Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

fellows and playmates, it recurred with increased force
when the lad grew up to years, and exhibited dispositions
of the kind we have described. On every new occasion
of depredation his father exclaimed, in the bitterness of
his heart, that now surely his dream was to be fulfilled.
It is even possible that, as in many other cases, this su¬
perstitious dread of the fulfilment of a vain prophecy
may have tended to produce the event dreaded.—
His friends, in terror least his fate should realize their
fears, endeavoured always to make up the losses he oc¬
casioned, and to keep him from public notice: his car¬
reer was therefore conducted with impunity; whereas
an earlier detection might have turned him into another
course, and have prevented the shame to which he is
now exposed.
We shall not add any thing to these notices ; but must
proceed to relate matters of a deeper and even more
painful interest.