Cemetery guns

sussexmuzllodr said:

Theft of Corpses back then was known as "Burking" named after a couple of guys that were famous for it.

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Actually Burke and Hare who supplied the Edinburgh anatomy schools. Their first corpse died of natural causes in Burke's house and they decided to cash in by selling the body. Digging up bodies was hard work so Burke and Hare preferred to murder people and sell the bodies, 16 according to Hare's confession (he turned King's evidence to save his neck). Burke was hanged and he was himself dissected. His skeleton was on show in the Edinburgh Museums as part of a recent exhibition, it normally "lives" in the Anatomical Museum of the Edinburgh Medical School, perhaps in this case I should use the Scots term "stays".

sussexmuzllodr said:

Theft of Corpses back then was known as "Burking" named after a couple of guys that were famous for it.

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were they BURKE & HARE?

I never heard of on of them? I wonder what they would fetch $ on the market today? Maby they are a DESTRUCTIVE DEVISE?

There were in Victorian times devices called coffin torpedoes placed in the coffin and designed to detonate if a grave robber opened the casket. Some were bombs and others were sawed shotgun types

Today, your body isn't dug up. The politicians just add your name to the voting roster. Can't even take you name with you.

cebusey said:

There were in Victorian times devices called coffin torpedoes placed in the coffin and designed to detonate if a grave robber opened the casket. Some were bombs and others were sawed shotgun types

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Wow! I think in olden times the word, "torpedo," had a somewhat different meaning than we assume today.

If I am interpreting that picture correctly, it looks as if the torpedo launcher is positioned at the head of the coffin, with a trip-wire looped around the body's right wrist and foot.

In any event, I see a patent date of 1878 on that gadget. We know that black powder lasts indefinitely if kept dry, and a sealed coffin might just preserve it pretty well. I have read several recent articles about old corpses being exhumed and examined in the name of science. My point being that modern researchers had better be careful if they want to dig up a Victorian-era body for evaluation, knowing that there just might be a "coffin torpedo" in there. Some young scientist might quickly become a cadaver, himself.

Notchy Bob

Couple of useful tips for resurrection men. First, you don't need to expose the whole coffin, just a section near the head; you then break the lid, put a rope around the corpse under the arms and pull it out through the hole. Second, stealing property is a serious matter so leave any clothing or shrouds behind. Third, a wooden spade makes less noise.

For the relatives of the deceased, it is important to remember you don't need to protect the body forever, just long enough for a bit of decay to have set in.

The burial ground of St Cuthbert's in Edinburgh boasts of a watchtower to deter nocturnal activity. There is a tombstone in that graveyard which has the legend "See other side." at the bottom of the front face.

Obviously if the shot hit a villain, that is a bonus, the main purpose of these guns is to alert the watch.

toot said:

were they BURKE & HARE?

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See the post above yours.

Idaho Ron said:

This is my cemetery airgun. And yes I work in a cemetery.

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Nice TX200, I have a lefty in .177.

I wonder if Pyrodex would be more effective than black powder in one of those cemetery guns?

longcruise said:

Fun topic. Great relief from election BS.

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Actually, after seeing the election results (especially here in PA), a series of these guns should have been placed around polling places.

A cemetery gun? Ok it is in a cemetery (2 of them in Osage Iowa). 2 pounds of powder to make them go BANG!.

"Burke and Hare were a terrible pair...." so the song goes.Several movies were made about their exploits; some were downright funny! British ones mostly available on Netflix.

Hoo-boy...another category to check on Gunbroker.

Hard to believe the 'Bloody Brits' have been disarmed. When it comes to inventing infernal devices, they were at the top of the game.

Looks like what they called a "watermelon patch gun" around here.

cebusey said:

There were in Victorian times devices called coffin torpedoes placed in the coffin and designed to detonate if a grave robber opened the casket. Some were bombs and others were sawed shotgun types

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One of the local cemetery's near us has a couple torpedo bomb coffins. They are marked on the cemetery map. Workers are very careful when working around such a grave.

toot said:

I never heard of on of them? I wonder what they would fetch $ on the market today? Maby they are a DESTRUCTIVE DEVISE?

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At any rate, it's illegal across the board to booby-trap anything. Like if some hermit guy set traps and emergency personnel had to get into his house they'd get hurt. You could probably make one for fun but not to actually use other than controlled outdoor bang-bangs.

Not in the Victorian era when the coffin torpedoes were used. I certainly hope no one today would consider trying to build one.

There is a good account of Burke and Hare in the essay “On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts” by Thomas Dequincy.

springfield art said:

At any rate, it's illegal across the board to booby-trap anything. Like if some hermit guy set traps and emergency personnel had to get into his house they'd get hurt. You could probably make one for fun but not to actually use other than controlled outdoor bang-bangs.

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Someone makes "door jamb guns" that fire a .22 into your skull

You'd have to hope you didn't forget to avoid that door coming home and cap yourself in the head