The "outrage at Duneoht," the theft of the body of
the late Earl of Crawford, has been explained, though in an imperfect way. Charles Soutar, a discharged rat-catcher on the estate, has from the first hinted at a knowledge of the secret, and last week be was brought to trial. It was proved that he was at Dunecht when the body disappeared, that he knew where it was, and that he wrote letters saying he could tell, if he were rewarded. He himself admitted that he had seen the crime committed, and attributed his own silence to fear of the "armed men who removed the body. The jury disbelieved his story, and held him guilty of partic:ipatiou in the offence, and the ;fudge condemned him to five years' penal servitude. Consider- ing the way decent men steal mummies for gain, and the way we punish aggravated assaults, that is a frightfully severe sentence ; but it will put a stop to the kidnapping of corpses, and Soutar will probably now tell the truth. He must have had assistance in. removing the body, and it is improbable that he was the prin- cipal in the affair, which suggests a keener brain and a stronger motive. The resurrection men, we believe, never acted singly, partly from the great difficulty of carrying a body, and partly, we suspect, from a lingering superstitious fear.
Previous page
