Free The Man Who Was Jekyll and Hyde by Rick Wilson Page B

to his favourite den of iniquity, Clark’s gambling house in Fleshmarket Close, where, over well-lubricated card games, they both befriended the other two recruits: Andrew Ainslie, sometime shoemaker in Edinburgh, and another Englishman-on-the-run, John Brown, who often called himself Humphrey Moore. They occupied a lodging together at the foot of Burnet’s Close.
    Two Scots and two Englishmen, stretching across several strata of society. But what they had in common was the fact that each was a misfit in one way or another. Such a motley little army needed a little general, and, after doing the first ‘job’ himself, Brodie began to revel in that role as project-planning became increasingly precise and sophisticated. Indeed, the job description for Smith should have included ‘opportunities to travel’ for part of the operation became fencing off certain acquired articles – such as the proceeds from goldsmith John Tapp’s house and the silver mace from the university – as far away as was practicable. This meant getting to Chesterfield where ‘expelled’ Scot John Tasker (alias Murray) was the only-too-willing receiver of such goods for selling at his Bird in Hand shop. And it meant at least one long Brodie-funded coach trip back to his homeland for George Smith, who must have thought – perversely – that he had come up in the world since crossing the border with his horse and cart so relatively recently.
    The timeline of their misdeeds – or their crimeline, if you like – began in mid-1786 and went like this:

    12 August : The outer door of Messrs Johnston and Smith, bankers in the Royal Exchange, is opened – presumably by a counterfeit key – and over £800 taken from the drawers. Most notes are from the big three banks of the time, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank and British Linen. Messrs Johnston and Smith resolve to fight for the money’s recovery, denouncing the ‘wicked persons’ responsible and announcing, through the Edinburgh Evening Courant , that a good reward is being offered – £5 for every £100 recovered with the help of any informer. This need not be an involved party, it is suggested, ‘as some smith may very innocently have made an impression of clay or wax, such smith giving information, so as the person who got the key may be discovered, shall be handsomely rewarded’.
    9 October : The Parliament Close shop of goldsmith James Wemyss loses fifty gold and diamond rings, brooches and earrings, also a whole variety of valuable spoons. In reporting the story, the Courant issues a warning to other such shopkeepers, writing: ‘As the public, as well as the private party, are greatly interested that this daring robbery be discovered, it is requested that all Goldsmiths, Merchants and other Traders throughout Scotland, may be attentive in case any goods answering to those above-mentioned shall be offered for sale.’ A ten-guinea reward offered by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths ‘upon conviction of the offender or offenders’ attracts no interest and is assumed (too late) to have been too modest.
    November : Bridge Street hardware merchants McKain’s has clearly been broken into – the lock that should have kept out intruders has been breached – and loses seventeen steel watch-chains in what is later revealed by Smith to have been a practice run for the real thing a fortnight later. This is thwarted in mid-burglary by Smith hearing ‘a person in the room immediately below rise out of his bed’ causing him to run ‘straight into the street’ and be off with a waiting Brodie, so nothing appears to have been stolen.
    8 December : The shop of John Law, tobacconist in the Exchange, is broken into, and a canister containing between £10 and £12 carried off. This robbery, though not confessed to later by any of their gang, is probably the work of Smith and Brodie.
    Christmas Eve : From their shop at the corner of Bridge Street and High Street – just opened, with a new door and lock