Yahaya Mai Fintura

**James Aitken** (28 Satumba 1752 - 10 Maris 1777), wanda aka fi sani da John the Painter, ya kasance dan kasuwa ne wanda ya aikata ayyukan sabuntawa a cikin tashar jiragen ruwa na Royal Navy a cikin 1776 da 1777 a lokacin Yaƙin Juyin Juya Halin Amurka . An kama shi kuma an kashe shi a watan Maris na shekara ta 1777.

## Rayuwa ta farko
An haifi Aitken a Edinburgh a shekara ta 1752, ɗan fararen fata kuma na takwas cikin yara goma sha biyu. Mutuwar mahaifinsa da wuri ya ba Aitken damar shiga makarantar sadaka ga yara matalauta a Asibitin George Heriot, wanda aka kafa don kula da "mai girma, ba tare da faitherless bairns" na Edinburgh.

Bayan ya bar makaranta yana da shekaru 14, ya gwada hannunsa a cikin sana'o'i daban-daban masu biyan kuɗi, gami da koyo a matsayin mai zane a shekara ta 1767,  kafin ya gano cewa duniyar aikata laifuka ta ba shi ƙarin lada nan take. Ya yarda a cikin wasiƙarsa cewa shi ɗan hanya ne, ɓarawo, mai satar kaya, ɓarauta, kuma (aƙalla sau ɗaya) mai fyade:

Tsoron cewa ba da daɗewa ba za a gano laifukansa, Aitken ya tattauna yarjejeniya don musayar tafiya zuwa Jamestown, Virginia. Ba shi da ainihin niyyar yin aiki da sharuddan yarjejeniya, duk da haka, kuma nan da nan ya tsere zuwa Arewacin Carolina. Shekaru biyu masu zuwa a cikin yankuna an shafe su a wurare kamar Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, da Perth Amboy, New Jersey. A wannan lokacin ne ya fuskanci maganganun juyin juya hali, kuma Aitken ya yi iƙirarin cewa sojojin Burtaniya sun tsananta masa saboda zargin shi Whig ne. A wani lokaci bayan tafiyar dawowa zuwa Ingila ta 1775 ya haɓaka makircinsa na yin wuta ta siyasa. Wasu masana tarihi sun yi hasashen cewa Aitken ya motsa shi ne saboda sha'awar tserewa daga rayuwarsa ta rashin ma'ana da talauci, kuma sun yi imanin cewa ta hanyar bugawa a madadin masu juyin juya halin Amurka, za a gane shi kuma a ba shi lada mai kyau saboda kokarinsa.

Tashoshin jiragen ruwa na Burtaniya, Aitken ya yi imanin, suna da rauni ga kai farmaki, kuma ya gamsu cewa wani mai ƙonewa mai ƙwazo zai iya gurgunta Royal Navy ta hanyar lalata jiragen ruwa a cikin tashar jiragen ruwa, amma mafi mahimmanci tashoshin jiragen sama da igiyoyi da aka yi amfani da su don gina, gyara, da kuma gyara babbar rundunar jiragen ruwa ta Royal Navy. Duk da kasancewa mai tsere da ake nema saboda sauran laifukansa, Aitken ya yi tafiya kyauta zuwa tashar jiragen ruwa da yawa don tantance rashin lafiyarsu su. Bugu da ƙari, ya yi tafiya zuwa Paris inda daga ƙarshe ya tilasta wa kansa cikin ganawa da jami'in diflomasiyyar Amurka Silas Deane . Kodayake Deane ya yi shakku cewa Aitken zai ci nasara, Aitken ya bar tarurruka yana gaskata cewa yana da cikakken goyon bayan Deane da gwamnatin juyin juya halin Amurka. Aitken bai taba samun albashi fiye da 'yan fam da Deane ya ba shi bashi ba.

Aitken ya koma Ingila tare da umarnin Deane don saduwa da baƙon Amurka, ɗan leƙen asiri, da wakili biyu Edward Bancroft, kuma ya bayyana wa Bancroft aƙalla wasu daga cikin niyyarsa. Yin amfani da horo tare da hada sunadarai da kayan shafawa daga sana'arsa a matsayin mai zane, Aitken ya nemi taimakon wasu da yawa wajen gina na'urorin konewa tare da niyyar ƙone gine-ginen da ke cikin Royal Dockyards. A cikin watanni da yawa Aitken ya kai hari kan wuraren da ke Portsmouth da Bristol, yana haifar da ra'ayi cewa ƙungiyar masu saboteurs suna cikin sauƙi a Ingila.

## Bincike, kamawa da ɗaurin kurkuku

Ayyukan Aitken, ko da yake kawai sun yi nasara a haifar da mummunar lalacewa, sun yi nasara wajen haifar da tsoro mai yawa tsakanin jama'ar Burtaniya da gwamnati. Ba abin mamaki ba ne, wasu gobarar da aka gano a wannan lokacin an danganta su da Aitken, suna haifar da ƙararrawa. A lokacin rikicin, Sarki George III yana karɓar bayanan da yawa kuma kungiyoyi kamar Bow Street Runners suna kan hanyar Aitken. A ƙarshe, ta hanyar taimakon Sir John Fielding, an buga bayanin Aitken mai suna "John the Painter" da lada don kama shi. Ba da daɗewa ba, an kama Aitken yayin da yake tafiya a cikin ƙasar.

A lokacin da yake kurkuku, hukumomin Burtaniya da farko ba su yi nasara ba wajen samun isasshen shaida don yanke masa hukunci game da sabotage. Koyaya, nan da nan suka haɗa kai da John Baldwin, wani matashi tsohon mai zane na Philadelphia, wanda ya ziyarci Aitken akai-akai a kurkuku kuma daga ƙarshe ya sami amincewarsa. Ba da daɗewa ba Aitken ya ba da bayanai masu yawa ga wannan wakilin, wanda daga baya aka yi amfani da shi wajen gano shaidu da ƙarfafa shari'ar jihar a kansa.

Hukumomin Burtaniya sun rataye John the Painter a ranar 10 ga Maris 1777 daga mizzenmast na HMS Arethusa don ƙonewa a cikin tashar jiragen ruwa na sarauta bayan an kama shi yana sa gidan igiya a Portsmouth a wuta.[undefined] An kori masta daga jirgin kuma an sake gina ta a ƙofar tashar jiragen ruwa don mutane da yawa su iya kallon kisan. Ita ce mafi girman gungume da aka taɓa amfani da ita a kisa a Ingila.[undefined] Kimanin mutane 20,000 sun shaida ratayewar.[undefined] An kwashe gawarsa kuma an nuna shi a Fort Blockhouse na shekaru da yawa.[1]￼

## Dubi kuma

* Wutar da aka yi a cikin tashar jiragen ruwa

## Manazarta