Continuing the story of the break in to Craig’s Pub from 1895. Part1 was yesterday, the second part of the court transcript as follows:
This case called upon many witnesses. Next in the courtroom stand was ice cream dealer Capaldi Camilo who said about 8 o’clock in the morning of the 23rd, four men came into his Blantyre shop. He identified Connor and Allan in the courtroom, 2 of the prisoners as the men who came into the shop. One of the men had a bottle of brandy in his pocket. The men had been drinking, the bottle visible in the pocket.
John Buchan, pony driver of Dixon’s Rows was called up next to give evidence. He said he got up early on the morning of Sunday 23rd June to see a railway bridge being knocked down in Blantyre. On going along the Glasgow Road about 4am, he saw a man lying over a hedge. He also saw Lindsay. He saw a man lying in a field. That would be about 5 o’clock in the morning. Along the road a bit he saw the neck of a bottle and in the hedge were a number of papers wrapped around empty whisky bottles. He and his chum Miller found another 2 bottles, one of whisky and one of brandy . They took the bottles away and hid them in a barrel, which were later stolen. Where they got the bottles was near to the Priory Pit.
Cross – examined – maybe the man in the field was sleeping?
James Miller, pony driver of Dixon’s Rows was called next. He was walking with Buchan and corroborated his evidence. The man they saw in the field was drunk, rather than asleep.
John Forrest, farmer of Craigknowe, Blantyre, said he heard about the robbery on Sabbath night. While sitting with a groom named Cameron he saw three men go into a field where there was a dung pit and search for something. He blew a whistle and they left the pit, and sat by the side of the road. He passed them. He went to the dung pit and found a bottle of whisky. There were five or six marks as if bottles had been put in. He could not identify the three men.
Constable Logie, Blantyre said he examined the public house door. Shown the boots, he said they were taken off Connor’s feet. They precisely fitted the marks in the garden. There was a tacket out of the heel marks and there was a corresponding tacket out of the heel of the boot. He apprehended Lindsay on Sunday night, being drunk and incapable. He got an empty bottle lying in a plantation near Craigknowe Farm. He assisted in apprehending Scott and Connor. They were the worse of drink. Allan was found in bed. He was also drunk. Witness was present in the Police office when Lindsay came to. Lindsay told Inspector Lockhart that four of them went along the Glasgow Road and tried to pull out a bar near Bardykes House but the stones came away with it. But they got a graip in a garden nearby and had burst open the door.
He also said the drink was hidden in the dunghill at Craigknowe Farm. Inspector Lockhart took down the statement in writing at the time.
Cross – examined — Lindsay then volunteered to give his statement.
Sheriff—The Inspector asked where he (Lindsay) got the drink and he told all about it. The Fiscal explained that the man at this time was in for being drunk and incapable.
William Lockhart, sub-inspector of police, Blantyre said that about ten o’clock in morning of Sunday. Lindsay was brought to the office on a charge of being drunk and incapable. When he came to at night, Lindsay asked why he was at the police station. The Inspector said for being drunk. He was then asked where he got the drink.
Cross – examined – He knew of no shebeens in Blantyre and had no suspicions of any existing. This closed the case for the prosecution.
Lizzie Connor , cousin of the first accused said on the Sunday afternoon, between four and five o’clock. Connor put on a new pair of tacketted boots. On the Saturday night, Connor had on her father’s boots.
Jane Connor, sister of Connor said she saw Connor go to his bed about three o’clock on Sunday morning. She saw him go out after eight o’clock in the morning. This was on the day her brother was taken by the police.
Mrs Connor mother of the accused of that name corroborated what her daughter had said. She came to know he had taken away a bottle with some whisky in it. On the Saturday night her son had on her uncle’s boots.
Cross-examined – Her son came back between breakfast time and dinner time. John Simpson, miner. Dixon Rows, Blantyre a brother in-law of Connors said he was with Connor when he bought the boots on the Saturday night before he was apprehended. Connor had not the boots on so far as he knew. This closed the case for the defence.
The Fiscal (Mr Miller) and the Sheriff having addressed the jury, those gentlemen retired. After a lengthened absence they returned the verdict as follows:—Lindsay and Connor guilty, as libelled; Allan and Scott not proven. The Fiscal in moving for sentence put in five previous convictions against Connor. Mr Miller pointed out that the convictions against Connor were old, and that he had been in prison for eight weeks. This was Lindsay’s first offence.
The Sheriff mid Connor and Lindsay had been found guilty of a very serious offence on evidence of which he had no doubt whatever. In Connor’s case, the charge was made more serious because of the previous convictions; but taking into account that he had been two months in prison, he would pass sentence of six months’ imprisonment. In Lindsay’s case. there was no previous conviction, and he would limit the term of imprisonment to three months.