Transcription
Particular Account of the Execution and behaviour of a young man, named David Wylle, who suffer ed at; Glasgow, on Wednesday the 12th November 1823, for Housebreaking and Theft, with his Warning to the young to beware of the numerous gangs of thieves who art at present committing crimes through the country, also his affectionate address on the scaffold. Glasgow, Wednesday, Nov. 12th, l823 This day, the above unfortunate young man underwent the aw- ful sentence of death, for being a partner in the expensive theft, aggravated by housebreaking, from the house occupied by James Herbert Rodgers, Esq. Gordon Street, Glasgow. This young man was libelled along with 'David' Dunsmore, Ann Dunsmore, his wife, William Johnston, John Toy, and James Perguson, all concerned in different ways of plundering and resetting the fol- follwing, articles;..The family had gone to sea-bathing quarters on the 19th of Sept. 1822, and did not return till the 19th Oct. Following, when they found their house completely ransacked, all the locks forced off the press doors, and all the plate, gold and silver coin, wearing apparel, &c. carried off, Wylie and Johnston were found Guilty and sentenced to be Executed, but the latter has since been respited. Dunsmore and his wife were transported for 14 years; Toy to be imprisoned for 18 months in Bridewell ; and Ferguson was outlawed. This was one of the most extensive thefts which has been committed for a long time, and their con- nexion is said to have extended a considerable way. This young man's conduct since sentence was passed upon him, has been in every respect highly becoming his future prospects, and contrition for his past life; the thought of time mis-spent, of crimes committed, of acquaintances whom he once loved, separat- ed from him for ever, and finally, the parting with those parents a very composed manner, decently attired; after viewing the surrounding multitude, he took an affectionate farewel of them, observing, " The crowd which I now behold, I once mingled among, to behold the end of some wretched victim or victims; at that time I little though at a fare like theirs would so soon be mine." After a few minoutes spent in prayer, he gave the last signal was thrown off. and his struggles in time ended. At the "who counselled, instructed, and by every tic which links human nature together, warned him of impending danger ; all these weigh- ed heavily on his mind, and impressed in a variety of shapes the awful situation in which he had placed himself; but the gospel has a balm for every wound, a hope for every fear, an eternity off happiness for a dark day of adversity, and a change of earthly pursuits for heavenly joys; all-these, aided by the valuable in- strctions of several Ministers of the city, and the kind treatment ef pious and benevolent friends, (especially of those under whose immediate care he was placed,) dispelled his doubts, animated his hopes, and enabled him to look forward with exultation to that change which awaited him. From the hour of condemnation, to the hour he appeared on the ignominous board, he has (we anxiously hope) fully atoned for his bypast life....Ministers exhorted, prayed, and offered up praises in his behalf during the time he was confined in his soli tary room ; and the devotions of the hall, which continued for about an hour, in reading, prayer and praise, fully prepared him for ascending the fatal drop, which he did about three o'clock in time when his companion received the respite, language cannot pourtray the feelings which predominated in his youthful breast, it affected him more then the sentence itself. During the time of his confinement, he told those who visited him, to warn the youth of the city to beware bad company, es- pecially resetters, who haunt young men in their houses : who give them meat and drink for the pilfer which they prompt them to take in a clandestine manner; little money is given to the depredators, and what is gained by those destroyers of youth, who sell the property of honest people, is spent in debauchery drunkenness, and every thing which degrades human nature. Bad women and sabbath breaking he considered as two evils next in magnitude to the one already mentioned, the whole of which he warned young and old carefully to avoid, especially those num bers of young persons who are at present living by no other means than housebreaking and theft. Wylie belongs to Paisley, is about 17 years of age, and by trade a weaver. His parents are respectable, and no person can blame but rather feel for them, when the fault lay with the young man man himself, who despised the wholesome counsel which they afforded him, and which he knew when too late. Printed at Glasgow....Reprinted at Edinburgh for J. Young,
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Date of publication:
1823 shelfmark: F.3.a.14(1)
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