Witness—It belonged to Michael Henderson, stabler in the Grassmarket, and I carried it home to him the following night.
Mr. John Clerk—Did you carry anything to Mr. Henderson along with it?
Witness—I did not.
The Lord Justice-Clerk—John Brown, you appear to be a clever fellow, and I hope you will now abandon your dissipated courses, and betake yourself to some honest employment.
Witness—My Lord, be assured my future life shall make amends for my past conduct.
The Lord Advocate—My Lord, the parole evidence on the part of the Crown being now closed, the declarations and other writings, which have been authenticated in the presence of your Lordships, fall now to be read to the jury, but as there are some parts of Smith’s declarations which relate to matters not immediately connected with the subject of the present trial, I do not desire that these parts of his declarations should be read by the Clerk of Court or communicated to the jury.
[After some conversation, this proposal, which did much honour to his Lordship, was agreed to, and such parts of the declarations as were not read in Court were pasted over with paper, that they might not be looked into through mistake by the jury after they were inclosed.]
Declarations of George Smith.
No. I.
At Edinburgh, 8th March, 1788.