deacon brodie

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George Smith's Statement to Edinburgh's Sheriff, Archibald Cockburn

19 March 1788

At Edinburgh, 19th March, 1788.

The which day compeared, in presence of Archibald Cockburn, Esq., advocate. His Majesty's Sheriff-depute of the shire of Edinburgh, George Smith, present prisoner in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, who, being examined, declares.

That the small crow, the false key, and the curling tongs, now shown to him, are the same that were found by the declarant, William Middleton, A. Williamson, and J. Murray, in an old dyke on the 16th instant, and the label annexed to them is signed by the declarant as relative hereto, of this date.

Declares that the said crow was carried to the Excise Office for the purpose of opening the desks in the cashier's room; that the said false key is the one that opened the outer door of the Excise Office, and the curling tongs were squared at the point by the declarant and taken to the Excise Office for the purpose of opening the spring latch of the outer door of the cashier's room, which it did.

And, being shown a coulter and two wedges, declares that he believes they are the same that were used in forcing open the inner door of the cashier's room in the Excise Office and were left there.

And, being also shown a spur, with the upper leather at it declares that it belonged to William Brodie; and the declarant tore the end of the leather in order that it might appear, when found, to have dropped from the foot by its being torn by accident by the buckle; that Brodie brought the said spur to the declarant's house, and from thence it was taken to the Excise Office, on purpose that it might be left there, to make it believed it had been done by some persons on horseback; that the spur was left in the Excise Office by John Brown, as the declarant was told by him upon the declarant's questioning him if he had done it, and the label annexed to the spur is signed by the declarant as relative hereto, of this date.

And, being shown a parcel of ropes which the declarant is now told were found in his house, declares that the declarant has no doubt but that they are the same ropes which were brought to the declarant's house by Brodie, and, after being knotted into a ladder, were carried to the Excise Office by the declarant, brought from thence by him, and unknotted again in the declarant's house, in which case he now sees they are.

And, being shown a pick-lock, which the declarant is informed was found in William Brodie 's counting-room in the shop, declares that it is the same which William Brodie gave to the declarant in his own house before they went to the Excise Office, and which Brodie wanted to fasten with some nails, as the handle of it went round when the pick-lock was much pressed; declares that the declarant carried that pick-lock to the Excise Office, and, after they had left it, it was returned by the declarant to Brodie when under the arch of the North Bridge, where Brodie's father's wig, the scarf, and wedges were left, as mentioned in his declaration of the 10th instant; and the label annexed to the said pick-lock is signed by the declarant as relative hereto, of this date.

And being shown a black case, with a lid to it, the case full of potty, declares that it was found, as the declarant thinks, in Mr. Brodie's drawers by the declarant and George Williamson on Monday, the 10th instant ; that the declarant had often seen the said case, with potty in it, before in Brodie's possession when in the declarant's house, and the declarant approved of Brodie's keeping the potty in a case, as the lid prevented an impression of a key when taken from being defaced; and the said case and potty having now a label annexed to it, the same is signed by the declarant as relative hereto, of this date.

And, being shown a five-pound note, declares it is the same five-pound note which the declarant carried to Drysdale's and changed there, to purchase his wife a ticket in the Newcastle stage; that the declarant believes it to be one of the five pound notes taken from the Excise Office, they being both of the Glasgow Bank, but the other five-pound note was not ornamented with the same colour with the one now shown to him; that the notes were pasted on the back by Brodie, and the one now produced is signed by the declarant on the back as relative hereto, of this date.

And being shown a parcel of keys, declares that they are the same which were pointed out by the declarant concealed in Salisbury Crags, on the 7th instant, to William Middleton, Alexander Williamson, and James Murray, and the label annexed to them is signed by the declarant as relative hereto, of this date. Declares that among this parcel there is the false key which opened the outer door of Inglis and Horner's shop, to which the declarant now sees a label annexed, and which is signed by him as relative hereto, of this date.

And being shown a parcel of keys which were found by the declarant and George Williamson upon the 10th current, declares that the double clank among the said parcel was brought by the declarant from Sheffield, and given to Brodie, the reason of which was for fear it should be found in the declarant's possession and thereby create suspicion, but it was not likely to be discovered in Brodie's. Declares that the heads and stalks of two keys in the said parcel were cut from old keys by Brodie, and were intended to be finished for the purpose of opening the spring latch of the outer door of the cashier's room in the Excise Office; that a false key in the said parcel finished, was made by Brodie for the purpose of opening the door of the Chamberlain's cash room of the city of Edinburgh; and to the said double clank, the heads and stalks of two keys for the Chamberlain's room, the declarant sees labels annexed, of this date, and are signed by the declarant as relative hereto. The declarant and Brodie had frequently been at the door of the Chamberlain's office, in order to take the impression of the keyhole; that Brodie showed the declarant the said key after it was made, and Brodie told the declarant that it did not answer.

And being shown two parcels of keys, with labels annexed to them, and two pieces of black stockings, declares that they are the property of the declarant, and were concealed by him in Salisbury Crags, and the labels annexed to them are signed by the declarant and Sheriff as relative hereto, of this date.

And being shown two trunks, declares that they are the same two trunks that were purchased by the declarant and Andrew Ainslie ; that the round one was purchased by the declarant from a man opposite to Todrick's Wynd, whom he saw this day in the office, for which the declarant paid three shillings, and the other was purchased by Ainslie from a man nearly opposite to Richardson's, the smith, in the Cowgate ; that the declarant first bargained for it himself, but the declarant afterwards sent Ainslie, who bought it for five shillings and sixpence, or six shillings.

That the goods taken from Inglis & Homer's shop were put into the said two trunks, sent to the said Berwick carrier's quarters, and to the Newcastle waggoner's, as mentioned in his former declaration; that the direction on the round trunk is, as he believes, of the handwriting of Ainslie, and the direction upon the other of the handwriting of Brown, of which he is certain. All which is truth.

George Smith.

Ar. Cockburn.

 

 

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