Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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Collessie : so that numbers of the country people arrived
from all directions and crowded round the premises.
Some respectable persons had, however, been placed as
sentries that no one might be admitted to disturb the
place, or disarrange any appearances on which evidence
might depend.
The distance from Cupar to Whinny Park is about
seven miles, yet in less than two hours Mr Jameson
(Sheriff Substitute) was on the spot with two medical
gentlemen, Dr Grace of Cupar and Dr Malcolm of Le-
tham,—and Kennedy the officer. The country people,
though it was now past eleven o’clock at night, had as¬
sembled in great numbers from the whole neighbour¬
hood; and the scene presented, in disinterring the body,
which was done by torch light under the direction of the
Sheriff, was truly appalling: the evening was perfectly
calm, so that the flame of the torches glared quietly on
the discoloured features of the corpse as they were gra¬
dually disencumbered of the earth ; and the strange lu¬
rid reflection from the overhanging trees and the faces
of the surrounding people, gave an interest to the scene
almost too painful for recollection. From the length of
time it had been in the ground, there was some hazard
of the body falling to pieces in the disinterment; and had
it not been for the dress, and certain marks known to
one of the medical gentlemen, the features were so fear¬
fully changed that no evidence could have identified it.
On being brought to the house and washed, the marks
of violence were dreadfully visible: one heavy stroke
had been given on the back of the head, which had
seemingly stunned the victim ; and two blows near the
temples (apparently with a common wright’s hammer)
had perforated the scull, and driven fragments of it down
to the very centre of the brain.* The Sheriff now went
to the work-shop, where it was supposed the murder had
been committed; and here, after a little examination,
traces were discovered which pointed out the scene, and
almost the manner, of the action. Flood was discovered
beneath the seat of one of the looms, on the web, and
* The certificate of the medical gentleman who examined the bod/
is appended to this notice.