of Margaret Ramsay, relict of Andrew Fowler, excise-office
keeper at Pittenweem; and Andrew Wilson having formed a design to rob
Collector Stark of the money and other effects he had along with him, and
having taken William Hall and George Robertson as associates, they came
together from Edinburgh that morning, and towards evening put up their
horses in Anstruther-Easter, in the inn kept by James Wilson, brewer
there;[C] and after having had some deliberations upon their intended
robbery, leaving their horses there, they went privately on foot to
Pittenweem, and about eleven o'clock that night called at the house of
Widow Fowler, and under the pretence of drinking, remained there until
they were informed, or might reasonably presume Collector Stark was gone to
bed; and about twelve that night, or one next morning, Andrew Wilson and
William Hall, or one or other of them, did impudently and in defiance of
law forcibly and with violence break the door of the room where Collector
Stark was lying in bed, and having knocked out the under pannel, Collector
Stark suspecting an attack upon his life, for his safety jumped out at a
window in his shirt; whereupon Andrew Wilson and William Hall, or one or
other of them, entered the room, and did feloniously carry off bank-notes
in a pocket-book belonging to Collector Stark, and gold and money in his
possession to the value of L.200, less or more, and did rob and take away a
pair of pistols, a seal, a penknife, a cloak bag, a pair of silver
buckles, a bible, several suits of linens and other goods belonging to
Collector Stark and in his possession; and when they went out of that room,
did divide, disperse of, and distribute the gold, money, and other goods so
robbed and taken away at their pleasure. And while the said Andrew Wilson
and William Hall were committing the foresaid crimes, the said George
Robertson was standing, sometimes at the door and sometimes at the foot of
the stair of said house, as a sentinel and guard, with a drawn cutlass in
his hand, to prevent any person from interfering and stopping the said
violence and robbery, and did threaten to kill or otherwise intimidate the
servants of the house when going towards the door of the collector's room;
and when several of the inhabitants, alarmed by the noise, gathered
together upon the street, and coming towards the door, inquired what was
going on there; he, George Robertson, did treacherously endeavour to
persuade them not