Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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proceeding southward. ‘ He appeared,” said the gen¬
tleman, “ to be somewhat perplexed in his movements,
stopping and looking behind, and making no very hurried
progress in his journey.” From his appearance and
dress, the Sheriff entertained no doubt of this being the
person ; and from his leisure movements, it appeared that
he was not urging onward to seek flight by crossing at
the ferry: Mr Jameson therefore concluded that he
would proceed to his native place in Dunfermline: Ken¬
nedy, the officer, (lately a serjeant in the seventy-ninth
Regiment), and a lad of the name of Brebner, who knew
Henderson’s person, were sent off in a gig in that direc¬
tion immediately. Other two persons (special constables)
were dispatched to Leslie, where the fellow used to say
that he had an uncle.
Kennedy with his companion tracked his route as far
as the Leslie road ; but losing traces of him there, they
proceeded by Kirkaldy to Dunfermline. They went im¬
mediately to the Bauldridge Burn, where Henderson
had said that he lived : they found his parents and bro¬
thers—decent, quiet looking people, and very unlike the
parents of such a son: immediately on inquiry being
made if “ John was at home,” his mother stood up with
a kind of terrified solemnity, and said, “ If ye want John,
it’ill be for nae gude—for tho’ he be my son, he is an
evil an’ desperate man: but he’s no here; he comes na
often near us.’’ The officer thought it necessary to
search the house, but found that the poor woman had
said true—he was not there. Perplexed a little at this
circumstance, he thought next of applying to the autho¬
rities in Dunfermline : he met here with the most prompt
assistance, but gained no information; and considering
himself baffled in this place, was thinking of setting out
for Leslie, where Henderson might have remained at his
uncle’s. It occurred to him, however, that though the
fellow had not gone to his father’s, he might have some
other about his native place : on inquiring eoncern-
ing this circumstance, he learned that there was a certain
low tippling-house in the Kirkgate, called the Old Inn,
which he was supposed to frequent; it is kept by a man
of the name of David Short. Kennedy, Brebner, and