Roughead's The Trial of Deacon Brodie describes the robbery of Inglis and Horner's silk store as:

Soon after this [the John Tapp house robbery] the Deacon, ever on the alert for a good stroke of business, suggested to his partners the "doing" of the shop of Messrs. Inglis and Horner, silk mercers at the Cross of Edinburgh, "as the goods there were very rich and valuable, and a small bulk of them carried off would amount to a large sum." He and Smith frequently went to examine the padlock," which they did most commonly on the Sunday forenoon when the people were in church." They found this necessary, as the lock proved to be of a difficult construction. Brodie made a key for it himself, and went one night alone to test its efficacy, probably with the view of stealing a march upon the rest, and doing a little private practice outwith the knowledge of his colleagues. When he tried the key, however, although it unlocked the padlock it would not lock it again, and he had to disclose the state of matters to the others. On learning of his attempt "they were all very angry with him, and said that he had more than likely spoilt the place after all the trouble they had been about ; but Brodie told them he hoped not, as he had fixed the padlock with a bit stick in a way that it would not be discovered, and upon looking at the place afterwards, which they all did, they found the lock to be just as it was." Eventually Smith made a key that was more reliable, and on the night of 8th January, 1788, an entry was effected, and silks and cambrics to the value of between £300 and £400 successfully removed.

Next day a reward of £100 was offered by the Procurator-Fiscal for the discovery of the criminals, but, as usual, without success. The owners, however, did not let the matter rest there, and on their representations the Government, on 25th January, offered an increased reward of £150 to any one who, within six months, would give such information as should lead to the discovery and conviction of the perpetrators, and twenty guineas for the names of the offenders whether they should be convicted or not. In addition, " His Majesty's gracious pardon " was promised to any accomplice who should within the like period procure the apprehension of the guilty parties. Though this offer elicited no information at the time, it was ultimately, as we shall see, the means of breaking up that dangerous association from whose depredations the inhabitants of the good town of Edinburgh had so long and severely suffered.

From the spoils of Inglis & Horner's shop Smith tells us that Brown selected "a piece of plain white sattin, a piece of variegated ditto, and a lead-coloured silk, in quantity about ten yards, which he gave to a girl, an acquaintance of his of the name of Johnston." One is pleased to notice in passing this indication of a gentler element in Mr. Brown's rugged nature. The remainder of the goods were concealed in a cellar which Ainslie had hired for the purpose in Stevenlaw's Close, and were subsequently despatched in two trunks, one by the Berwick carrier and the other by the Newcastle waggoner, to our old friend at the "Bird in Hand," Chesterfield.

On George Smith's 10 March 1788 statement to Sheriff Archibald Cockburn, this is recorded about the Inglis and Horner robbery:

That about two months ago the declarant [George Smith], in company with Andrew Ainslie, broke into the shop of Inglis, Horner and Company, and took therefrom a large assortment of valuable goods, composed of sillks and cambricks ; that the silks were mostly black, excepting two pieces, a piece of plain white sattin, a piece of variegated ditto, and a lead-coloured silk, in quantity about ten yards, which Brown gave to a girl, an acquaintance of his, of the name of Johnston; that the silks were all sent to England, except the silk before-mentioned, a piece of black silk of about two yards and a quarter, in two odd bits, which the declarant gave to his wife to make a cloak to her child, and about twelve yards and a' half of thick tweel'd black silk for gentlemen's vests and breeches, and two yards and a half of black florentine sattin, with about six yards of cambrick.

That Brodie suggested to the declarant the doing of Inglis and Horner's shop, as the goods there were very rich and valuable, and a small bulk of them carried off would amount to a large sum ; that Brodie and the declarant went frequently to try the pad and stock-lock of Inglis and Horner's shop, and they did so most commonly on the Sunday forenoon, when the people were in church; that the padlock was of a difficult construction, and was opened at last by a key of the declarant's own making; that Brodie made one that did it also, and he on one occasion went by himself with his key and unlocked the padlock, but could not lock it again, upon which he came to the declarant and told him what he had done, which he did also to Ainslie and Brown; that they were all very angry with him, and said that he had more than likely spoilt the place after all the trouble they had been about, but Brodie told them he hoped not, as he had fixed the padlock with a bit stick in a way that it would not be discovered, and, upon looking at the place afterwards, which they all did, they found the lock to be just as it was.

The Edinburgh Evening Courant reported this about the Inglis and Horner silk store robbery:

Shop-breaking and Theft. Sheriff Clerk's Office, Edinburgh, January 9. 1788

That this last night the shop of Mess. Inglis, Horner, & Co., Silk Mercers at the Cross of Edinburgh, was broke into, and the following articles stolen and carried off therefrom, viz. A considerable quantity of black lutestrings, black armozeens, black florentines, and rasdimore silks, some of them whole, others cut pieces. Most of the armozeens and lutestrings have yellow lists or selveges, with some red threads on the outer edge; others of the lutestrings, and all the florentines have white selveges. All of the silks were rolled on pins or blocks, upon the end of most of which is the following mark I. L. S. with the number of the piece and quantity of the yards in figures. Several pieces of cambric, some whole, some cut—also a piece of plain white satin. It is more than probable that the said goods may he cut in such a manner as to cause them, when exposed to sale, to have the appearance of remnants.

The value of the above goods is equal to from £400 to £500 Sterling, so far as yet discovered.

Whoever will give to William Scott, procurator-fiscal of this County, within three months of this date, such information as will be the means of leading to a discovery of the person or persons who committed the aforesaid shop-breaking and theft, or will cause apprehend or imprison the said person or persons, shall, upon conviction of the offender or offenders, receive a reward of One Hundred Pounds Sterling, and the informer's name, if required, concealed.

N.B. If articles, similar to those above described, are offered to sale or discovered in the custody of any person of suspicious appearance, it is intreated that the goods may be stopped, and the person or persons in whose custody they are found secured, till notice is sent as above ; for which a handsome reward will be given, besides all charges paid.

 

 

• 9 October 1786: Goldsmith James Wemyss' shop.
• Late November to early December 1786: Davidson McKain's hardware store was cased and robbed.
• 8 December 1786: John Law's tobacco shop.
• 24 December 1786: John and Andrew Bruce's hardware store.
• 16 August 1787: John Carnegie's grocery store.
• 29 October 1787: Edinburgh University's silver mace.
•  Christmas season 1787: John Tapp's house.
• Deacon Brodie's Next Crime: 5 March 1788: Edinburgh's Excise Office.
• Planned future crimes.