Isabella Stillie or Weir, the middle-aged wife of a pensioner, residing at Hamilton Road, Cambuslang, was before the Hamilton J.P. Court in October 1925 charged with having in July stolen a purse containing 8s and co-operative checks from the house of Mrs Chambers at Main Street, High Blantyre.

A plea of guilty was tendered, and the Fiscal explained that Mrs Chambers was in the living room of her house when she heard a noise in the kitchen. On going there she found Isabella, who asked to be directed to a Mrs Montgomery.

A direction was given to someone corresponding to Mrs Montgomery, and Isabella Weir, who was noticed to be little the worse of drink, left. Mrs Chambers afterwards found that a purse had been stolen from the top of a dresser in that room.

Neighbours in the district had complained that a woman answering to the accused’s description had called and asked to be directed to a number of different people whose names locally were not known. It was only with great difficulty, explained the Fiscal, that the Isabella was traced by Police to Cambuslang. She latterly confessed that she had thrown the “store checks” and the empty purse over the Priory Bridge at Blantyre. A lawyer representing Isabella later explained that she being the worse of drink, had succumbed to temptation. A fine of with the option of ten days’ imprisonment, was imposed.

The whole episode made me wonder that if over 9 decades later the remains of that little purse is still laying in the river!