Page:Life of David Haggart, who was executed at Edinburgh, 18th July, 1821, for the murder of the Dumfries jailor (1).pdf/15

15 each other; he started for Belfast and then to Dublin, and paid his passage for America at the Pigeon-house, but meeting in with one called O’Brien, he changed his mind; here he robbed a man of 100 guineas in gold, and jaunted through the country in Cars, with women of bad fame; he was taken up for robbing a drover at Downpatrick, and put into jail, where he saw more scenes of wickedness than ever he had witnessed all his life; the women’s room was immediately above the men's, and eight days provision was served out to them at one time; they blocked up the doors, made a hole betwixt the two apartments, and kept possession in the most riotous manner; before his trial he bribed the drover to swear he was not the person, and he was banished for 7 years; in jail he was visited by the magistrate of Drummore, who ordered the jailor to put him in strong irons.

Haggart denied that he had ever been in Drummore, and said his name was O’Brien, and not M'Colgan; he was moved Kilmainham jail, among other criminals; here he made his escape, but was catched by some of the prisoners informing the jailor of his designs.

Next morning the whole prisoners, consisting of some hundreds, were taken down