The Cotton Factory Times. — 1903-02-06 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

BONNIE MARY,  THE STORY OF THE WEST PORT TRAGEDIES.  EIIIBIARY OF OPENING aurrsas.  The Musts et Edinburgh were thronged with crowds Of people all going in the direction of the West Port. It was a cold, wet morning, for the rain bad fallen beavily during the night. But dismal though it was, an immense multitude had been waiting for many hours in ths Lawcmarket to witness the last act of the Weft Port tragedies. For more than a month the inhabitants of Edinburgh bad been looking forward to that day, for the notorious William Berke, the perpetrator of the horrible murders that bad scered the city, was to pay the last penalty for his many crimes. According to his Olin confession. lie had been guilty of the murder of no fewer than 17 persow, whose todiee were sold to the then celebrated Dr. Knox for dissection. Watching the execution are one of Mary Peterson's sisters, Janet, and her intended husband, Willie Donelea. As the procession approaches to the scaffold Janet Paterson points oat to her companion her sister Mary's husband and betrayer, John Haldane. "See, Willie, there's John Haldane!" 6he exclaims excitedly. " Ile should be bearing company with that wretch Burke. But for John Ilaldane I should not now be alone in the world." And had it been known in that vast and exultant crowd below that the young man muffled in a largn cloak moving about AO qnietly hail been concerned in the horrible traffic carried on by Burke, be would probably not have been allow t stand Close to the scaffold until the lett scene of the dread tragedy bad been played out, The story takes us back a little and introduces us CO the happy househeA or Farmer Paterson and his three daughters, the yonligcst and loveliest of whom, Mary, is our heroine. There is a picnic of a party of the yoeng people to the ruins ef Cnrriehill Castle. Archie Paterson. Mary' brother brings two !lenient friends to the farm for the college holide ye. One of them, John nodule, hail been hitherto reearded as engaged to Helen, hot fie falls in love with Bonnie Mary. Helen sees tide, and pretends to acquiesce in the new arrangement, bnt her lover's inconsistency, and what she looks neon as her sisteeu treachery, rouse bitter and revengeful feelings. . . .  As a matter of fact. Mary becomes an object for pity than for her si,v,•er's auger. John Haldane's courtship has not lasted low- ero he inveigles her into a secret ntarriage. Mary is in great perplexity, which is not leiniened on her learning that her ouster Helen, out of re,onge for Mary having atolon her lover from her, has intercepted her letters and know her secret. That night Mary leaves her childhood's home, and takes her way she knows not whither, but on she moves through dark fir plantation. .  The realer is now introduced to that vile miscreant, William Berke. Daft Jamie assists Burke to carry • box to Surgoona• Square, and the strange smell in the room in I ir. Knox's house to which the bar was taken, makes Jamie curious as to the contents of the box. Ile resolves on obtaining admittance into the house, and gains his end by assisting the servant, lie sees in It locked room in the house signs of the horrible traffic which Burke has been carrying on, and is terribly frightened thereby, so that when be is again asked by Burke to assist him with • box Jamie refuses. "Na. Ina," save he; "yore no' goin to cut off my head as ye (lel to that man in the box." Burke concludes that Batt Jamie knows too mach, and vows to get to the bottom of the matter.