George Chalmers

Chalmers was a forty five year old vagrant who was convicted on 8th September, at Perth Circuit Court, for the murder of John Miller, a toll keeper who lived alone at Blackhill Toll Barr, near Braco. Miller was last seen alive by a local shepherd on the evening of 21st  December; the following morning his body was discovered with horrific head wounds and a blood-stained crow-bar beside it. Miller's house had been ransacked, and his watch, some money, and some of his clothes had been stolen. The murderer had left behind some of his own clothing and a local policeman recognised them as being worn by a tramp who had recently been released from Alloa gaol after serving ten days for theft. A description was circulated for Chalmers but it was six months before he was arrested in Dundee after a suspicious policeman had questioned him. When detained, Chalmers denied the crime but was found to be wearing some of the dead man's clothing. He was later hanged by William Calcraft on the 4th October 1870 in Perth..