The trial of Wm. Burke & Helen M'Dougal, on Wednesday, December 24, 1828 : in the High Court of Justiciary, before the Right Honourable Lord Chief Justice Clerk, and Lords Pitmilly, Meadowbank, and Mackenzie, on an indictment for the wilful murder of Mary Patterson, James Wilson and Madgy M'Gonegal ... in the Canongate and West Port, Edinburgh, for the purpose of sale to the medical faculty.

Date:
[1829?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial of Wm. Burke & Helen M'Dougal, on Wednesday, December 24, 1828 : in the High Court of Justiciary, before the Right Honourable Lord Chief Justice Clerk, and Lords Pitmilly, Meadowbank, and Mackenzie, on an indictment for the wilful murder of Mary Patterson, James Wilson and Madgy M'Gonegal ... in the Canongate and West Port, Edinburgh, for the purpose of sale to the medical faculty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    see something she had told her of; saw nothing-, and was so fright- ened that she turned back again—the straw was turned. Before this Mrs. Dougal said, Gray's wife had stolen things, and wished witness to look after her door because it would not lock. Did not see Burke till far on in the night; it was then reported that he had murdered a woman, and her husband told him there was a noise about it. Mrs. Burke laughed very loud, and she said he (Burke) defied all Scotland j, for he had done nothing he eared about, and no one breathing could impeach them with an}- thing that was bad. Burke said he would go and find out the man who said he had done wrong j and just as he went into the passage the police appre- hended him. Cross-examined—Said he was going to seek the man (Gray) who had said he had committed murder, and met with the police in the passage, when he returned into the house. By the Court—Witnesses husband told Burke that Gray had seen a corpse in the house, and had gone for the police; and Burke said he would go and find him. By a Juryman—The cause of her fright was hearing of a murder that Gray had spoken of. Janet Lawrie or Law, lived, in October last, in the same passage with the prisoner and Connaway, and his wife. Remembers being in Connaway's house about two o'clock on the 31st October ; and of seeing Burke in the passage, and a little woman following him. They went into Burke's house. Hare and his wife were in Burke's that evening between six and seven o'clock. The little woman was there likewise. Witness remained in Burke's house about twenty minutes. She went to bed about half-past nine o'clock, and during the night heard the noise of dancing and merriment, and of people scuffling. The noise was great; but she was not sensible of any other voice but Burke's. This noise lasted for some time, and she fell asleep. In the morning Mrs. Burke came in for the loan of a pair of bellows, and asked if witness had heard Burke and Hare fighting. Witness asked what she had done with the little woman during the fight; and she answered, she had kicked her to the door, because she had been using too much freedom with William, meaning Burke. She went away, and returned about nine ; this conversation having taken place about eight o'clock. Mrs. Burke asked witness to go into her house, which she did, and found there Burke, Broggan, Hare, and M'Dougal; and before she left the house Gray and his wife came in. Burke took up a bottle which had some spirits in it, and sprinkled them on the ceiling and about the bed, saying he did so because none would drink. At the foot of the bed there was a good deal of straw lying; it had lain thei e for somejtime. The circumstances of which she spoke took place on Saturday morning, and Burke was taken into custody that evening. Was shown a dead body next day (Sunday) in the police office, and recognised it as the body of the same woman she had seen alive on Friday night. Cross-examined—The straw at the foot of the bed was sometimes used as a bed; the Grays had lain upon it. Hugh Alston, grocer, West Port, lives in the same land in which Burke lived. His is the flat above the shops, and Burke's was the one below them. Heard a noise on the 31st October, about eleven o'clock, as he was going along the passage that leads to his own house. His I