| Burke and Hare Murder Dolls | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Burke and Hare Murders |
|
Type |
Wooden Carvings |
|
Effects |
Kills invited guests |
|
Downsides |
Increased suspicion |
|
Activation |
Giving another residence and alcohol |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
398019-2919 |
|
Shelf |
299812-3980-194 |
|
Date of Collection |
June 3, 1927 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
The Burke and Hare murders were a series of sixteen killings committed over a period of about ten months in 1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were undertaken by William Burke and William Hare, who sold the corpses to Robert Knox for dissection at his anatomy lectures. Edinburgh was a leading European center of anatomical study in the early 19th century, in a time when the demand for cadavers led to a shortfall in legal supply. Scottish law required that corpses used for medical research should only come from those who had died in prison, suicide victims, or from foundlings and orphans. The shortage of corpses led to an increase in body snatching by what were known as "resurrection men". Measures to ensure graves were left undisturbed exacerbated the shortage.
When a lodger in Hare's house died, he turned to his friend Burke for advice and they decided to sell the body to Knox. They received what was, for them, the generous sum of £7 10s. A little over two months later, he and Burke murdered a sick lodger and sold the body to Knox. The men continued their murder spree, probably with the knowledge of their wives. Hare would intoxicate and choke the victim while Burke would straddle their chest to prevent any air or noise. Burke and Hare's actions were uncovered after other lodgers discovered their last victim, Margaret Docherty, and contacted the police.
Although the police suspected Burke and Hare of other murders, there was no actionable evidence. An offer was put to Hare granting immunity from prosecution if he turned king's evidence. He provided the details of Docherty's murder and confessed to all sixteen deaths; formal charges were made against Burke and his wife for three murders. At the subsequent trial Burke was found guilty of one murder and the case against his wife was found not proven. Burke was hanged shortly afterwards; his corpse was dissected and his skeleton displayed at the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh Medical School where, as at 2022, it remains.
A set of four-inch long dolls lying in miniature coffins were discovered in a park years after the scandal. They appear to be funerary carvings made by a cobbler to represent each of the victims. It is unknown which of the pair created them and some were released to the National Museum of Scotland.
Effects[]
Kills a chosen victim sometime after they have received temporary lodging and imbibed some offered liquor. The guest usually has their breath silently choked out from them, unable to make noise as they flail about in distress. Any remains present in the vicinity remain pristine without any decay until moved elsewhere. Each activator will become more suspect of shady practices and unsound demeanor. Multiplies over time until investigations are levied over the concerns, or the user is slowly choked cold themselves.