Helen Alison or Wallace, spouse to William Wallace, mason, in Libberton’s Wynd, called in and sworn.

Helen Alison — I reside in Libberton’s Wynd, and I know the prisoner, Mr. Brodie. I heard of his leaving Edinburgh in March last, and I remember to have seen him come down Jean Watt’s stair a little before nine o’clock on the morning of the Thursday before he went off—the 6th of March. I was then standing at my own door at the foot of the stair; and I had Francis Brodie, the prisoner’s son, a boy of about seven years of age, by the hand. As his father, Mr. Brodie, passed he put a halfpenny into the child’s hand, and clapped him on the head. I said to the boy, “Poor thing, thou hast been too soon out, or you would have seen your daddie at home”; he said, “No, I have not been too soon out, for my daddie has been in the house all night.” After my husband got his breakfast, I went upstairs to Mrs. Watt, and I said to her in a joking way, “You will be in good humour to-day, as the good man has been with you all night.” She answered, “He has; but, poor man, he has not been well of a sore throat.” On the Monday following, I heard that there were messengers upstairs in Mrs. Watt’s, searching her house for Mr. Brodie; and when I went up and was told what was the matter, I said to one Murray, a sheriff-officer, then present, “Dear sirs, who would have thought this would have happened, when I saw Mr. Brodie come downstairs and give a bawbee to his own son on Thursday last?” To which the man answered, “Indeed, few would have thought it.”

Cross-examined by the Lord Advocate — How do you recollect that it was upon the Thursday you saw Mr. Brodie come down stairs? Can you give any reason for doing so?

Helen Alison — Indeed, I can give a reason, but to be sure it is a very mean one to mention to your Lordships.

Lord Eskgrove — Tell us the reason, good woman.

Helen Alison — I had purchased three pair of shoes on the Wednesday in the market; that is, a pair for each of my sons, and one for my husband. On Thursday morning I missed my husband’s shoes, and, thinking they were stolen, I was waiting for my husband at the door at the time he usually returned to breakfast, which was about nine o’clock, to see if he knew anything of them; and had it not been for this I would not have been at the door nor seen Mr. Brodie come downstairs.