Page:Singular life, adventures, and depredations of David Haggart, the murderer.pdf/3

 LIFE OF

DAVID HAGGART was born at a farm town, called the Golden Acre, near Cannon Mills, Edinburgh on the 24th of June, 1801, his father was a gamekeeper, but afterwards a dog trainer. He was early put to school, where he acquired a good knowledge of English grammar, writing, and arithmetic. About the age of ten, a trifling accident occurred at home, which, for fear of punishment from his father, determined him to leave home, and from that moment he dated the commencement of his sinful career. He had made no wicked acquaintance as yet, but committed several depredations by himself.

The first of these was stealing a bantum cock from a woman at the back of the New Town, Edinburgh. Having taken a fancy to it he offered to buy it, but the woman would not sell it; he fell on the scheme of putting another cock of his own a-fighting, and then came off with his prize. His next was lifting a shoptill from a poor woman in Stock Bridge. Being some miles from town and tired, he mounted a poney which was grazing on the