Monocled Mutineer

[Guest redrum]

I read that this mans tongue was amputated after he had been shot dead by the British authorities. Was there any real reason for this or was it just an act of sadism by the British Establishment?

[Chris_Baker]

This man has been discussed a number of times on the forum. Perhaps the best detail so far is in this thread.

Where did you get your 'tongue' story from?

[CROONAERT]

Where did you get your 'tongue' story from?

I heard this too. It was just the tip of it, done by the undertaker who was preparing his body for burial. Apparently, due to RM, his tongue was slightly sticking out, so to close his mouth, the undertaker (or was it a police surgeon?) cut the tip off.

I'm unsure of the truth, but I've definately heard it somewhere.

Dave.

[Andrew Hesketh]

It's a long time since I read the book 'Monocled Mutineer' (by Alison and Fairley or something like that?) but I think the tongue incident crops up in there. However as the book is pretty fictitious the tongue incident could be equally mythical.

[mcderms]

Toplis's tongue was not amputated as part of the autopsy. The autopsy photographs show him with his tongue protruding from between his teeth and eyes open. There is a story that the surgeon sliced off the tongue because it was sticking out and rigor mortis had set in but this is very unlikely. If rigor mortis was still in place, no autopsy could be carred out for a start.

[Guest Pete Wood]

If rigor mortis was still in place, no autopsy could be carred out for a start.

why not..... ??

[Guest redrum]

Thanks all for replies. The T.V. mini-series with one of the McGann brothers as Toplis I thought was very entertaining even though the story line was a bit "tongue in Cheek"!