Broadside ballad entitled 'The Recent Murders'

Transcription

The Recent Murders.

A NEW SONG.

Tune,?" Chevy Chace."

God prosper long our noble king,
Dar lives and safeties all,
I'll sing of murders that till now,
Did never yet befal.

In modern Athens as it's call'd.
In wester Portsburgh street.
Two murdcters had their horrid den,
And there did nightly meet.

These wretches names were Burke and Hare,
Both from the sister isle,
Their plan was to take strangers in,
And them of life beguile.

Which having done, they wrapped them up,
Then lsid them in a box.
And without either dread or fear,
Sold them to Dr K-----.

The first was Margaret Paterson,
Whom drink had led astray,
She fell into their wicked hands,
Who chok'd her as she lay.

Next on the list was daft Jamie,
Who laugh'd and sung sae crouse,
And seeking his mother was decoy'd
Into the murderers house.

Where they with whisky plied him hard,
Till he was nearly fu,'
Then Burke. engaged him instantly,
And Jamie down did pu'.

But he at last with unstrung nerves.
Wou'd soon have manag'd Burke,
Had not the fiendish Hare come in
And finished the work.

Next was a wife who came to town
In search of her dear son,
Was by those wicked wretches dogg'd,
And barbarously undone.

Last Burke had seiz'd an infant dear,
Oh! horrible disgrace,
Who while he chok'd It on his knee,
Did smile up in his face.

Such are the horrid deeds of Burke,
Deeds never done before,
Who since his sentence has confess'd
To twenty murders more.

His trusty friend, the wicked Hare,
Now waits alike his fate,
And tho' vengeance it often slow,
It never comes too late.

Now all ye powers that rule above.
Grant we may evil shun,
And that henceforth such dreadful acts
May never more he done !

Among the numerous cases which have been brought
to light in consequence of the recent horrible disclosures
in   Edinburgh, one may be mentioned of a rather mys-
terious nature, which occurred some time ago in this city,
and which, but for these disclosures, would probably never
have been thought of. About four months ago an elderly
female procured lodgings in a house situated in Duncan's-
close, High-street. The night she came to her new habi-
tation, she brought along with her a wheel and whisks,
with some other little necessary articles. She was occa-
sionally in the habit of retailing small wares, such as
tapes, threads, &c. throughout the city; and after she
had been three days in her lodgings, she went on an
excursion of this kind, but never returned; and all in-
quiries that have been made regarding her have proved
fruitless. It is natural to think that if she had removed
to other lodgings, she would have taken her effects along
with her; or if she had intended to have left the place,
she would have disposed of them; but as her wheel and
whisks still remain unclaimed in the house where she
lodged, it is the opinion of not a few individuals who
have heard of the matter, that she has been made away
with, and appropriated to the dissecting-room----Glasgow
Chronicle.

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