Home
> Uncategorized > Secret squirrels
Secret squirrels
A fine and disturbing piece by Kenneth Roy in the Scottish Review:
http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy20.shtml
The transcript of a capital trial, held in public, that led to a young man’s execution, is being withheld from public scrutiny until 2038. Why? The person with the greatest interest in its contents hasn’t been around since he was hanged in 1963, and the trial judge is long dead. So is the Minister who refused several appeals for clemency, including one from the family of the victim. All that being the case, who’s being protected by the state from public scrutiny? I’d like to know. Wouldn’t you?
Categories: Uncategorized
Quintin Jardine's blog 
What a co-incidence……………..
The Church of Scotland minister who officiated (is that the correct term?) at the execution, was the Rev John Dickson.
John was the Minister at Torry St Fitticks Church at the time
Next door to Craiginches prison where the execution took place
It was my privilege to be John’s Elder in his latter years which was spent at Inchmarlo retirement home in Banchory Aberdeenshire
John’s life was altered in a quite dramatic fashion following the execution
He took to drink (but still remained a successful ‘functioning’ minister)
John was always great fun to visit, in that, he never said “would you care for a sherry?” – but always “you’ll take a dram”!
It was always a ‘good one!’
He had a ‘naughty / wicked’ sense of humour
John died about 3 years ago
Everyone who knew him said that ‘the execution’ left a very large scar on his life
Just thought that this could be of interest to you
Have a nice day (on the beach?)
David Birkmyre
Another angle on a grim story. I’ll forward this to Kenneth Roy.