Broadside ballad entitled 'Lines Supposed to have Been Written by Mrs Wilson, Daft Jamie's Mother'

Transcription

HARE'S   WIFE--Monday about mid-day this
miserable wretch was recognised in London Street,
Glasgow, near to Great Hamilton Street.   A crowd
of persons soon collected, and she was hooted at and pelted with stones, and pursued through several
streets.    She had her child in her arms, and altoge-
ther exhihited the most dismal picture of despair
possible.    She took refuge in several closes and shops, but was speedily ejected, every one more than
another afraid to give her the least protection, so great was teh violence and infuriated disportition of the
mob. Weavers and their wives were each moreeager
than the other to show their hatred and detes-
tation to this unfortunate being. At last the Cal-
ton Police arrived, and she was, under their pro-
tection, conveyed to the Calton Police Office. Had
not the officers come to her assistance, there is no
saying what might hare been the consequences, as
the crowd evinced the most wanton disposition to
abuse her.she must have received several bruises,
as teh stones were flying at her in all directions.
Since she left Edinburgh jail, with her infant child,
she has been wandering the country incog. She
states that she has lodged in this neighbourhood four
nights, with her infant and " her bit duds,"
without those with whom she lodged knowing who
she was, and she was in hopes of quitting this vicini-
ty without detection. For this purpose she remain-
ed in her lodgings all day, but occasionally early in
the morning or at twilight she ventured the length
of the Broomielaw in hopes of finding a vessel ready   
to sail to Ireland, but she has hitherto been disap-
ointed. She went out on Monday morning on the same object, and when returning, a woman, who she
says was drunk, recognised her in Clyde Street, and
repeatedly shouted " Hare's wife--Burke her," and
threw a large stone at her, when a crowd soon ga-
thered. She says she wrought 10 years ago in Tu-
reen Street power loom factory, till she was married
to her first husband, a decent man, " who feared God:
and the ways of godliness," and she was the hap-
piest woman with him till he died. She had eight
children to him. About three years ago, she un-
fortunately fell in with Hare, and then commenced
her misery.' She married him, and has since had'
three children, one of whom is dead, and another is
left behind in Edinburgh. Hare's habits were de-
voted to "the devil and laziness," and she never
had comfort with him. She admitted it was need-
less to deny she knew "something" of the murders,
and had a suspicion of what was going on, but not
to the full extent, as she was a good while badly.
She often upbraided Hare, her husband, for his
atrocities, and said, that though he might conceal
his deeds from the eyes of man, God would discover
them, for the shedder of innocent blood never es-
caped. At this reproach he called her by the most
horrid names, and beat and kicked her shockingly.
She had indeed a miserable time of it. Hare was
often drunk; their house was a complete " hell of
iniquity;" and she was often on the point of expos-
ing his hidden conduct, but was afraid to do so. She
left his house three times, on account of his brutal
usage. She says she would much rather be killed
outright than suffer what she had done, as an out-
cast from society, during the last fortnight. She
did not require to beg, having had a little money,
but she had now scarcely as much as pay her passage
to Ireland. She was quite ignorant of what had be-
come of her husband since she left Edinburgh ; she
asked if he had been subsequently tried, and it was
news to her to be told he was liberated, and by the
Dumfries. She expressed the utmost indifference
respecting his fate, and said she was determined
never more to associate with him. In leass than an hour after
she was lodged in the Police Office,a post chaise
drove rapidly up to the private door, leading to the
office from Struthers Street, into which she was put,
and followed by Mr Nish from the Sheriff's Cham-
bers, and in less than five minutes afterwards the
chaise was out of sight. It is believed she expected
to meet her husband at the house of the notorious
Broggan, who is now said to be about Calton. She
had a copy of Burke's Confession in her pocket,    which she had purchased on the street for a half-
penny, and upon which she freely commented. Had
she been allowed to remain in   Carton till night,
when all the mills stopped, there is reason to fear
that the wretch would have received summary chas-
lisement, as the crowd was fast increasing, and be-
gan to talk of Burking her, or throwing her into
Clyde. She is now, we believe, out of the country,
and on her passage to Ireland--Glasgow paper.

On Wednesday, one of the hands belonging to the
St Rollox schooner, a London trader, was drowned
in the Forth and Clyde Canal, in the neighbour-
hood of Auchinsterry. His body has not yet been
found. He belonged to the neighbourhood of Kin-
cardine, and has left a widow and one child

LINES

SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN   WRITTEN -BY

MRS WILSON,

Daft Jamie's Mother,

On ascertaining the Way and Manner her son had
been basely Murdered in the    est Port, by

WILLIAM BURKE,and WILLIAM HARE.

O my son, why did you wander,
Why so far away from home ;
If was love to me, your mother,
Caused you so far to roam.

You was simple, inoffensive,
Loved by all where e'er you went,
And their little bonaties cheer'd you,
And their smiles made you content.

When you met your neighbour cronies,
Take or give a snuff would ye,
With your box and spoon sae happy,
To prime their noses aye so free.

But, O ill ill fated morning,
that you saught your mother dear,
Wandering through the Grassmarket,
Without either dread or fear.

But, cruel monsters, they had eyed you,
And had marked you for their prey ;
To their horrid den decoyed you,
And with whisky paved the way.

O, my heart, how does it shudder,
At the deeds confessed and done,
That have been committed by them,
Monsters in the human form.

Who could for the love of money
Turn the living into dead,
and thus prepare for the dissector,
Subjects to supply his need,

Love of money,--root of evil,--
Cause of all the murders done,
And other crimes more horrid
Than the murder of my son.

Eneouraged by those that bought them,
Still to bring them plenty more ;
Never questioned how they got them,
Though their hands were stained in gore.

You who bought and used his body,
Surely you was much to blame,
In concealing thus a murder,
For you must have known the same.

If your conscience had allowed you,
But for once the truth to tell,
But the craft had been in danger,
Had you stopped these imps of Hell.

Blood guilty wretches though concealed,
For a time your crimes have been,
Justice has you overtaken,
And your guilt must all be seen.

But justice still demands that you
Of your crimes should make confession,
Before you on a gibbet high
To the law make restitution.

May your repentance be sincere,
And your crimes be all forgiven,
All your guilt be cancell'd here,
And at last be found in Heaven !

Is the prayer of, &c.
Price One Penny.

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