dug out in the course of its construction, and this loose earth would at
once attract attention. Generally, bodies were removed before the graves
were finally tidied up, so that it was difficult to notice a fresh
disturbance.

The writer of the Diary was a cemetery-keeper when he first began his
resurrection proceedings; his _modus operandi_, in some cases, was to take
the body out of the coffin, and place it in a sack, before he began to
fill in the grave. Then, as he gradually threw the earth in, he kept
pulling the sack to the surface, so that when his work of filling in was
completed, he had the sack close to the top of the grave. He had then only
to wait until night, when he was able, under cover of the darkness, to
remove the body without fear of detection. When the resurrection-men had
been successful in their night's work, they were glad to find a temporary
shelter for the bodies, as near at hand as possible. This was generally an
out-house belonging to one of the schools which they regularly supplied;
the men were permitted to place the bodies there for the night, and to
fetch them away the next day. This explains some of the entries in the
Diary, such as "Took the whole to ----," and the next day, "Removed the
whole from ----." Before removing any of the bodies, the men would find
out exactly where they were wanted, and so would save much risk of being
arrested with the bodies in their possession.

If the following broadside could be believed, the resurrection-men
sometimes performed a valuable service to those who had been buried--

"MIRACULOUS CIRCUMSTANCE:

"_Being a full and particular account of John Macintire, who was buried
alive, in Edinburgh, on the 15th day of April, 1824, while in a trance,
and who was taken up by the resurrection-men, and sold to the doctors to
be dissected, with a full account of the many strange and wonderful things
which he saw and felt while he was in that state, the whole being taken
from his own words._

"I had been some time ill of a low and lingering fever. My strength
gradually wasted, and I could see by the doctor that I had nothing to
hope. One day, towards evening, I was seized with strange and
indescribable quiverings. I saw around my bed, innumerable strange faces;
they were bright and visionary, and without bodies. There was light and
solemnity, and I tried to move, but could not; I could recollect, with
perfectness, but the power of motion had departed. I hear