New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-09
DEACON BRODIE.
The Original of SteUenson's Or.
JekyH and lIr. Hyde"
from The Dundee Advertiser.

From The Dundee Advertiser
The strange story Of the double life led by
William Brodie. Deacon Of the Wrights in Edin-
burgh, exercised a peculiar fascination over r.
L. Stevenson. SO early as 1864 Stevenson pre-
pared the draft OF play which was privately
printed in 1880 and performed at Bradford In
1882. and afterward at Aberdeen London Mont
real, Quebec, Toronto. Philadelphia, Boston ana
New York In 1892 Il revised and published
by Stevenson and Henley. and again I'm 1897; and
II IS thus evident that the novelist WAS held In
thrall by this curious social tragedy. Indeed
II has been pausibly suggested that the life OF
Rrodie gave TO Stevenson his Arst hint FOR the
Jekyll- Hyde mystery. Brodies career has called
forth fairly large amount Of literature, chiefly
reports Of his trial and traditions regarding his
career in Edinburgh. Now that The Trial OF
Deacon BTodie" has been added TO the series of
Scottish Notable Trials It is possible for the
reader TO have not only an authentic record OF
the proceedings in the Court Of Justiciary, hut
also a suCcinct narrative of BrodIc's life and
also some documents not. hitherto published.
The book has been carefully compiled and edited
by William Roughsad. Writer 20 the Signet who
has supplied the Introduction and numerous in
terestlng notes. William Brodle was the son of
Francis Brodie, prosperous Cabinetmaker In
Edinburgh, who was several times Deacon OF tho
Incorporation of Wrights and a member OF the
Town Council. William. the eldest son, was born
in September. lI41 and served his apprentice
ship with Lis father ultimately succeeding In
1882 10 TIC business RE chosen Deacon
Of the Wrights on four occasions and had a seat
at the Town Council in virtue Of that office. EVIL
IDENTIFY he was hello I'm high esteem by his fellow
citizens, and took leading part in municipal
affairs: but all this time he was leading Il double
life OF the most peculiar kind. CoCknghtlng ana
gambling with dice his chief amusements
I'm the evenings when he had laid aside his gar
ment Of responsibility He was unmarried, and
his sister kept house for him: yet without the
knowledge of his family he maintained two mis-
tresses, who had five children 70 him. so secret
~ that this only discovered at his trial
Anne Grant resided in Cant's Close and her
relation with William Brodie must have been
long continued for she had borne three children
10 him. the eldest Cecil being girl Of twelve
at he fiFle, nf n lie frig rn d.
dressed one of the letters written after his es-
cape from Scotland. by which he was traced and
brought TO Justice Jean Watt by whom he had
two boys lived in Libberton's Wynd, close TO his
own house. and was the principal witness to the
alibi attempted be set up for kim at the trial.
Each of these women presumably ignorant
of the others existence, and the Dcacon's con-
nection with both appears to have been unknown
TO his family and friends.
In July, 1856, Brodie became acquainted with
George Smith, an English hawker, who had
settled a grocer at Edinburgh. smith had
been locksmith in Birmingham and was an
adept at making skeleton Keys. In COMPANY
with two other reprobates, Andrew Atnslie and
John Brown. several daring burgaries were
accomplished by Smith, ana u IS llkely that
Brodie was concerned in some of these. AT
least there cannot be any reasonable doubt that
the Deacon assisted in the robbery of the Ex-
else Office, In Edinburgh, on March ., ltSS.
The burglars disturbed in their operations
and fed having only secured about ZIG. which
was divided among the four. On March Aims
lie and Smith were apprehended, and Brodie.
fearing TO be implicated, fed on the following
morning TO London, where he lay In hiding TN
March % He then took a ship Ostensibly for
Leth, but he had brbed the captain to take
him to Ostend, and thither he was carried. Be
fore leaving the ship he wrote three letters to
Edinburgh friends. which he intrusted to a fell
low passenger, John Geddes. to be delivered.
The suspicious of Geddes had been aroused; he
opened the letters, and then gave them 70 the
Sheriff and with the clew they afforded Brodie
was tracked and apprehended at Amsterdam
before he could carry out his plan of sailing for
New York. He brought back and he and
Smith were put trial at the Justiciary Court
on August o. 1888, charged with housebreak-
ing. The judges were the Lord Justice Clerk
Braxheld) and Lords Hailes, Esgrove, Stone
field and Swinton. Brodle was defended by the
famous Henry Erskine, Dean Of Faculty, and
Charles Hay (afterward Lord Newton), while
Smiths leading counsel John Clerk Cafter-
ward Lord Eldin). In those days the Court sat
continuously without adjournment. The trial
began at o'clock on Wednesday morning, and
was not finished till about p m. on the fol-
lowing day The jury unanimously found Brodie
and Smith guilty. and they were sentenced 10
be hanged, which sentence was carried out on
October l. 4 tradition was long current in
Edinburgh that Brode's body was taken hur-
riedIy away from the scaffold and resuscitated.
and IL was stated that lie afterward was seen
IN Paris but this story is apocryphal