David Wylie

Particular Account of the Execution and behaviour of a young man, named David Wylle, who suffer
ed at; Glasgow, on Wednesday the 12th November
1823, for Housebreaking and Theft, with his
Warning to the young to beware of the numerous
gangs of thieves who art at present committing
crimes through the country, also his affectionate
address on the scaffold.

Glasgow, Wednesday, Nov. 12th, l823

This day, the above unfortunate young man underwent the aw-
ful sentence of death, for being a partner in the expensive theft,
aggravated by housebreaking, from the house occupied by James
Herbert Rodgers, Esq. Gordon Street, Glasgow. This young
man was libelled along with 'David' Dunsmore, Ann Dunsmore,
his wife, William Johnston, John Toy, and James Perguson, all
concerned in different ways of plundering and resetting the fol-
follwing, articles;..The family had gone to sea-bathing quarters
on the 19th of Sept. 1822, and did not return till the 19th Oct.
Following, when they found their house completely ransacked, all
the locks forced off the press doors, and all the plate, gold and
silver coin, wearing apparel, &c. carried off, Wylie and Johnston
were found Guilty and sentenced to be Executed, but the latter
has since been respited. Dunsmore and his wife were transported
for 14 years; Toy to be imprisoned for 18 months in Bridewell ;
and Ferguson was outlawed. This was one of the most extensive
thefts which has been committed for a long time, and their con-
nexion is said to have extended a considerable way.

This young man's conduct since sentence was passed upon him,
has been in every respect highly becoming his future prospects,
and contrition for his past life; the thought of time mis-spent, of
crimes committed, of acquaintances whom he once loved, separat-
ed from him for ever, and finally, the parting with those parents
a very composed manner,   decently attired; after viewing the
surrounding multitude, he took an affectionate farewel of them,
observing, " The crowd   which   I now behold,   I once mingled
among, to behold the end of some   wretched victim or victims;
at that time I little though at a fare like theirs would   so soon be
mine."    After a   few minoutes spent in prayer, he gave the last
signal was thrown off. and his struggles in time ended.    At the
"who counselled,   instructed, and by every tic which links human
nature together, warned him of impending danger ; all these weigh-
ed heavily on his mind, and impressed in a variety of shapes the
awful situation in which he had placed himself; but the gospel
has a balm for every wound, a hope for every fear, an eternity off
happiness for a dark day of adversity, and a change of earthly
pursuits for   heavenly joys; all-these, aided by the valuable in-
strctions of several Ministers of the city, and the kind treatment
ef pious and benevolent friends, (especially of those under whose
immediate care he was placed,) dispelled his doubts, animated
his hopes, and enabled him   to look   forward with exultation to
that change which awaited him.

From the hour of condemnation, to the hour he appeared on
the ignominous board, he has (we anxiously hope) fully atoned
for his bypast life....Ministers exhorted, prayed, and offered up
praises in his behalf during the time he was confined in his soli
tary room ; and the devotions of the hall, which continued for
about an hour, in reading, prayer and praise, fully prepared him
for ascending the fatal drop, which he did about three o'clock in
time when his companion received the respite, language cannot
pourtray the feelings which predominated in his youthful breast,
it affected him more then the sentence itself.

During the time of his confinement, he told those who visited
him, to warn the youth of the city to beware bad company, es-
pecially resetters, who haunt young men in their houses : who
give them meat and drink for the pilfer which they prompt them
to take in a clandestine manner; little money is given to the
depredators, and what is gained by those destroyers of youth,
who sell the property of honest people, is spent in debauchery
drunkenness, and every thing which degrades human nature.
Bad women and sabbath breaking he considered as two evils next
in magnitude to the one already mentioned, the whole of which
he warned young and old carefully to avoid, especially those num
bers of young persons who are at present living by no other
means than housebreaking and theft.

Wylie belongs to Paisley, is about 17 years of age, and by trade
a weaver.    His parents are respectable, and no person can blame
but rather feel for them, when the fault lay with the young man
man himself, who despised the   wholesome counsel which they
afforded him, and which he knew when too late.                           

Printed at Glasgow....Reprinted at Edinburgh for J. Young, 

Commentary

This report of an execution begins: 'Particular account of the Execution and behaviour of a yonng man, named David Wylie, who suffered at Glasgow, on Wednesday the 12th November, 1823, for Housebreaking and Theft, with his warning to the young to beware of numerous gangs of thieves who are at present committing crimes throughout the country, also his affectionate address on the scaffold.' Published in Glasgow, reprinted by J. Young of Edinburgh in 1823.

The quality of writing found in broadsides can vary quite considerably, but in this particular example there appear to be whole lines missing from the report. For example, in this printed version lines 39-41 read: 'At the / who counselled, instructed, and by every tie which links human / nature together, warned him of impending danger.' Clearly there are words missing beween lines 39 and 40 as they are printed here, and there are similar omissions elsewhere in the broadside. This may be down to a printer error in Glasgow, or it may have occurred when J. Young reprinted the report in Edinburgh.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.