And then they went off, and thereafter my Wife would have more drink; and the Time I went for the Ale, she got in Spirits to her; which, when she got she was regardless both of God and Man; and when John Mason's Wife brought over the Pint of Ale I went for, I desired her to put it in one of our own Stoups, and set it by her Bed-Side, for she would want it. At the same Time my Wife paid her 1 shilling and 6 pennys of old Arrears for Ale. After the Woman went out, my Wife called out Murder, upon which, two of our Neighbours came in, viz. Christian Bryson and Jean Graham, Mrs. Anderson's Servants, and said, What was I doing to her know? And sat down a Space, and after seeing, they said it was like the Old way she used to do, to conveen the Neighbourhood; and so went off; thereafter my Wife went to the Bed-side where her Spirits were, and took another Draught of them, and fell in the Floor, and after her Ordinary way, called out Murder ; upon which, I put my hand on her Mouth, in order to prevent her calling out Murder after her usual Way; but woes me, in a few Minutes, having gripped her arm to feel if her Pulse beat, I found her Pulse did not beat, as I expected, upon which I left her, and locked the Door, and took the Key with me;and when Archibald's Wife, who was in the same Stair with me, being in bed with her Husband, and seeing me coming down Stairs softly cried, There was the Murderer going down to leave his Wife, and I having stayed below, heard them break open my Door and go in, and found her lying dead in the Floor. And they went out to John Tennants House, and brought him and his wife, who all went up to my House, and after they went down to my Goodson's, and they being not in.I lay down upon the Stair to rest me; and the Neighbouring woman called on someone to see who it was that lay upon the Stair, and whenhe came up with a lighted Candle in his Hand, I got up to my Feet, and asked whom he wanted. After all that I went down Stairs with him to his House  to warm me at his Fire; and when his Wife rose out of her Bed, she desired to ly down with my clothes on,and rest me, which I did,but had not well lien down when she returned, and desired me to rise and fly, for they were going to imprison me.
Immediately I arose and got out at the Back Door, and got over a Hedge, and Jane Wylie's son Adam said to his Father, is not yon Alexander Peacock and he answered it was, and he and John Wylie his second Son followed me , and called come back, and having gone forward about two Ridgelengths from them, his Son overtook me, and I stopt me till his Father came up, and desired me to come back and speak to my Daughter, which I did. Robert Auchincloss the Sheriff-Officer, took hold of me , and carried me up to one Widow Harvie's House, and called for a Pint of Ale,and gave me a drink of it in a Cup by itself; and thereafter I was carried to the Baille of the Regality, and he being in Bed it was sometime before he got access, and when the Baille came he asked at me what I had done, and if I had killed my Wife; which I denied upon which he drew up a Paper for James Somerville, and another for me, and asked if I could write, which I said I could , and signed it. Thereafter I was ordered to my House, to lay my Hands upon my deceased Wife to see if she would blood which I did, but no Blood appeared; and thereafter I was carried to  Prison, where I remained till called before the Lords of the Circuit, to my last.
I own the justness of my sentence, and that I lived Neighbour and other-like all my Time,free from any gross Outbreakings, and attended the Church punctually, that my Wife oftentimes desired me to go with her to the Conventicles, and that one Time I went to one of those Meetings, where Mr.Hunter preached, and by the Way, coming home she much reflected, that I did not wait upon her, and when we arrived at our House, she went over to Robert Auchincloss's Wright and Change-Keeper, where she stayed all night, with the Lady Cartavell a bad Woman; and when I quarrelled her, and said to her she had got a black Comerad, she said nothing.
I bless the Lord who has appointed Judges to curb and punish Vice, and that ever he brought me to a House of a Prison, and to hate Sin with a perfect Hatred, and enabled me to fly to Jesus Christ for Mercy. I bless and thank the Ministers of Edinburgh, and particularly, the Reverend Messrs. Goudie, Logan and Wallace, who have been assisting me in my Soul's Preparation, and that the Work of the Lord may prosper in their Hands, and that all Kinds of Persons may take Warning by me, that they come not to an untimely End, and that they may beearnest with God, and pray for preventing Grace. I acknowledge, I have been civilly dealt by all the Keepers of the Prison,since my Confinement.
                                                                                                                       ALEXANDER PEACOCK   
I the before named Alexander Peacock, do hereby declare, that what is written in this and the Nine preceeding Page of Writ, each Page figured by me, is true and genuine;and as I dictated the same to John More the Clerk of the Tolbooth, Edinburgh; and desire the Magistrates of Edinburgh may allow the same to be printed as it is ,and published after my Death
                                                                                                                      ALEXANDER PEACOCK

                                       Authorised to be Printed by the Magistrates.




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