BURKE, WILLIAM; AND HARE, WILLIAM

born 1792, Orrery, Ire. died Jan. 28, 1829, Edinburgh, Scot. born , Londonderry, Ire., fl. 1820s pair of infamous murderers for profit, who killed their victims and sold the corpses to an anatomist for purposes of scientific dissection. William Hare, immigrating to Scotland from Ireland, wandered through several occupations before becoming keeper of the Log's lodging house, Tanner's Close, Edinburgh. There, William Burke, also Irish-born, arrived in 1827. On November 29 an old pensioner died in the house, and, instead of having the corpse buried, Burke and Hare sold it to one Robert Knox, a surgeon, for 7 pounds 10 shillings. Such profit led the two men over the following months to entice at least 15 unknown wayfarers into the lodging house, get them drunk, kill them by smothering (in order to leave no trace of violence), and sell the corpses to Knox's school of anatomy. Burke and Hare were finally exposed when neighbours and police discovered their murder of a local woman on Oct. 31, 1828. Hare turned king's evidence and was eventually released, never to be heard from again. Burke was tried for murder, found guilty, and hanged. In his confession, Burke exonerated Knox of all knowledge of the crimes, but some years passed before Knox lived down the condemnations of public and press.