Burke and
Hare
Possibly two of Scotland's most gruesome imports were the serial
killers William Burke and William Hare. Burke and Hare hailed from
Ulster and moved to Scotland to work as labourers on the Union
Canal. Ever aware of a market to meet, Burke and Hare set
themselves up as procurers of human bodies to satisfy the demand of
Edinburgh's medical schools. Originally the two would dig up the
graves of the recently departed in the dead of night, steal the
body and then sell it for cash to a doctor for use during anatomy
demonstrations. Sounds like hard work and Burke and Hare must have
thought so, too, because they decided there was no need to go
digging. The two entrepreneurs started murdering people in
Edinburgh’s old town and selling the cadavers of the victims
to the medical schools on an 'ask no questions basis.' The murder
of their 16th victim led to their arrest, along with Burke's
mistress and Hare's wife, yet the courts had little evidence with
which to conduct a successful prosecution. The Lord Advocate, Sir
William Rae, offered Hare immunity from prosecution if he would
turn King's evidence. The evidence Hare and his wife provided sent
Burke to his death on the gallows on 28 January, 1829 while his
mistress Helen MacDougall escaped when the charges against her were
found not proven. William Hare is said to have died a penniless
pauper in London in 1859, while Robert Knox - the doctor who bought
most of Burke and Hare's bodies so willingly - was never
prosecuted. Burke and Hare killed their victims by strangling them
using a method they had perfected which left no obvious trace of
foul play and little evidence of the murder which they had
committed. Burke and Hare are remembered in Scotland with a degree
of romantic nostalgia. They were after all a most unusual couple of
serial killers.
We have been quite progressive in setting up this cache
– can you find the key?
This grid, once decoded, will show you two places where you
will find the co-ordinates.
You will only need one of the pair to
complete the cache.
If you are totally stumped then
use the links below for extra clues
Use these links for help with
part two
The final location will change
after each find.... Be warned.... They are about and moving
things!!!!