Benjamin Franklin, Scientist, Inventor, Statesman, Serial Killer?

[machinecult]

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American founding father, known for his important scientific and political contributions might have been a member of the 'Hellfire Club', a secret club for important individuals where they lose their inhibitions and divulge in immoral acts and might have been a serial killer as well.

A house, located at 36 Craven Street in London, was in being remodeled when workers found a human thighbone buried in the home’s basement. Over 1,200 human bones were eventually exhumed, belonging to at least a dozen different people. The bodies buried in that windowless hole belonged to both children and adults and their bones appear to be scarred by surgical tools. This house was the home of Benjamin Franklin during his time as ambassador to Britain.

The leading explanation for these bones is that they were left by a young man named William Hewson. Hewson was an anatomist and most likely obtained the bodies by paying a grave robber to bring him recently buried corpses. Hewson was a friend and roommate of Franklin and was living at the home around the time the bodies were buried. Because of the age of the crime scene, Scotland Yard is not investigating and it is unlikely the true culprit will ever be discovered...

Full article.

WORKMEN have dug up the remains of ten bodies hidden beneath the former London home of Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of American independence.

The remains of four adults and six children were discovered during the £1.9 million restoration of Franklin's home at 36 Craven Street, close to Trafalgar Square. Researchers believe that there could be more bodies buried beneath the basement kitchens.

Initial estimates are that the bones are about 200 years old and were buried at the time Franklin was living in the house, which was his home from 1757 to 1762, and from 1764 to 1775. Most of the bones show signs of having been dissected, sawn or cut. One skull has been drilled with several holes. Paul Knapman, the Westminster Coroner, said yesterday: "I cannot totally discount the possibility of a crime. There is still a possibility that I may have to hold an inquest."

The principal suspect in the mystery is William Hewson, like Franklin a Fellow of the Royal Society, and the husband of Polly Stevenson, the daughter of Franklin's landlady, Mary Stevenson.

In the early 1770s Dr Hewson was in partnership with William Hunter, who, with his brother John, was one of the founders of British surgery. Dr Hunter and Dr Hewson ran a school of anatomy in Soho, but after an argument Dr Hewson left to live in Franklin's house, where he is believed to have established a rival school and lecture theatre. Dr Knapman added yesterday: "It is most likely that these are anatomical specimens that Dr Hewson disposed of in his own house, but we are still not certain about the bones' exact age or origin."

Evangeline Hunter-Jones, deputy chairman of the Friends of Benjamin Franklin House, the charity concerned with restoring the property and opening it to the public, said: "The bones were quite deeply buried, probably to hide them because grave robbing was illegal. There could be more buried, and there probably are."

Brian Owen Smith has volunteered to lead researches on behalf of the friends. He said yesterday: "The discovery represents an important insight into very exciting years of medical history. Benjamin Franklin, through his support for Polly and Dr Hewson, socially and scientifically, was very much part of that."

To the suggestion that Franklin might have been a grave robber, or an accomplice to Dr Hewson, Hilaire Dubourcq, of the Friends of Benjamin Franklin House, responded: "It is possible that he has an alibi. It seems likely that he actually let Dr Hewson have use of the whole house for his school for a time, and went up the street to live with Mary Stevenson. He did not necessarily know what was happening below stairs in the house during his absence."

Dr Hewson fell victim to his own researches at an early age. He accidentally cut himself while dissecting a putrid body, contracted septicemia and died in 1774, aged 34.

-- source: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/98/02/11/timnwsnws01012.html?999



Other sources:

• The Dirty Secrets Of Benjamin Franklin | Trivia And Opinion On Any Topic
• http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/123480

[æRLO]

I think it was just a hastily made notion from a odd revelation. Wa man kaayo na familiar ang mga tao anang "body snatching" during that period. Pretty common among people who worked in the medical and scientific communities then. And preliminary investigation points out that the bones were treated faithful to how scientists and doctors would to study anatomy during that time. So I don't believe he was a serial killer. Playboy nuon. hahaha

[machinecult]

^ Good point. But why so many bodies?

[mio]

Wew, karon pako ani.

[machinecult]

Wew, karon pako ani.

THey just dug those bones last April.