An Edinburgh Tragedy.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 137, 16 January 1886, Page 3

An Edinburgh Tragedy.

TiiEfeeling3of tho inhabitants of Edinburgh have been shocked by a. i-sul occurrence which came to light on the '23rd September. A young man wl-o vvas walking along ttadic.'il Koad, in tho Queen's Paik, on tho morning of thut day, camo upon tho dead body of a young woman, lying in a position which indicated that ?ho had fallen over a piecipitous portion ot Saliebuiy Crags, about 4Ott high «i( the <*pofc in question, opposite the High School crickot-<wouud. Inquiries which were at ouch «c j fc on foot led to the immediate identification of the body a-* thai ot a girl named Margaret Cunningham residing in Fountaiubndjje, and only 19 yeai*s ot age. As she was known to havo been in company the piovious evening with her sweetheart, a young man named ( ooper, employed as a, porter at tho University Ciub ho was at once arrested. After ho had been examined by the authorities, however, he wtw released ; but four other men have einco been arrested or. "uspieion oi having been concerned in the n flair, and they aie now in custody. One of ihem, it i-j averred, bin be»n accepted as Queen's ovidencn The investigations pot on toot, havo brought to light the existence of a disgraceful stavo of mat'.orsin regard to tho Queen's Paik. That retort is not under municipal control, and at night it has hithcji to been both un lighted and unvvatched, tho results of this being very disastrous Irom a moral point of view Among other things the lack or supoi vision h.<s lrd to the park being haunted at night by bands of low ruffian?, who havo loned black-mail off young persona whom thoy found theio m lonely spots arfer dirk. Their mode ot procedure appeal's to havo beon to threaten to charge thoir victims with having been guilty of impioper conduct, nud to demand money as the price of silence They then made tho couplo &oj,aiato, and thereafter took gio?s advantage at tho young woman According to the publiched version of Cooper's stoiy, Eomothing like this took place in tho present instance The couple wev3 in the Huntcus Bog when a gang of mon thus intimidated and aoparated them, hnd it is commonly supposed t hat the girl (Jurmingham was endeavouring to effect her escape from them when sho fall over the brow of the Crags. H owever this may be, tho rpvelationa made reg'aidins the stwte of the p.'irk at night havo led to fche (Jovernmont taking steps to have it brought under the surveillance of thp city police, and it is to be hoped this will lead to an improvement in tho state of matters, though f i om the cxi ent and physical characteristics of the park it is impossible to watch ib as thoroughly as is desirable. Tho sensation caused in tbe city by tho occurrenco was very great, and at tho girl's funeral the street near her parents' house v/as blocked by crowdß who had assembled. On the following Sunday, morever, the spot where her hody was found was visited by thousands of persons afflicted by 'morbid curiosity. The ttial of tho mon who aro now in prison on suspicion of haying been concerned in the affair w\\\ he fallowed with a moro than usual degree of. interest.