[Here the witness was shown a false key, a pair of curling irons, a small iron crow, and the coulter of a plough.] WITNESS--I know these articles; they were all used in the breaking into the Excise Office. The coulter we called “Great Samuel,” and the iron crow, “Little Samuel.” When I gave the coulter to Brown through the rails at the Excise Office he asked me if I had “Little Samuel,” and I said that I believed that Smith had it in his pocket. Lord HAILES--Andrew Ainslie, you gave an account of this matter formerly before the Sheriff; but you have been very properly told by the Court that what you said there is now of no avail, and that your declarations are destroyed. You have this night, in presence of the Court and the jury, given evidence against the prisoners at the bar. Before you leave the Court, I desire you to consult your own breast whether or not you have said anything to the prejudice of these men that is not true. You have it still in your power to correct any mistakes you have made, but this opportunity will never recur to you. If, therefore, you are conscious of having said anything against the prisoners contrary to truth, and if you leave this house without informing the Court and the jury of you having done so, you will commit a most heinous offence against the Almighty God, and you will be guilty of perjury and of murder. Cross-examined by the DEAN OF FACULTY--At what hour went you first to the Excise Office on the night in which you say it was broke into? WITNESS--I left Smith’s house about a quarter before eight o’clock; I went away before the rest. The DEAN OF FACULTY--What o’clock was it when you returned the last time to Smith’s that evening? WITNESS--I cannot say, but I think it would be about an hour from the time I went first to the Excise Office. The DEAN OF FACULTY--How long were you at the Excise Office before Brodie came to you? WITNESS--About a quarter of an hour; he came to the Excise Office just about eight o’clock. The DEAN OF FACULTY--You have said that you had resolved to break into the Excise Office a considerable while before you carried that design into execution, and you have told us that it was broke into upon a Wednesday night? Now, you will inform the Court and the gentlemen of the jury what your reason was for fixing upon that night more than any other? WITNESS--Brown and I having seen, in consequence of frequent observations, that an old man watched night about with the other porter, and knowing that it was his turn to watch on Wednesday night, we therefore fixed upon that night for carrying our design into execution. We knew that there was usually nobody in the office from eight to ten o’clock for the purpose of watching it. I do not remember who it was that first proposed robbing the Excise Office. [Sidenote: John Brown] 27. JOHN BROWN _alias_ HUMPHRY MOORE, sometime residing in Edinburgh, present prisoner in the Tolbooth of Canongate of Edinburgh, called.