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| Hall exhumed |
This week, we'll look at several cases where this kind of research has done so. First, of course, in the case of Charles Francis Hall, the fact that his hair and fingernails, examined after his exhumation at the behest of Chauncey Loomis, we obtained confirmation that he had been exposed to potentially toxic levels of arsenic in the weeks before his death. Loomis handled this evidence with care; he knew that arsenic was part of various medical preparations, and simply knowing that it was present didn't make poisoning a certainty. And, while suspicion at the time had turned to the German scientific staff, particularly to Emil Bessels, he had no specific evidence linking the possibility to them. The envelope that I discovered, and the subsequent finding of love letters from Bessels to Vinnie Ream, offered a motive for murder, but even then the case remains less than 100% certain.
A second body, interestingly, connected with Hall has recently invited fresh scrutiny. Hall, having finally reached his desired goal of King William Island, was frustrated that deep snow prevented his seeing the several bodies the Inuit indicated were to be found there. He took one, though -- nearly an entire skeleton -- and brought it back with him. Eventually, with the assistance of the British consul, this skeleton was sent back to England, where it was examined by Thomas Henry Huxley, perhaps the finest comparative anatomist of the day. Huxley's identification, though, was based only on very general estimates of the age and height of the individual, as well as a gold tooth filling; he pronounced it to be that of Henry Thomas Dundas Le Vesconte. Le Vesconte's own family, though, had their doubts, and the skeleton was interred under the floor of the old Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich under a plaque simply indicating that he was a member of Franklin's crew.
Fast forward to 2009: the memorial in which the bones were interred was to be moved and renovated, offering an opportunity to give them a fresh examination. The assumption remained that they were Le Vesconte's, but all the same, DNA samples as well as samples of the tooth enamel were taken. Teeth tell a marvelous story; depending on the local mineral content of the water, teeth record their point of origin as they take on specific isotopes of strontium and calcium; even the legendary "Ice Man" Otzi was able to be traced to his home village in Italy. The teeth of Hall's skeleton suddenly told quite a different story; the person whose bones these were almost certainly grew up in the north of England or in Scotland, along the granitic strata of the northeast coast -- whereas Le Vesconte had grown up near the chalky cliffs of Devon, quite a different environment altogether.
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| 1845 photo of Goodsir (left) with reconstructed face |
All this is still slightly short of certainty, though. DNA would be the ideal method of making the identification nearly 100% -- but where to get Harry's DNA? There are many ideas out there, including a rather challenging one -- extracting a hair from a locket made from strands from Harry's head -- but that locket also contains hair from 10 other individuals! The quest goes on -- perhaps some of the skeleton's foot bones, which Hall inadvertently left behind, may offer a clue. Still, forensic science has certainly clarified the matter, and I for one am pretty sure these bones are Harry's!
When I was reading “Epilogue: Motive for Murder,” which was our first forensics reading, I was automatically reminded of the epilogue in the novel "Weird and Tragic Shores." It mentioned a lot of the same facts and situations surrounding Hall’s murder; however, with this second time around I realized a possible cause to Hall’s death that I did not before.
ReplyDeleteThe “Epilogue: Motive for Murder” states that Bessels and Budington both are the prime suspects of the possible murder of Hall and provides two different arguments for each. The argument for Budington was that he disliked Hall and disagreed with going North, and with Bessels it was that he had to skill to kill him, as well as a motive because of his love for Vinnie. The question I asked myself while reading was “Why can’t they have both done it?”
The text stated that if Hall was to die on the Polaris expedition, then Budington and Bessels “…shall consult as to the propriety and manner of carrying into further effect the foregoing instructions…” (Barr 547). This basically means that if Hall died, then Bessels and Budington would work together to finish the mission and decide the new course of action. Hall stood in the way of Bessel’s primary goal of scientific research and Budington thought Hall was to incompetent to Captain the ship; therefore, they could have simply worked to together to accomplish their separate goals. Budington to be the Captain and Bessels to do scientific research unhindered. Therefore, with both their goals accomplished with Hall gone, I conclude that they both had a hand in his murder, whether it be to distract others it to administer the poison.
While reading “A Motive for Murder” first of all I was really intrigued by this reading because I enjoy reading and watching shows and movies that have to do with murder and solving cases.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found suspicious while reading was the characters Budington and Bessels. I do see why they are seemed to be the main suspects to look into because just by reading this story they seem pretty guilty to me or at least have motive to kill Hall.
They all had goals that they wanted to accomplish and it seems like to get to those goals it was best to elongate Hall?
Maybe they did decide to murder Hall so they could together accomplish what they wanted to all along.
