Broadside entitled 'Extraordinary Occurrence, and Supposed Murder, &c.'

Transcription

Extraordinary Occurrence,
and Supposed Murder, &c.

An Account of a most Extraordinary cir-
cumstance that took place on Friday
night, the 31st October 1828, in a
House in the West Port, Edinburgh,
where an old Woman of the name of
Campbell is supposed to have been
Murdered, and her Body Sold to a
Medical Doctor.

WE have various accounts of the above me-
lancholy occurrence, which, of course, we
cannot vouch for. There is no doubt, however, of
the circumstance, of the body of an old woman
being seen on the floor of the house of Burt or
Burke, in the West Port, and of the same body
being taken from a Lecture Room to the Police
Office yesterday morning, under very suspicious
' circumstances of having been murdered. We copy
the following paragraph from this day's Evening
Courant on the subject, which is the only account
yet published of this affair :?

" An old woman of the name of Campbell, from
Ireland, came to Edinburgh some days ago, in
search of a son, whom she found, and who after-
wards went out of town, in search of work.    She
took up her lodgings on Friday, in the house of
a man named Burt or Burke, in the West Port.    It
appears that there was a merry making in Burke's
that night; at least the noise of music and dancing
was heard, and it is believed the glass circulated
pretty freely among the party.    The Old woman, it
is said, with reluctance joined in the mirth, and
also partook of the liquor, and was to sleep on
straw alongside of Burke's bed.    During the night
shrieks were heard ; but the neighbours paid no
attention, as such sounds were not unusual in the
house.    In the morning, however, a female, on
going into Burke's, observed the old woman lying
as if dead, some of the straw being above her.   She
did not say any thing, or raise any alarm ; but, in
the evening, circumstances transpired which led to
a belief that all was not right, for, by this time the
body had been removed out of the house, and, it
was suspected, had been sold to a public lecturer.
Information was conveyed to the police, and the
whole party taken into custody.    After a search,
the body was found yesterday morning in the lec-
ture room of a respectable practitioner, who, the
instant he was informed of the circumstance, not
only gave it up, but afforded every information in
his power.    The body is now in the police-office,
and will be examined by medical gentlemen in the
course of the day.    There are some very strong
and singular circumstances connected with the
case, which have given rise to the suspicions."

Edinburgh, 3d November, 1828,
PRICE ONE PENNY.

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