The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-12-27 00:00:00

IN ZDINNURSH JAIL.

NEON TRIE lEVENIXO COURANT.]

It has become customary, upon the demise of per-
sons, who hare distinguished themselves through life
from the generality of mankind, to giro a short bio-
graphical sketch of their peculiar habits, dispositions,
aid attainments. These notices have hitherto been
chiefly confined to literary, heroic, and eccentric cha-
racters, and hence they were laudatory or curious, and
generally affecting; hut different from these is the in-
dividual whose final exit from the world is announced
in the title. He acquired for lilmottlf an opposite de-
scription of celebrity, we should not say notoriety, by
a long and but too successful series of actions on the
reverse side of 1111 l rality. Could any thing like a re-
gular biography he given of him, it would perhaps
form one of more general interest than that of a
really good and virtuous character, though his own
vocation would at least equal any of the renowned
lives of highwaymen. Such a developement the dark
shade of his life necessarily obscures: all we happen
to know of hini is here stated. It is believed that
James 31'Coul, alias Moirat, alias 31artin, alias Wil-
son, alias 31—, was a native of Berwickshire, and
was bred to the business of a tanner, w hich he far some
time exercised in this country. He afterwards ;tent
to London, where lee connected himself with the t
notorious sharpers, and subsequently became himself an
adept anal a leader. lie was, like our father Brodie.
celebrated as a cork-fighter, and in pugilism, was what
would now, in the elegant language of that arienee,
be styled a deusi-professional, and an amateur of the
Fahey. The connections of his gang. of nhnm the
notorious White was a prominent member,
were, it is said, so extensive, that lie might with some
propriety, be called the Rubber of the World ; its ra-
mifications extended over great trier of the continent
of Europe, himself at times residing in different towns
in Holland. lle resided in Ilandm-_h when that city
fell into the bands of toe French, where he wag of eon-
siderable service to the British troops, which Rohm.-
, quently saved hint from an iguominiotui death. About
fifty years ago, as a mask for his real intentions, he
commenced a morocco tanning atill dyeing concerts in
the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, wore it is thotight,
with intent of cloaking his character, and assninine.
a " visible means of subsistence," than for the pur-
pose of fair gain. Abou, that time lie was taken into
custoly, charged with robbing a gentleman in the
Theatre, but got off from a want ct evidence. His
history front this period is less perfect with us than in
the records of Bow-street, down t..) the robbery of
the Paisley Bank, at Glasgow. So.m after that
transaction he was taken into cnstody, and after re-
maining long in Glasgow jail, obtained his liberation
!.y restoring, through the medium of a friend in Lon-
don, about 10,11110/. of the money of which the Bank '
was robbed—having, as it was well known, still a
large sets of the Matey then lost to the Bank. HO'

made repeated ♦isits to Aberdeen and Dundee, in or-
der to convert use notes into bills on London, in which
he interceded. At last, with • large sum of money
still on his person, he arrived at Leith, and succeeded
in converting it also, being, as was proved, the iden-
tical notes of which the Bank was robbed, into hills
on London, when he was again apprehended and sent
up to the Police Office here; when, after another
iut-
l.risonntent and much discussion, these bills were, by
desire of a very active Magistrate of this city, lodged
in ti.e Bank of Sir W. Forbes and Co. In order to
recover this money, Moffat had the audacity to raise
various actions in the Court of Session, and unsuc-
cessfully litigated for a period of eight years, during
which he was for the most part to be found abont the
Courts of Law, or at certain tap-rooms, denouncing
City Magistrates, Judges, and Juries. At the final
determination of this cause against 111111 in the Jury.
Court in May last, the witnesses, it will be recollect-
ed, so completely established his being a principal in
the robbery, that he was then taken into custody,
tried before the Court of Justiciary in the month of
June, convicted, and sentenced to be executed, which
sentence was afterwards commuted to transportation ;
but his health, from the time of his trial, bri•'g in a
declining state, and being advanced in years. lie was
permitted to remain in our jail, where this veteran in
villainy, contrary to the expectation of all who ever
heard of him, died a natural death on Thursda♦
morning, instead of ending hiss days in a foreign land,
or expiating his crimes on a gibbet.

PO tIOR.
--...w.--

ROBVIT BAK[R wu occupied
the greater part of yesterday morning in reprimanding
and dismissing persons charged with haring partaken
so freely of the good things of this life, on Christuw-
day, as to heroine un,thle to reach their homes, and con-
sequently necessitated to take up with cool lodgings
in the different watch-houses.

CHRISTM As Fa es.—Two fellows, calling themselves
Goorge Palmy' and Hobert Ifilier, were brought In
by the uut-patrole, who met them on the Hurseley-
wood-road, in the night between Sunday and Monday.
with eight fat geese, recently killed ; and all huddled
together in a couple ofsacks. When the officers asked
them what they bad in their sacks? They replied,
"Only a few water-tresses."
They were remanded till Friday,
Another fellow, named George Anderson, was met,
almost at the same time, with a fine hare, which he
st first said be bad from" the Keeper at Hortoa."and
afterwards, that he had found it near Horseley-wood.
He also was remanded fir further exantieation.
DnoidStenens, a young countryman, was brought
before the Magistrate, having been taken into custody
at a pawnbroker's, offering a valuable gold watch for
sale, with.oit being able to account fir it satisfactori-
ly. The welsh was engraved. en the laner case.
"Eiliabetli Sarah Neelbam," and- the•primmer said be
foatutfii UR the evening of last Kim'. %Wan, on the
road between Slough and Umbriiige.—He was ems-
nil :led for further e Anal nation.