called by thendefence was Dr Edward William Tuson. He was not a single lady. Here is hisntestimony, in full, to the Old Bailey,
nThe final witness called by thendefence was Dr Edward William Tuson. He was not a single lady. Here is hisntestimony, in full, to the Old Bailey,
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n“I am a surgeon, and amnsubpoenaed on behalf of the prisoners. I know them by seeing them; I believe Inhave seen Bishop once or twice, but I do not know what I am to prove.”n
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nExcellent bit of lawyering there,nMessrs. Curwood and Barry. You were either so incompetent that you should havenbeen struck off the day before Tuesday, or so brilliant that you should havenbeen showered with apes, ivory and peacocks. The Chief Justice thennrecapitulated the evidence that had been presented to the jury and directednthem on certain legal niceties before they retired, at eight o’clock in thenevening, to consider their verdict. The prisoners were taken from the courtroom,nto be replaced with conjectures and speculations, and just thirty minutes laternthe jury came back in. There was a deathly silence in the room and the windowsnwere opened wide, so that those outside might hear the verdict. Bishop,nWilliams and May were re-introduced to the bar, the names of the jurors werencalled over and they were asked if they had reached a verdict, to which theynreplied in the affirmative. All three had been found guilty of murder.
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nThenresponse outside was deafening, with much clapping and cheering and the windowsnhad to be closed again, so that the Recorder of the court could be heard as henpassed sentence. The Judge gave a short speech, thanking the jury for doingntheir duty, and then tuned to the bar. John Bishop, Thomas Williams aliasnHead, and James May had been found guilty of murder and were to be taken to thenplace of execution on the following Monday, there to be hanged by the necknuntil dead. He began to say, ‘… and may God have mercy on your souls’nwhen he was interrupted by Mr Justice Littledale, who whispered a reminder tonhim, whereupon he added that their bodies would then be given over to thenanatomists, who would publicly dissect their bodies. The three men stood innsilence for a moment, when May suddenly pointed at Bishop and said loudly,
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nThenresponse outside was deafening, with much clapping and cheering and the windowsnhad to be closed again, so that the Recorder of the court could be heard as henpassed sentence. The Judge gave a short speech, thanking the jury for doingntheir duty, and then tuned to the bar. John Bishop, Thomas Williams aliasnHead, and James May had been found guilty of murder and were to be taken to thenplace of execution on the following Monday, there to be hanged by the necknuntil dead. He began to say, ‘… and may God have mercy on your souls’nwhen he was interrupted by Mr Justice Littledale, who whispered a reminder tonhim, whereupon he added that their bodies would then be given over to thenanatomists, who would publicly dissect their bodies. The three men stood innsilence for a moment, when May suddenly pointed at Bishop and said loudly,
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n“Inam a murdered man, gentlemen, and that man knows it.”n
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nThis sparked Williamsninto action, who started by saying, “We are all murdered men,” and thennthreatened several of the witnesses, promising them that they would be prepaidnfor their lies within three months. Bishop said nothing. They were taken downnand the court cleared. The Duke of Sussex said, in effect, ‘It makes younproud to be an Englishman,” and the judicicals, much heartened by hisnHighness’s kind words, agreed.
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nTomorrow – the executions