Sheila T
I just find it fascinating the information and conclusions that can be drawn from forensic science, and what it means for plugging in holes in history and even crimes. I am specifically thinking of the examination of Hall's fingernail that was removed from his exhumed corpse. Even though much of Hall’s body had succumb to natural decay, the scientists could measure the arsenic level on his fingernail “from tip to base, namely from 24.6 parts per million at the tip to 76.7 ppm at the base. Given the normal growth rate of fingernails this would indicate a large intake of arsenic in the last two weeks of the individual’s life” (538). And, from this information it could be concluded that based off of the arsenic levels in the area, this high level of arsenic would have had to come from an outside source. Its so interesting to think that, even after the body dies and begins to wither, we still have with us so many clues and small details that forensic science can apply to relive our lives, experiences, and even misfortunes like murder.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found interesting about this was how was that even though Hall’s body was so well-preserved, all of “the internal organs had almost totally disappeared” (4). One would think that because the exterior of the body is so well preserved then the same must be true for the insides of the body as well, right? Even more surprising was that after over one hundred years the soil around the body could be analyzed for contaminants: ““an intake of considerable amounts of arsenic by C.F. Hall in the last two weeks of his life” (4). The article then proposes a theory the sees Hall being killed by a member of his crew through arsenic poisoning. I thought that this was a bit of a stretch. Namely, the main evidence in this theory comes from “the tip of increase in arsenic concentration from tip to base of the fingernail” and the soil sample from the grave. Those samples that the research team excavated from Hall’s grave could have given off a false reading. After all, how much arsenic is in an average soil sample? It is not until the intrepid “arctic historian Russell Potter” unearthed a letter that the case becomes clear. With the letter, there is now a clear motive to the murder and the connections all seem to line up.
ReplyDeleteA key point, yes -- we'll see the same thing with John Torrington and the other Beechey bodies. The culprit is "cell autolysis" a phenomenon in which the cell's enzymes digest and destroy the contents of the cell. The idea that the Arctic would preserve a dead body perfectly remains a persistent one -- see Mary Shelley's story "Roger Dodsworth" among others.
DeleteWhen reading, the thing I found the most interesting was the way forensic science can be used so adeptly to find out about things that happened or at least may have happen so far in the past. It really shows how far we have come at least in this regard, and how it helps us properly identify the possible and now very logical causes of death in regards to Hall.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is easier to tell the reasons of death, how things led up to that is something forensics cannot tell us. And that's why it is so important to look at the history as well, with characters like Budington and Bessels, who seem the most suspicious in regards to Hall's death.
Yes, it is also very important to look at the history. The accounts of the other shipmates are important in the investigation of Hall's death. Specifically, the accounts of Tyson, Robeson, and others on pages 549-552 give us a look at possible motive for murder that match up with what forensic scientists have found from Hall's corpse.
DeleteMadeleine Frost
ReplyDeleteAlthough there has been no definitive answer for Hall’s death, I think that there is a decent amount of evidence that points to Bessels. First, and perhaps most obviously, the arsenic found on Hall’s body indicates that someone with medical experience administered the dose to him. Who else would know exactly how much to give to him to make it look like an accident besides someone with a medical background? Further, Bessels was essentially the only individual who had access to the medical supplies and I can’t imagine it would be easy to steal medical supplies from him in such a small and confined area. In addition to the medical aspect of things, Bessels did have a motive for disliking Hall. Perhaps not a fantastic motive for murder, but a motive nonetheless. I vaguely remember, for instance, in Loomis’ book that he mentioned how Bessels and Hall butted heads when the first met. Hall was even warned about how Bessels was as a person because of how their personalities might have clashed. From the start, they were not destined to be the best of buds because of how different they were on some levels. Perhaps Bessels did not like how Hall conducted things or how he treated the other individuals around them. Perhaps Bessel thought they would all be better off without Hall. Last, there are numerous stories about murder that involve and romantic motive. Recall that in “Epilgoue: Motive for Murder”, it states: “While Hall probably was simply enjoying the company of an attractive young woman, Bessels was infaturated with her” (541). Bessels, in this instance, might have seen Hall as competition or, perhaps, a threat that had to be eliminated. To get what he wanted, which in this case was the woman, Bessels may have thought the only way to do that was to kill Hall. While there are no definitive answers regarding Hall’s death, I think that the theory that Bessels is behind Hall’s death is one of the more probable theories.
Alexandra Ritacco
ReplyDeleteI believe whole heartedly that Hall was murdered by Bessels. Firstly, let's exaimine the situation. Hall was notorious for being egotistical and hard to digest for many. Secondly, let's observe the conditions in which Hall and his crew lived. When I think of men on board ships for a long time, I think of the possibility of becoming delirious. Multiple men on a ship for months at time with no where to go unless the captain says so. My grandfather and great grandfather were naval men, and they would talk about how long periods at sea would cause odd feelings of claustrophobia even if they were use to the enviorment. Hall was overly ambitious to the point of insanity, in my opinion. For example, Budington suggested to winter South whereas Hall was persistent in going North. While I do not think Budington had part in his death, I believe Bessels did. Before I tackle the arguement for, I want to look at the evidence against because there is substantial evidence. 1. Arsenic was used in medication that Hall was taking. 2. It is possible that his remains were contaminated by arsenic in the soil.
