Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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all times reluctant to sleep on the premises; and passed
his nights generally at Newburgh or Auchtermuchty:—
and once when obliged to remain all night in Whinny
Park, he prevailed on one of the neighbouring farm ser¬
vants to sleep with him. The poor lad now recollects
that night’s repose with a horror which, he says, “ gars a’
his flesh grue.”
On Saturday the 24th July, the day on which the
murder was discovered, one of Millie’s sisters (Mrs
Barclay), who has been a long time married in Strath-
miglo, alarmed by the strange reports concerning the
man’s conduct, came to the house to make enquiries: he
coolly told her that her brother had returned from Edin¬
burgh that morning, but had gone since with another
gentleman on some business to Cupar; but that in the
mean time every thing was left to his charge, and he
would see to it. Mrs Barclay was little satisfied with
this explanation ; and judging of the man’s character
from his impertinent manner of speech, cross-questioned
him a good deal on the circumstances of her brother’s
absence. He persisted, notwithstanding many incon¬
sistencies, in maintaining his story; and she was obliged
to leave him without any satisfaction. After she de¬
parted, the callous wretch was heard attempting to per¬
form on some musical instrument; he could not play,
however, at any time, and the sounds he now produced
were as discordant as the horror of his own feelings.
This was about 11 o’clock of the day; and he appears
soon after to have left the place.
The popular suspicions had now however become un¬
controllable : the whole of this day (24th July) one or
other, without any concert, was continually approaching
to examine the state of the premises : and towards eight
o’clock in the evening two or three of the nearest neigh¬
bours met in the garden* ; these were quickly joined by
others who happened to be passing, and who, though
they came only by accident, all entertained the same
* These were Mrs Smith, wife of Lord Leven’s grieve; Mrs Bal¬
four, from Monimail; Diana Christison, the game-keeper’s sister ; and
afterwards James Hennamon; Henry Heggie; and some plasterers
working at Melville.