_Burke's Behaviour in Prison--Liberation of M'Dougal, and the
Consequent Riot--Visitors at Burke's House in the West Port--Burke's
Idea of the Obligations of Dr. Knox--His Confessions._
All through the trial Burke had seemed callous and indifferent, but when
he was removed from the court-room to the lock-up he was considerably
agitated. He threw himself on his knees on the floor of his cell and
prayed to God, to whom he had long been a stranger, and to whose mercy the
judge had so earnestly commended him. After this he appeared to be
considerably relieved, and during the rest of the day he was comparatively
cheerful. He spoke a good deal to the policeman who was beside him, and
said he was pleased at the acquittal of M'Dougal. Without any hesitation
he conversed freely about the murder of Docherty, who, he said, was not
murdered by him in the way described by Hare. That individual was himself
the murderer, though, he admitted, he had held the unfortunate woman's
hands to prevent her from struggling. The policeman was a fair type of the
public, as a question he put to Burke amply proved. He told Burke that he
wondered above all things how he could imbrue his hands in the blood of
Daft Jamie. That Burke was in a state of semi-delirium is shown by his
answer--as he hoped to meet with mercy at the throne of grace, his hand
was not concerned in that murder; Hare and his wife were the sole
perpetrators of it, though he had decoyed the poor simpleton into their
house. That his mind was in a strange state he admitted by adding, that
after he was more composed he would make disclosures that would implicate
several others besides Hare and his wife in crimes similar to that for
which he was condemned; and if he could make sure of the hanging of Hare,
he would die happy. How did he feel when pursuing his horrible vocation?
was the next query of the constable. In his waking moments he had no
feeling, for he drank to deaden conscience, but when he slept he had
frightful dreams. He also expressed a wish that one of his counsel should
call on him that he might furnish him with notes of his life and
adventures, as he desired his history to be published, whether for
notoriety or as a warning to others, he did not say. In the course of that
evening he read two chapters of the Bible, and afterwards retired to rest.
His sleep, however, was not peaceful. He awoke in a frantic state every
now and then; but after a short time he became more composed, and fell
asleep again.
At two o'clock on Friday morning he was removed quietly in a coach to the
Calton Hill Prison, and placed in the condemned cell. Here the frenzy
under which he had been labouring since his condemnation took another
turn. He threw aside the semi-religious feeling which seemed to sway his
mind the day before, and turned fiercely to the jailor--for there was
always one beside him, as, before his trial, he had threatened
self-destruction--and said: "This is a d----d cold place you have brought
me till." The thirst for vengeance against Hare was still strong in him.
He sat thinking over their connection, and broke out every now and again
into curses against his one-time associate. Hare, he declared, was more
guilty than he was. "Hare," he said, "murdered the first woman. He
persuaded me to join him, and now he has murdered me; and I will regret to
the last hour of my existence that he did not share the same fate." An
officer said to him, "I think I could never wish to see that man forgiven
who could murder that poor, harmless, good-natured idiot, Daft Jamie."
Burke replied with fierce earnestness:--"My days are numbered. I am soon
to die by the hands of man. I have no more to fear, and can have no
interest in telling a lie, and I declare that I am as innocent of Daft
Jamie's blood as you are. He was taken into Hare's house and murdered by
him and his wife. To be sure I was guilty so far, as I assisted to carry
his body to Dr. Knox, and got a share of the money." Later in the day, he
dropped into the frame of mind in which he was after his sentence, and
willingly acknowledged to his jailors that he was guilty, though beyond
that he declined to satisfy their curiosity. As the evening advanced he
asked if he would be allowed to pray. There was, of course, no objection,
and again he petitioned the Almighty for forgiveness, and specially
mentioned Helen M'Dougal, that her heart might be touched and turned from
evil.
