A discrepancy here appears betwixt the above witness and a following witness, James Murray, who, with Middleton, accompanied the prisoner Smith to the place. Murray said at the foot of Allan’s Close, below the Royal Exchange; and Warriston’s Close is above the Exchange, or west, the other east. Since the trial, we were at pains to have an explanation of this inconsistency, and went with Middleton to the spot. He conducted us down Warriston’s Close; and at the bottom of the steps at the foot of it, in the wall, immediately on the right hand, or to the east, and not three feet from the steps, he pointed out the hole where the iron crow and other instruments were found. He was asked how he and Murray came to disagree. He said it was true they went by Allan’s Close, turned into Mary King’s Close, and then went to the hole then, pointed out. In short, the one witness, Murray, describes it by the road they took, the other, Middleton, by the real situation of the place. Middleton acknowledged that he was wrong in saying Smith put in his hand and drew out the instruments. He was handcuffed, and could not stretch his arm. He only put his fingers to the mouth of the hole, to point it out, and Murray put in his arm as he immediately recollected after he left the Court. Both Middleton and Murray agree that the hole is the same where they found the iron crow, &c., and it is directly at the foot of Warriston’s Close.—Creech.
Note 6, [page 110.]
The further particulars of Mr. Williamson’s search for Mr. Brodie are curious, and, having been favoured with them from Mr. Williamson himself, we here subjoin them:—
On Monday, the 10th of March, Mr. Williamson began his search at Mr. Brodie’s dwelling-house, out-houses, &c. He searched several of Brodie’s haunts in Edinburgh and Leith. He searched all the inclosed tombs in the Greyfriars Churchyard. The reason for this was that, some years ago, Brodie assisted one Hay, accused of a capital crime in making his escape from the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and concealed him eight or ten days in one of these tombs till the hue and cry was over. Hay by this means got off, and has never since been heard of. When it was known, on Wednesday, that Brodie had gone off to London on the morning of Sunday, the 9th, Mr. Williamson was despatched after him. At Dunbar he learned that Brodie had passed there about four o’clock in the afternoon of Sunday, and traced him to Newcastle, where he took the “Flying Mercury” light coach for York and London. From the coachman he learned that a man answering Brodie’s description had been set down at the end of Old Street, Moorfields, and did not proceed to the Bull and Mouth Inn, where the coach stops. Some persons of Brodie’s acquaintance were examined, and from the declarations of some of them there was reason to believe that Brodie had gone to the Continent. Mr. Williamson went to Margate, Deal, and Dover, but got no intelligence of him.
On Mr. Williamson’s return to London, he learned from Sir Sampson Wright’s people that Brodie had been seen about Bedfordbury. Mr. Williamson repaired to the billiard tables, hazard tables, cock-pits, tennis courts, &c., &c. As no house could be searched without making oath to his being there, Mr. Williamson left the management to Sir Sampson’s people, and returned, after eighteen days’ search in London, to Edinburgh.—Creech.]
Note 7, [page 111.]
On the journey from London to Edinburgh, Mr. Brodie was in good spirits, and told many things that had happened to him in Holland. He met with a Scots woman at Amsterdam, who asked him if he had been long from Scotland. She said that there was one Brodie, a citizen of Edinburgh, accused of robbing the Excise Office, and a great reward was offered for apprehending him. She little knew who she was speaking to, said Mr. Brodie. At Amsterdam, he fell in with the man who had committed a forgery on the Bank of Scotland. He (Brodie) said he was a very ingenious fellow. If he had not been apprehended he would have been master of the process in a week.