Broadside entitled 'Most Horrid Instance of Child-murder'

Transcription

A particular Account of a most horrid Instance of Child
murder, attended with Circumstances of the greatest Bar
barity, which was discovered at Thorney Bank on Wed-
nesday last, when Catharine Weir, alias M'Quarry, the
Mother, was apprehended and committed to the Tolbooth
of Glasgow on suspicion of having   perpetrated the Murder.

WE understand, by different accounts from Thorney
Bank, that the mother of the unfortunate infant
went there a few days ago in order to be delivered, as she
was acquainted with some people about the place,   having
formerly been enployed about the bleachfield there.      

It appears she did not stay long at Thorney Bank after
her delivery, but left the place rather abruptly. Whether
the woman in whose house she was delivered Knew any
thing about the inhuman transaction, we do not know, but
in that respect there are various reports, which would not
be proper to state at present. We hear her name is M'Far-
lane, and that she is a woman of fair character.

As far as we could learn, none of the neighbours had the
smallest suspicion of the child having been murdered; there-
fore, no inquiry took place about her - and while they were
engaged at their business, as few working people have much
time to spare at present. She went off, but every person that
heard of her departure imagined that she had taken the in-
fant along with her.

But on wednesday morning, the 6th instant, us a boy
belonging to Thorney Bank was diverting himself at the
side of a ditch, not far from the house where the child was
born, he observed the bleachfield watch-dog, snorting and
scraping up the earth in a furious manner, as if in search
of some animal that had burrowed there.

Prompted by curiosity, the boy hastened to the spot,
when he discovered the head of an infant.

Terrified at the sight, the little fellow called the dog,
run off, and immediately alarmed the neighbourhood, when
the child was taken up in a state, it is said, too shocking to
mention.

Notwithstanding the horrid appearance of the child when
taken out of the hole, into which ,it is said to, have been
put entirely, bent together, without a covering of any kind,
it is not yet known in what manner it has been put to death,
or whither the mother is the only person concerned in the
hapless fate of the little innocent.

We understand the body of the child was washed, cover-
ed, put into a coffin, and conveyed to Glasgow, and that
the mother on examination, was so strongly suspected of
having been guilty of the shocking and detestable
deed, that she has been fully committad to the jail of this
city, in order to be tried for the offence at the next Circuit
Court of Justiciary.

It is truly lamentable to observe, the number of women
that have been lately tried, and banished from different
places of Scotland, for child-murder, and still the inhu-
man crime is committed. Go you unfeeling mothers and
learn humanity from the brute creation.

T. Duncan, Printer, saltmaret.

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