1899
TO-DAY’S POLICE NEWS.
EDINBURGH CITY—Before SHERIFF MACONOCHIE
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ CRIME.
There were 30 new prisoners brought to the bar. The charges were: Incapable; 12, assault, 5; disorderly, 4; loitering, begging, and theft, 5 each; and drunk in charge of horse, drunk in charge of child, and cruelty to children—one each.
A YOUNG LABOURER’S FOOLISH FREAK[1]
Adam Munro, a young labourer, living at 5 North-East Cumberland Street Lane, was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner in a neighbour’s house at 8 North-East Cumberland Street Lane on Thursday night, and attempting to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a pocket knife.
Munro pleaded guilty, but said he was the worse for drink at the time, and was very sorry. The prosecutor explained that accused was drinking with his brother in the house, and the two men had some words. Munro became very disorderly, and after making a great noise took out his pocket-knife and made several slight cuts on his throat with it.
Sir Henry Littlejohn[2] thought it was more bravado than anything, and the Sheriff put the accused under £1 caution for his future behaviour, Sir Henry promising to keep him until his friends came for him.
Edinburgh Evening News, 27 May 1899
[Image: Wikimedia commons.]
[1] ‘A product of irregular or sportive fancy’, Oxford English Dictionary.
[2] See News from the Mews 12, n.8.
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EDINBURGH SHERIFF SUMMARY COURT
In Edinburgh Sheriff Summary Court to-day, […] William Mitchell, a big hulking-looking fellow, was charged with assaulting his wife and daughter in his house in North-West Cumberland Street Lane, striking his wife with a piece of coal and a piece of wood, and his daughter by striking her with his fist and pulling her about.
A list of 16 convictions for assault, dating from 1887, and mostly upon his wife, was put in against Mitchell, who pleaded guilty, and was sent to prison for 60 days.
Edinburgh Evening News, 7 June 1899
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ACCIDENT IN DUBLIN STREET LANE.—Maggie Hind, a married woman, residing at 2 Dublin Street Lane, was admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary yesterday suffering from a compound fracture of the right leg and other injuries.
While hanging clothes outside a window at her house she lost her balance and fell a distance of fifteen feet.
Scotsman, 27 June 1899
[Image: Wikimedia, creative commons.]
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SUDDEN DEATH OF AN EDINBURGH REGISTRAR.— As briefly announced in yesterday’s “Scotsman,” the body of a man was found by a constable yesterday morning in Duke Street Lane. It was subsequently identified as that of Mr John M’Laren, M.A., the Registrar of St Andrew’s district, who resided at 43 East Claremont Street.
Mr M’Laren had, it seems, been spending the week-end out of town,[3] and was on his way home on Monday night, when a sudden illness overtook him, under which he succumbed. The deceased was about 70 years of age.
In his youth he went through the regular training course of the Normal School, and after acting for some time as a visiting master of English in ladies’ schools, he succeeded Dr Douglas in the latter’s school in Great King Street. About seven or eight years ago Mr M’Laren gave up teaching, and got the appointment as registrar, which he held at the time of his death.
In his younger days Mr M’Laren was for some time in India, when he taught in Dovetown College, Calcutta.[4] He was a keen bowler and golfer, having been for many years a member of Claremont private bowling green and the Corporation Golf Club.
Scotsman, 20 September 1899
[Image: Ordnance Survey, 1893.]
[3] The previous report stated that M’Laren was returning from a trip to Pitlochry. His train, much delayed, did not arrive in Edinburgh until 1am, at which point he appeared to be in good health.
[4] The school, established in 1853, educated Anglo-Indian pupils.
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TO-DAY’S POLICE NEWS.
EDINBURGH CITY—Before BAILIE ROBERTSON.
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ CRIME.
There were 24 new prisoners brought to the bar. The charges were: Disorderly, 9; loitering, 4; theft, 3; incapable, 2; suspected thieves, 2; and army desertion and nuisance, 1 each. […]
A JOINER’S WAY TO GET DRUNK.
A young man, Thomas Kenneth Thomson (31), joiner, 57 St Stephen Street, was put under £3 caution,[5] with the option of 10 days’ imprisonment, for the theft of a number of joiners’ tools between May and September last.
The prosecutor explained that two of them were taken from the press in a workshop in North-West Northumberland Street Lane, where he had previously been employed, during the dinner-time, and the others he borrowed from other joiners and pawned them. Thomson said he was drinking at the time, and was very sorry for it.
Edinburgh Evening News, 19 October 1899
[Image: Project Gutenberg, public domain.]
[5] About £235 today, or 9 days’ wages for a skilled labourer in 1899.
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