From my understanding, arsenic is like mercury. Mercury was used as a toy (kids would play with in their hands) and for thermometers. Or how we used lead paint. Arsenic was used as medication, but is now seen as highly toxic. Being on board a ship, I would not be surprised if it contaminated food and living quarters.
The two deciding factors in my arguement for is the fact Bessels refused to give Budington the same medicine that was supposedly quinine. Secondly, when Hall refused the treatment, he improved. Understanding Hall's personality and knowing how claustrophobic a vessel can be, murder would be unquestionable. That being said, as Dr. Potter stated above, nothing can be 100%.
With “Motive for Murder,” I was fascinated by the forensics of everything. It built on what Loomis discussed in his epilogue and afterward of Weird and Tragic Shores, which I appreciated. I liked the inclusion of potential motive for murder coming from Bessels and Hall’s interest in the same woman--it sounds like something out of a movie. In a way, this is fitting for Hall, whose life and attitudes just seem absurd and unbelievable at times. It would be interesting if we knew definitively if Bessels murdered Hall because he was “pathologically jealous of Hall as competition for Vinnie Ream’s affections” (541). We’ve spoken about how exploration can be romanticized, as can the people who die in the pursuit of “discovery,” and I wonder how the perception of Hall’s death could be impacted if it’s ever proven that he was murdered because of Bessels’s infatuation with Ream. I’m not sure if I believe definitively one way or the other, but I am more inclined to believe that Bessels murdered Hall.
ReplyDelete"Motive for Murder" was a very interesting read to me as I really love true crime. The Lizzie Borden case occurred just two towns over and my mom grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, the location of the John List murders. The forensics involved were really intriguing. While we can't say for sure what caused Hall's death, a lot of circumstantial evidence points towards Bessels. I'm reminded of a case that was covered by Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej on the Buzzfeed Unsolved series, when they talked about the disappearances of the Sodder children. I don't remember the exact case, but I believe 4 or 5 of the 7 Sodder children were said to have been burned alive in a house fire, however the lack of bones or internal organs at the site of the fire, the fire department's lack of promptness in arriving at the Sodder house, and a few other pieces of circumstantial evidence point to the Italian mob, but no one can really say for sure what happened to the kids. Due to this, I like to believe that Hessels killed Hall, just as I like to believe the Sodder kids were taken. It provides an answer when we, as an audience, want one when there isn't a direct answer.
ReplyDeleteI have many thoughts about this topic, especially regarding the Franklin Expedition and Hall’s death. First off after reading a “Motive for Murder,” I think that although Bessels had the skill and potential motive, I dont believe that he or Budington did this. I don't think that either of the two men would have really had enough motive to kill. Perhaps they disliked him strongly, or did not agree with his choices, but I believe that Hall accidentally poisoned himself over the course of those couple weeks before his death. Although it is interesting to discover how he truly died, we will never truly know. With this being said, I don't believe that exhuming a body, especially this old, and cutting them up is necessary. I find it just as interesting as the next person, that these bodies have been so well preserved. Perhaps it is necessary for history and scientific purposes to examine these bodies. However, I think because these bodies are so old and most things, due to their bodies laying there for so long (such as the fabrics staining their skin), should just be left alone unless completely necessary.
ReplyDeleteI also think because bodies such as the three on Beechey Island were buried with engraved stones above them, that they should have just been left alone. I can see why the bodies were dug up, because the Franklin Expedition was a huge mystery for many people for many years. I suppose finally having some sort of explanation would help put the curiosity to rest. However, visiting the site I feel is more respectful in certain circumstances, because you might not dig the right body up. My last thought about the whole topic is in terms of the Otzi the “Ice Man”. In a previous archaeology course I took, we examined how he opened up a whole new world of curiosity when it came to frozen corpses. After him finding abandoned corpses such as his, have allowed scientists to look at things such as bone structure, teeth, and use clay reconstruction to determine who someone is if they are unknown. We see this as well with the detached skull at the site of the Expedition, to be one of the men from the Erebus. I just found all of this to be very interesting.
While reading “A Motive for Murder” I was intrigued by the forensic science being used. It is very interesting to see how even though Hall’s body had decayed, they could still measure his arsenic level from the finger nails. I also found it interesting how there were two suspects for Hall’s murder, Bessels and Budington. From reading this and discussing it in class it does seem likely that Bessels was the one behind it. Both being interested in the same woman and Bessels having been jealous of Hall could very well be the motive. Bessels does seem like the most plausible one behind Hall’s death, more so then Budington.
ReplyDeleteForensic science may not always be the only thing that can help with figuring out a certain crime, but it does make it easier to discover the cause of death and other things. Forensic science has made a big impact in today’s world with solving crimes and it is cool to see how it was used for Hall’s case as well.