Reward for the apprehension of William Lees

ESCAPE FROM PRISON,

AND

REWARD OF TEN GUINEAS.

WHEREAS yesterday evening, several Convicts, at present in confinement in the Jail of Aberdeen, under sentence of Transportation, having made an attempt to break out of Prison; and one of them, of the name of WILLIAM LEES, who was sentenced by the Circuit Court of Justiciary, held here about eight months ago, to transportation beyond the sea for seven years, for Stealing from the Shop of ARTHUR MILNER, Merchant in Aberdeen, having effected his Escape, on the foresaid occasion:

A REWARD OF TEN GUINEAS

Is hereby offered to any person, who shall apprehend the said William Lees, and lodge him in any of His Majesty's Jails; the Reward to be paid by Alexander Cadenhead, Advocate in Aberdeen, Procurator Fiscal for the City and Liberties thereof.

N.B. - - The said William Lees is a native of England - about 13 years of age - 5 feet 3 or 4 inches high - of a pale complexion - - light coloured short hair - - a little pitted with the small pox - - has rather a short neck, and is of a broad make, and speaks the English dialect - - was dressed when he made his escape, in a blue jacket and canvas trowsers, and a light coloured vest, without having any thing upon his head.

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Aberdeen, 25th November, 1816.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 27th November 1816.

Circuit court intelligence

William Lees, convicted of theft and assault, as mentioned before, received sentence of transportation for seven years, and David Kemp, convicted of theft, was sentenced to eighteen months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell.

William Strath, cattle dealer in Boghead, parish of Fyvie, accused of theft and assault, pleaded Guilty to the indictment, and was sentenced to a year's hard labour in Bridewell, and ordained to find caution to keep the peace for two years thereafter, under a penalty of 600 merks Scots.

William Forbes was indicted for the murder of John Allan, apprentice ship carpenter, on 16th March last, by stabbing him in the side with a pen-knife, on the road leading from Aberdeen along the Spittal to Old Aberdeen.  A number of witnesses were examined for the Crown, and several in exculpation of the pannel.  The Jury found, by a plurality of voices, the libel not proven; whereupon the pannel, after a suitable admonition from Lord Pitmilly, was dismissed from the bar.

William Hay, accused of theft, was upon his own petition, consented to by the Depute Advocate, banished from Scotland for life, under the usual certification.

The last trial before the Court was that of John Garden, alias Shockey de Garden, accused of three several acts of theft, and of being habit and repute a thief.  After the evidence had been gone through on the part of the Crown, the Advocate Depute restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment, and admitted that the charge of habit and repute had not been proven.  The Jury, after deliberating for a few minutes, returned a verdict, finding the first charge not sufficiently proven, and the Pannel Guilty of the two last; whereupon he was sentenced to be transported beyond seas for seven years.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 24th April 1816.