This was the night on which M'Dougal was liberated. It was feared that the
infuriated mob that paced the streets of the city after the close of the
trial would tear her to pieces, and she had, as a matter of safety, been
detained in the lock-up. Immediately on her liberation, she returned to
her house in the West Port, and remained there unmolested until the next
night. Then she went out to a shop in the neighbourhood for the purpose of
purchasing some whisky--Burke's prayer had not yet been answered. The
shop-keeper refused to supply her, and on her way home she was noticed by
a number of boys, who, recognising her, raised the cry--"There's
M'Dougal." Speedily a crowd assembled--a rough, tumultous crowd, strongly
under the sway of Judge Lynch. Fortunately for her, the police came to her
rescue, and, again for safety, took her to the watch-house in Wester
Portsburgh. The infuriated mob endeavoured to prevent this, and sought to
tear the woman from the grasp of the officers in order that they might
execute summary justice upon her; but her guardians drew their staves, and
by laying about them in a determined manner, attained their purpose. At
last the watch-house was reached, but still M'Dougal was not safe. The
crowd, which had grown to huge dimensions, attacked the place from every
side, smashed the windows, and seemed so determined to gain admittance and
work their will upon the unfortunate woman, that the officers, judging
themselves unable to make sufficient stand, had her dressed in men's
clothes, and she escaped by a back window unobserved. A show of
resistance was made for a short time to allow M'Dougal to reach a place of
safety, and then it was announced to the mob that she was being detained
in order to give evidence against Hare. This pacified the passions of the
people, for they were willing she should escape in the meantime if there
was any chance of making sure that Hare would be punished, and they
quietly dispersed. M'Dougal, though out of the office, was still under
police protection, and on Sunday, 28th December, she was accompanied
outside the city, on her way to Stirlingshire, with, it was stated,
between ten and twelve pounds in her possession.
Up till the Friday night following the trial, the house occupied by Burke
and M'Dougal, in the West Port, was visited by great crowds of people, who
wished, out of curiosity, to see the place where such foul crimes had been
perpetrated. On that night, however, the person who had the key gave it up
to the landlord, as he wished to escape the imputation cast upon him by
some, that he had been making money by showing it off. On the following
Sunday, also, the street was crowded by well-dressed people, all attracted
to the scene by its evil reputation. Here is the description given by one
of the Edinburgh newspapers of that period, of the houses occupied by
Burke and his accomplice:--"The immediate entrance to it [Burke's house]
is appropriate--namely, through a dark passage, where the women stood
while the murder of the Irish woman was being perpetrated. The dwelling is
one small room, an oblong square, which presents the exact appearance it
had when the culprits were apprehended. There is still the straw at the
foot of the bed, in which the murdered woman was concealed. Altogether, it
has an air of the most squalid poverty and want of arrangement. On the
floor is a quantity of wretched old shoes, of all sizes, meant by Burke,
perhaps, to indicate his being a cobbler; but they are so wretchedly worn,
that we cannot suppose they were left with him to be mended, or that he
designed to improve their appearance, for the purpose of selling them. We
incline to think that they belonged to some of his victims. The dwelling
is most conveniently situate for the murderous trade he pursued--there
being many obscure approaches to it from different directions. Hare's
dwelling, also, has attracted many visitors. Its appearance is equally
deplorable with that of Burke. It is on the ground-floor, consists of two
apartments, and overlooks a gloomy close. Beside it is a sort of stable,
used by Hare as a pig-stye, and secured with a large padlock. In this it
is believed Hare and Burke committed many of their butcheries; and here,
we are inclined to think, Daft Jamie encountered his fate."
But to return to Burke in the condemned cell. As the time passed on, his
mind appeared to be agitated for brief intervals, though in general he
seemed resigned to the fate his crimes so richly deserved. On one occasion
he broke out in a curious manner. He had been sitting quietly, apparently
thinking over his past life, and of the near approach of its end, when he
startled his attendant by saying--
"I think I am entitled, and ought to get that five pounds from Dr. Knox
which is still unpaid on the body of Docherty."
"Why, Dr. Knox lost by the transaction, as the body was taken from him,"
was the reply of the amazed warder.
"That was not my business," said Burke. "I delivered the subject, and he
ought to have kept it."
"But you forget that were the money paid, Hare would have the right to the
half of it," argued the other.
"I have got a tolerable pair of trousers," explained Burke, musingly, "and
since I am to appear before the public, I should like to be respectable. I
have not a coat and waistcoat that I can appear in, and if I got that five
pounds I could buy them."
As the time went on Burke was induced to make a confession of his crimes.
On the 3rd of January, 1829, he dictated a confession before Sheriff Tait,
the Procurator-Fiscal, and the assistant Sheriff-Clerk; and on the 22nd of
the same month he supplemented it by a short statement, made in the
presence of the same parties, with the addition of the Rev. Wm. Reid, a
Roman Catholic priest. Application was made to the Lord Advocate by an
Edinburgh gentleman to obtain admission to Burke's cell to receive a
confession from the criminal, but this was refused; and on an appeal being
made to the Home Secretary the refusal was confirmed. On the 21st of
January, however, the condemned man made another and fuller confession,
but this time unofficial, and this document had such a curious history
that an account of it must be reserved until the proper time. Between his
condemnation and execution Burke was visited by Protestant and Roman
Catholic clergymen, and he received the ministrations of both without
preference.