Supplement to the trial of William Burke & Helen M'Dougal : containing the whole legal proceedings against William Hare, in order to bring him to trial for the murder of James Wilson, or Daft Jamie. With an appendix of curious and interesting information, regarding the late West-Port murders. Illustrated by a lithographic print of Mrs Hare and her child, as they appeared in the witness box / [William Burke].

  • Burke, William, 1792-1829.
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Supplement to the trial of William Burke & Helen M'Dougal : containing the whole legal proceedings against William Hare, in order to bring him to trial for the murder of James Wilson, or Daft Jamie. With an appendix of curious and interesting information, regarding the late West-Port murders. Illustrated by a lithographic print of Mrs Hare and her child, as they appeared in the witness box / [William Burke]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4 Edinburgh, 26th January 1829.—The Lord Justice- * Clerk, and Lords Commissioners of Justiciary, having con- 4 sidered the bill of suspension, advocation, and liberation, for 4 William Hare, and heard parties' procurators at great length 4 thereupon; Appoint the said bill to be instantly intimated to fi his Majesty's Advocate; antl appoint his Lordship to make 4 such answer thereto as he shall think necessary, and therein 4 to give such information to the Court as he shall deem pro- * per, in regard to the situation in which the public prosecutor 4 stands, in reference to the matters set forth in the said bill: 5 And farther, ordain parties' procurators to give in Informa- 4 tions upon the subject-matter of the said bill, and debate had 4 thereon, this day; both parties to print and lodge their re- 4 spective Informations with the Clerk of Court on or before 4 Saturday next, at twelve o'clock noon, in order that the 4 same may be recorded, and distributed to their Lordships. (Signed) 4 D. Boyle, /. P. D.y In obedience to the above order, the following Answers for the Lord Advocate, and Informations for the parties, were given in. ANSWERS for Sir William Rae of St Catherines, Bart., his Majesty's Advocate, for his Majesty's interest; TO THE BILL of ADVOCATION, SUSPENSION, and LIBER- ATION, for William Hare. The respondent has not failed to observe the guarded terms in which this order is conceived, calling upon him only to give such information as he shall deem proper, and thus relieving him from the necessity of questioning the power, even of this Court, to require, in this shape, a disclosure of the grounds on which the public prosecutor has been guided in the exercise of his official discretion. Influenced, however, by those feelings of respect which the respondent has ever endeavoured to evince towards this High Court, he readily submits the following state- ment, in deference to their wishes, on so extraordinary a case. The murder of Mary Dochcrty took place on the night of