“Early on Sabbath morning instructions were received to apprehend Hare and his wife, and a party proceeded to his house about eight o’clock, and were informed that they were both in the house and in bed. Upon informing them that Captain Stewart wished to speak with them upon the subject of the body that had been found in Burke’s, Mrs. Hare, laughing, said, that the Captain and the police had surely very little to do now to look after a drunken spree like this, repeatedly jeering and laughing. Hare then said to her that he was at Burke’s and had a dram or two, and likely they might be attaching some blame to them, but he did not care for Captain Stewart, and they had better rise and see what he had to say.—They were both conveyed to the police office, and immediately lodged in separate cells.”
[2] Several benevolent individuals have interested themselves in the behalf of Gray and his wife, and as it may be gratifying to the hearts of many to relieve the virtuous in distress, the publisher of this will most cheerfully receive subscriptions for Gray’s behoof; and the public are earnestly intreated to mark their sense of this poor man’s upright and correct conduct when surrounded with tempters and temptations to which a less manly and honest nature might have yielded!
[3] As every thing relating to the ruffian Burke, may be interesting at present, we add the following particulars about him, during his residence in the parish of Peebles.
He, and Helen M‘Dougal, resided in that burgh in the years 1825 and 1826, and part of 1827.
I find, says our correspondent, that he is a native of Armagh, in the north of Ireland, that he was a Roman Catholic, was a labourer, and employed in working on the roads and in cutting drains.
He made considerable pretensions to religion, as I recollect on my first visit to his house he had one or two religious books lying near him, which, he said, he read, being at that time confined by a sore leg. He seemed a man of quiet manners, and, on my questioning him about his country and profession, there appeared a mystery about him. Since he has gained a guilty notoriety, I have made inquiries among his neighbours about his character, and, I am informed, that he was an inoffensive man, but that he kept suspicious hours. On the Saturday night and Sabbath days, his house was the scene of riot and drunkenness with the lowest of his countrymen.
When he left this place, he owed the woman from whom he rented his room, between forty and fifty shillings. He was then going to the harvest, and promised to return and pay the rent, which he never did. On application being made to him afterwards, in Edinburgh, for payment, he sent word to the woman to meet him at the head of Eddlestone water, a wild and desolate part of the road leading from this place to Edinburgh. The meeting was to be at ten o’clock at night, when he would pay her. Recent disclosures have fully proved for what purpose such a meeting was to take place.
[4] This is a mistake, it was the body of a man, as will be seen in the previous memoir.
[5] This also is a mistake, it was Hare who committed the murder alone, when Burke was in the country.
[6] Mr. M‘D. does not appear to have seen our copperplate engraving, which is allowed to be an excellent likeness.