The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-15

Ed1nOurgn was IN the nandS OF q Qls-
guised, fearless but orderly band,
which, having disarmed the city guard
and locked all gates by which mill
tary aid might enter, attacked the
Tolbooth. During the systematic
work that followed it was seen that
the band had an acknowledged leader,
a tall fellow disguised as a woman,
whom his adherents called Madge
Wildfire. Under his orders the Toll
booth was finally entered and Por-
teous was seized, carried to the pub
lie place of execution and hanged on
the city gallows which the rioters had
AS soon as he was dead the mob
melted away as it had formed. Apart
from disarming the soldiers and
breaking open the prison, there had
been no act of violence during the
whole uprising, and the people had so
far observed order and dignity that
they had forced a. minister to accom-
pany Porteous and~stay with him to
the end. ..
This minister. Reuben Butler, found
by the leader Of. the mob through;
chance, had reasons of his own for
looking on the Heart of Midlothian
with deep grief. Among the prisoners
confined in 1t was: a young girl, Ef1e
Deans, to whose sister, Jeanne, he
was engaged. -.
Efle was awaiting her trial on a
capital CHARGE: She had fallen VIC
tim to a man whose name she refused
to divulge, though everybody ssus-
pected that it was no other than the
same Robertson who had escaped
from the hangman by so narrow a
chance. She had borne a, child. but
it was not to, be found. Fife declared
that it had been taken from her by
the old bag who attended her, but
this defense. was not likely to help
her.
Under the act of parliament which
had been passed to check the growing
crime of child:murder an unmarried
woman who. concealed her condition
and neglected to, call in the help
which was necessary. was held to
have meditated the death of her Off
spring, and if she could not show that
the child had died a natural death or
produce it still in life she was held
to have murdered it and must suffer
death. ---.>-@,---,----
Effie Deans ssfather, David Deans,
was a small farmer,~a a sturdy Scotch
man, hating the southern and the
spawn of the southern, going literally
and implicitly by the Bible and re-
fusing. to bend his neck to- the new
creeds and conformations. In his
strict household, where music and
merriment were held as ordinations
and every hour had its stern admoni-
lions, Effle Deans, with her Grecfan-
shaped head covered with brown ring
let's, her laughing oHehe countenance
and her graceful. form, seemed
strangely out of place and felt so.
She could not bend herself to the
strict, religious life of prosaic, every
day duty that was pursued SO cheer
fully by her elder sister, Jeante; and
Jeanne often sighed in secret over the
ight-minde dness and worldliness Of
her beloved sister, It had been with
many misgivings that Jeanne per-
mitted Fife to go for time to Edin-
burgh, and when the news came of
Ef1e's trouble it was to the simple
father and sister as blow that smote
them nearly to death.
For some time after the hanging of
Porteous there was excitement fol-
lowing that affair." that kent the pub
lie attention from; Efie: The British
court, thoroughly angered at the I'M
pudence of the people, made every ef-
fort to force the offenders to punish,
ment. The Edinburgh authorities,
trembling for themselves, tried their
best to carry out the sovereign's
behests, but neither then nor ever aft
erward could the most jealous inves-
tlgators get particle of evidence
against any one, and the story of the
Porteous mob lives in legal history
as the most successful conspiracy on
record. The attack and hanging were
done by torchlight: in the presence of
half Edinburgh yet all the efforts of
the crown ended In. causing the ar
rest of only two, men, one Of whom
was half-witted. Both were discharged
on trial, as the evidence was too
weak
Queen Caroline chose to. consider
the failure as a direct affroft: There
was talk in London of taking away
the city's charter. Edinburgh rang
"ASAA AAOAGAotAOAs 4uCA Cdu4C LuV
news that in the height OF her dis
pleasure the queen had told John,
duke of Argyle, that sooner than SUBJ
NIT to such insult she would make
Scotland a hunting field. !;
In that case, madam" answered
that high-spirited gentleman. II will
take leave Of your majesty and go
down to my own country to get my
hounds ready II. ;.
The meaning of the reply was too
obvious to be misunderstood even by
so obstinate a house as that which
ruled in England Edinburgh's char
ter remained ullassailed; but poor
Efie Deans suffered for 1t. It was
felt that strict Justice must be done
In her case to prevent any further
/ criticism FROM London, and it became
generally understood that unless she
could prove that her: case did not fall
under the fatal act, she would be SEN
fenced to the gallows. :. ~ -
A few days before the trial, Jeanne
was accosted in wild, lonely glen
by George Robertson, who had ven
tured there at risk Of his own neck
to see her. He explained the law to
her and besought her to swear that
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