Page:History of John M'Pherson, Dick Balf, and Gilder Roy.pdf/7



7                  dispatched by the common finisher of the Law, about the year 1678. As he was carried to the gallows, he played a fine tune of his own composing on the bag- pipe, which retains the name of Mac- Pherson's tune to this day.

THE LIFE

OF

RICHARD BALF,

A CRUEL MURDERER AND HIGHWAYMAN.

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THE reputed father of Richard Balf was a pedlar, though but of small ac- count, who with his wife used to travel to fairs and markets up and down the country, on pretence of getting bread, but, as the story goes, they got more by                      begging and cheating, than by fair deal- ing; and at length, by thieving, and rob- bing, made a shift of obtaining a hem- pen necklace, which eased them of all their care, and was administered to them by their son Dick, for robbing and mur- dering in the manner following. Having