Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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for almost every kind of criminal conduct. He associat¬
ed with the very dregs of society, and whether well or
ill-founded, I cannot refrain from stating that his poor
parents reflect greatly upon a certain public-house here
for encouraging him to harbour about it with the worst
of company. His parents never saw him the worse of
drink; and they never discovered in him any thing of a
sanguinary disposition ; but rather several traits of an op¬
posite character. And in connexion with this they men¬
tioned, with astonishment, his behaviour when here, im¬
mediately after the murder of Mr Millie. He talked of
his master apparently with the greatest coolness, expres¬
sed the happiness he felt at being in his employ, and
spoke very highly of his general character. His poor
mother, when mentioning this to me, seemed utterly lost
in amazement at the hardihood and composure he dis¬
played. I might mention to you a number of circum¬
stances in the history of this unhappy man, learnt from
various quarters, all shewing, that though young in years
he is an adept in crime, but I forbear. His parents are
deeply afflicted, nor will they be surprised though the
crime with which he is charged should be proven against
him. He has now for a long time spurned at parental
authority, and shewn himself utterly regardless of char¬
acter.”
Another letter (received from Kirkaldy), shews that his
depredations were not confined to his native place.
“ Henderson,” it is said “ lodged about ten days in
the house of a Thomas Wright, vintner, here, in January
last. He professed to be a seller of table-cloths, towel¬
lings, &c., he had no stock of these articles, so far as his
host knew, but had been seen wrapping up parcels, as he
signified, for carriers ; he got one of these parcels addres¬
sed in the shop of George Barnard, bookseller, and at
three different times stole volumes of books from Bar¬
nard’s shop, having gone there to buy wrapping paper
and twine. Barnard detected him the third time, and
went in search of him forthwith ; he found him about to
mount a saddle horse at Cunningham’s tavern door, got
him apprehended, and lodged in jail for a fortnight. (It
is said that, when released, he carried off the key of the