Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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man of the name of Hutton, but commonly called Fluto-
rum ; where this was not only refused, but where the
owner even remained obdurately silenbto all the calls of
the officer, though he was told that it was an errand of
justice.
The activity with which the Sheriff-Substitute in the
short time that elapsed, examined the premises, ascer¬
tained the circumstances connected with the murder,
and had the wretched creature apprehended, cannot be
too much praised. A good deal yet remained to be done
in selecting the most direct evidence, and in discovering
persons who might identify the articles sold; but no ex¬
ertion was spared by the authorities in investigating every
thing connected with the evidence.
Information having by this time spread through the
country, people began to compare notes as to what they
had observed in Henderson’s conduct; and notice was
conveyed to the Sheriff of various circumstances which
might lead to his readier conviction. Some of the inha¬
bitants of Newburgh in particular, where he had disposed
of a quantity of linen, &c., in the character of a small
trader from Dunfermline, recognised him in the descrip¬
tions they heard ; and sent their town-officer to Cupar to
give information. It appears that he had sold in that
place towels, table-napkins, table-cloths, &c. to a large
amount; a set of silver tea-spoons, a barometer, a spy¬
glass, &c. assigning as the reason for having the latter
articles in his possession, that he usually took them in
barter for his own goods. It was singular that the silver
tea-spoons were lost at Lindores, and that they were
found by a little girl of that place, delivered to him
tigain, and afterwards sold in Newburgh. Four weeks
exactly had elapsed from the time of the murder to its
discovery; and the quantity of property Henderson had
taken from the house, and the coolness with which he had
carried on his depredations all this time were astonishing.
From the time of the discovery (Saturday night) till
the day of the funeral (Tuesday) crowds continued to
flock to the place without ceasing. On Sunday there
could not be less than 1500 persons present; and on