Broadside regarding the trial of Alexander Robertson, Alexander Archibald, James Dickson and James McMillan

Transcription

An Account of the Trial and Sentence of Alexander Robertson, Alexander
Archibald, James Dickson and James McMillan, for breaking into the City
Auction Mart, in the Candleriggs, Glasgow.

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY, EDINBURGH, 1st March, 1813.

Monday, the Court proceeded to the trial of Alexander Robertson, Alexander Archi-
bald alias Archibald Alexander, alias Alexander Watson, James Dickson, and James
McMillan, charged with Housebreaking, Theft, and Reset of Theft, in so far as they
did on the 4th or 5th day of October last, wickedly and feloniously break into, and enter
the shop No 17 and 18 of the Candleriggs Street, Glasgow, then occupied as sale rooms,
known by the name of "the City Auction Mart," by climbing up the roof of a back
building and forcibly entering through the roof by a sky-light; and did then and there
wickedly and feloniously steal and carry off 30 watches, 20 of which were silver and the
rest gilt or yellow metal watches,    50 gold seals or thereby; 60 gold or gilt keys, 24
pair of silver, metal, and tortoise shell mounted spectacles; 200 silver pencil cases, and a
vast quantity of other jewellery articles, and amounting in value to 230 l. or thereby:
And farther, that they did also steal and carry off two men's black hats; or other wise,
that they did at Glasgow, or vicinity thereof, wickedly and feloniously rest and receive
the said gold and silver articles, and other goods, knowing the same to have been stolen
And that the said Alexander Robertson, James Dickson, and James McMillan having been
conscious of their guilt in the premises, and knowing that the police of the city of Glasgow
Were making Strict search after them, did abscond and flee from justice within two days
after the said theft was committed, carrying with them a great number of the stolen
articles,and were apprehended in Edinburgh, on Thursday the 8th day or October last,
when they had in their possession a bundle containing a number of the stolen articles.-
And also, that the said Alexander Archibald, alias Alexander, alias Watson, did also
abscond and flee from justice, but was some time afterwards apprehended, when he had
in his possession a part of the stolen property, and had upon his head one of the hats
stolen from the said auction mart.

Moss Lee   (This Gentleman being a Jew, requested to be sworn with his hat on, but
stated he had no objection to take the oath according to the forms of Court. Witness,
then proved the robbery of the auction mart, in the Candleriggs of Glasgow, of which
he had the ground flat. The robbery was perpetrated betwixt Saturday night and Mon-
day morning. Witness found four drawers had been forcibly opened; the thieves appear -
ed to have entered by a skylight on a building at the back of the premises The prime
cost of the articales taken was from 230 l to 250 l.Witness here stated the number of the
articles stolen, consisting of watches, seals, rings, gold watch keys, snuff-box, &c; and
identified a number of articles shown him to be his property, and stolen from his premises
and missed watches of the same maker's name, and same description as those now on the
table of the Court. Witness had not been in the shop from the Wednesday to the Mon-
day; his partner Mr. Myers, had the charge of It.

Ch. Maclauchlan, clerk to Mr. Love at the auction mart, locked the premises on the
Saturday night about eleven o'clock. On Monday morning he found the glass cases all
smashed, the drawers forced out, and blood upon the glass of the show-drawers. Two
hats were missing. Wittness immediately locked the door, and went and informed
Massrs Love, Lee, and Myers. Witness identifies two hats shown to him as bear-
ing Mr. Love's private mark. Witness put it on himself, but cannot say whather they
were in the shop on the Saturday night, but he can swear that two hats were taken away
of a simillar description.

John Davidson was apprehended on the streets of Edinburgh along with the prisoners,
Robertson Dickson, and McMillan.    They came to Edinburgh the night before which
was Wednesday, by the Steam Boat from Grangemouth to Leith.    They had stopt a
night in Kirkintilloch, and one James Sharp was in company.    They had come from
Glasgow on Tuesday. Witness had fallen in with the prisoners in a public-house in
Duke-Street .    A message came to his father's house by a boy, to come to that public-
house, where he saw the prisoners,   who gave him some rum, and asked   him to go to
Edinburgh    Witness said he had no money; but one of them said he need not mind that
as they had some gold and silver watches in a bundle lying on the table.    Witness asked
   where they had got them, and McMillan said they had got them at a " crack," the mean-
ing of which is a shop-breaking.    They did not mention where, and the witness having
got rather the worse of liquor agreed to go with them. Witness asked what they were
going to do at Edinburgh, they said in their cant language, to dispose of the goods. Wit-
ness saw the bundle opened on Thursday morning in a house in Cowgate, Edinburgh;
saw some yellow watches, seals, and other articles. It was McMillan who opened the
bundle. Robertson and Dickson went out with a watch for the purpose of pawning it,
but they returned with it again. The bundle was then tied up in two handkerchiefs, and
Robartson desired the witness to go and pawn a watch for a few pounds but when they
get to the head of Bank Street, and were all standing together the Police Officers sur-
rounded them and took them prisoners. The watch Robertson gave the witness, was
found upon him, and a silver pencil case. Witness had heard from his father on the
Monday night before he was sent for by the prisoners, that he auction man was broke
into and jewllery stolen. Witness desired Sharp to tell his mother he was going to
Edunburgh a few days, but he never said the Police were looking after him. The res-
son the prisoners sent for him was, as they said he knew Edinburgh and they did not.
When they were in the track boat coming from Kirkintilloch, Robertson said he had
got his hand itched and he would need to buy some ointment. Witness looked at his
hand and it was scratched in several places. Witness thought that it was the itch, and
had not the appearance of cuts. Witness did not see the prisoner Archibald upon any
one of these days. The other three, with witness and a woman, were together en the
Tuesday night in house in Great Hamilton Street:

The Jury then retired; but in ahout twenty minutes they sent the Macer into Court
With a verbal message saying, that as they had not made up their minds as to the verdict
to be returned, they would do so to-morrow at one o'clock.

On Tuesday the Court met at one o'clock, when the jury returned their verdict, find-
ing Robertson Guilty of Shopbreeking, and the other there of Reset of Theft, when
Robertson was sentenced to be Executed at Glasgow,on the 7th of April, and Alexander
Archibald, James Dickson and James McMillan to be banished for fourteen years,

Printed for John Muir

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