Broadside concerning the trial and sentence of William Pollock

Transcription

A full account of the Trial and Sentence of William
Pollock, for the barbarous murder of his Wife, who
is to be executed at Edinburgh on the 22d March.

William.Pollock, a labourer,residing at Gifford's Park, was
put to the Bar, accused of the 'murder of Ana Renny or Pollock, life
wife, CB the 11th of November last   The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
The indictment was found relevant.    Catherine Berry or Mrs
Leishman, examined by Mr'Wood.    Knows the prisoner at the
bar, he came to her house about, one o'clock in the morning of the
12th November last, and said that he wished she would come and
see what she thought of Nannie as he never saw her in the same state
before; witness did not then go as she had frequently heard them
qnarreliing, and did not like to' interfere, that, panel having- gone
away, came back in about too minutes, and said, ' for God's sake
come and see what you think of her,' witness then went to the pri-
soner's house, on going in the body of the panel's wife attracted her
attention, it. was lying on the shavings, her head inclined upwards ;
her left log was under her, and her right a little bent, she had all her
elothes on, even her boots,   her right arm was inclined across her
bresst. the left, was at her side.    Witness went forward aud   took
hold of deceaseds aral to feel her pulse, she felt it quite cold, and
her pulse was gone.    There was very little fire in the room, observ-
ed a great deal of blood just where the deceased was lying-, and there
was about nine inches of blood spread on the floor at. the side of the
bed, also a Jump of congealed blood a good way from the shavings ;
at the end of the table there was as large a quantity of blood,
as was bing at the body by Pollock's: bed. The whole of deceased's
clothes from the waist downwards, were covered with blood 5 did
not observe any blood on the woollen cloth which covered the shav-
ings, or on the shavings, themselves; witnessed examined the floor;
but there was no blood on it till you came   to where the deceased
was lying.    There was no person in the room when witness went in
«-:except a little about fire years old, the son of the pannel; when
she went she said , " Polhock, your wife is gon," he said, " do you
think SO," -.witness said, " I do not think so, tor I am sure of it;"
prisoner exclaimed, " Good God," and appeared much   agitated,
but did not evince much sorry. The little boy said to witness, that
?' Daddy had bleked mummy," at which pannel in an angry man-
her turned round to. the child, end said, " Did I kick your mammy
to which the child replied, " No, no," and-hid himself under the
bed clothes ; nobody else was present.

Dr White,?Remembered the prinoner coming to his house about
two or three in the morning of the 12th November; prisoner desired
him to come and see his wife, remarking that he believed she was
dead. Witness, on entering. the panel's house, found the body of a
woman stretched across the- floor, and a quantity of blood and somo
Pieces of cart henware were upon the floor near the bed. Remers-
hers seeing a Woman named Leishman in the house when beentered
it; she derired witness to examine the body.. Witness proceeded to
do so, and found that a severe wound had been inflieted in the vulva,
(Here Dr. White read his medical affidavit, describing the nature of
the wound he had found in the deceased's body; it was upwards of)
an inch in length, and three inches deep.) Witness had no doubt
this wound had been the cause of the deceased's death. Witness re-
turned to Pollock's house between pine and ten in the morning, when
he found Dr. Black there.Further examined : Does not think the
wound could have been inflicted by a fall; its direction was down-
wards towards the pelvum, and backwards towards the gut; it ap-
peared as if deceased had been standing when she received the
wound. Mrs Leinhman did not appear to be the worse of liquor,
nor incapahable of lending assistance, though she did not assist wit-
ness ; has no recollection of making on observation that a kick could
not have done so much barm to the deceased; he was satisfied that
attack could not be the iceneion of her death; witness only remark
ed, while in Pollock's house, that the case did not look well. Did
not observe any smell of spirits about the deceased s body, had she
been intoxicated at the time of her death witness might have de-
tected it; saw no appearance of deceased having been vomiting. Mr
Bleck examined the wound in witness's presence ; saw Mr B. after
probbing the wound with his finger, apply a knife to the orifice,
which Mr B remarked appeared to fit it; witness thought the wound
must, have been inflicted with the knife, or some similar weapon; it,
might have been done with a razor, but more probably with a knife
such as that now exhibited.

Dr Black examined by Mr Alison; read his report describing- the
nature of the wound which he had observed on the drceased's person.
This gentlemen was of opinion that, the deceased must have been in
a recumbent posture when she received the wound in question. He
was satisfied that it was inflicted By the knife exhibited in Court,
And not. by a fell on any sharp fragments of pottery ware; Does
net think pannel's wife, could by any possibility, have inflicted the
wound in question apon herself.

The Lord justice Clerk having summed up the evidence at, great
length, the july returned a viva voce vereiet finding. the pannel guil-
ty The sentence was de'ay until 2 o'clock this day.

Tuesday 2 o'clock?The Court met again this day, and after a
most impressive admonition, the judge senteneced him to be execut-
ed at Edinburgh on 22d March, end his body given for dissection.

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