Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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Monday, when the Sheriff was expected to bring the
prisoner for examination to the spot, the whole roads in
the neighbourhood were full, like some immense fair,
from morning to night. The scene in the mean time on
the premises was full of a deep and horrible interest.
The windows of the room where the corpse was laid,
were left open, on account of the heavy and oppressive
smell which diffused itseT over the whole place—the suc¬
cessive crowds were occupied, some in looking in at this
spectacle; some in pointing out to each other the drops
of blood visible at the loom where the murder had been
committed.; and others examining the grave where the
body had been deposited, and where a quantity of Millie’s
grey hair (for though only about 46 or 48 his hair was
grizzled) still remained adhering to the mould, it was
singular that at this place a nest of wild bees had taken
up their residence in the overhanging bank, and continu¬
ed their operations the wdiole time, disregarding both the
crowds, and the offensive smell which must have ema¬
nated ftom the place. Another singular circumstance
gave rise to much mysterious speculation among the
country people: There is a small dog kennel on the op¬
posite side of the wall which divides at this place the gar¬
den from Melville pleasure grounds : the dogs kept here
had been observed for the whole previous month to howl
impatiently, and in a manner totally unlike their usual
cry ; the neighbours now assert that there was something
of unaccountable and ghost-like horror in the sound.
The probability is, that as the kennel is only a few yards
distance from the shallow grave, the animals had perceiv¬
ed the scent, and had mistaken it for carrion, w ith which
they were to be fed.
It is most singular, that for some years Millie had now
and then expressed apprehensions of dying in the way he
did ; or of being found dead in his house alone. The
case of a solitary person near Falkland, who was found
dead in his bed, with his face devoured by a cat, used to
give him great uneasiness : and he spoke of it frequently.
Yet of falling by the hands of the strangers whom he
called into his employment, he never seems to have enter¬
tained any apprehension.