CHRONICLE. 



29 



Xnunicatlons being kept perfectly se- 

 cret. Another letter from Mr. Dun- 

 das to Mr. M'Ritcbie, the prisoner's 

 agent, was nest reaJ, in answer to 

 one from Mr. M'Rilchie, requesting 

 to know of Mr. Dundas what let- 

 ters he had of the prisoner's. The 

 answer was, that all the letters he 

 had received from Mr. Watt had 

 been "delivered to the lord-advocate. 

 The lord-advocate then gave an ac- 

 count ofthis business. He had con- 

 versed with the prisoner several 

 times at his own lodgings, and he 

 Lad at one time givei) him some in- 

 formation which he thought of im- 

 portance ; this was respecting ttie 

 disaffection of some dragooi>s of 

 Perth, which, ypon inquiry, turned 

 out to be ill founded. In March, 

 1793, an otfer had been made to 

 him to disclose some important se- 

 crets, provided he would give tb.e 

 prisoner one thousand pounds : this 

 he absolutely refused : liowever, some 

 time after, the prisoner having in- 

 formed him thathc was much press- 

 ed for money, to discharge a bill of 

 thirty pounds, his lordship (who was 

 then in London), not wishing he 

 should be distressed for such a small 

 sura, sent an or'der for the payment 

 of it. All this happened previously 

 to the meeting of the convention j 

 since which time, at least since Oc- 

 tober last, he did not recollect seei;:g 

 or liaving any connection with Mr. 

 Watt. 



Mr. Hambleton, counsel for the 

 prisoner, dwelt long on the corre- 

 spondence between Mr. Duiidas and 

 Mr. Watt. He said, the prisoner 

 h^d not deserted the service in which 

 he had engaged, but liad not had an 

 opportunity of exercising it, till the 

 vejy time he was apprehended. He 

 was a spy for goveniment ; and it 

 Vfdi well knowa, that a spy was 



obliged to assume, not ouly the ap- 

 pearance of those whose secrets lie 

 meant to reveal, but even to fake part 

 in their proceedings, in order to pre- 

 vent a discovery. A spy in an armyj 

 he said, was obliged, not only to as* 

 sume theuniform of the enemy, but 

 even to appear inarms ; and it would 

 be exceedingly hiird, indeed, ii" taken 

 in a Conflict, that he sliould be pu- 

 nished for discharging his duty. 



After the lord president had sum- 

 med up the evidence, the jury re- 

 tired athalf past five in the morning, 

 and, in about five minutes, returned 

 with a verdict — guillv. 



The trial lasted nearly twenty-two 

 hours. 



6'ih. Yesterday came on the trial 

 of Mr. David Downie, on the same 

 cliargej and, tiearly the same evi- 

 dence being produced, he was found 

 guilty : bit the jury unanimously re- 

 commended him to niercy, on ac- 

 count of some favourable circum- 

 stances in liis case. — And this day^ 

 the pvison rs being pbced at the bar 

 he followirig awful sentence Was 

 passed on them :-?-" Robert Watt 

 and David Downie, you have been 

 found guilty of high treason, by your 

 peers ; the r.enLence of the court is, 

 therefore, that you be taken to the 

 place from whence you cam.e, from 

 thence you shall bedrawnon a sledge 

 to the place of execution, on Wed- 

 nesday, the 15th of October, thereto 

 hang by your necks ulitil you are 

 both dead, your bowels to be taken 

 out and cast in your face, and each 

 of your bodiesfo be cut in four quar- 

 ters, to be at the disposal of his ma- 

 jesty ; and the Lord have mercy up- 

 on your souls !" 



iSth. An alarming fire broke out 

 in the new corn-mills and drying 

 kiln, situate at Wigan, belonging to 

 Messrs. Eevan, Ch^ipmaiij and.co.— 



