I have no connection to the below mentioned however I have submitted the information in case it is of interest to someone else.
The Buchan Observer, Friday, February 1, 1867
FATAL RESULT OF A QUARREL IN ABERDEEN – On Saturday night an affair happened in Union Street, which has since resulted in the death of a man, James Imlah. The circumstances seem to be these: Imlah was passing along Union Street about 11 o’clock, in company with a little boy of his own, and when near the corner of Broad Street, he came into collision with some persons who were “loafing” about. He tumbled up against another man, named Grant, a labourer, both being very much the worse of liquor – Imlah, indeed, quite drunk. Each swore roundly at the other, and a quarrel ensued, when Imlah received a severe stroke about the head, by which he was knocked down. He fell with considerable violence, the back of his head striking upon the hard snow and ice lying at the side of the causeway. He was quite stunned, either by the blow or the fall, or partly by both, and lay for some time quite motionless, and apparently dead. A crowd, of course, soon gathered, and the attention of the police being attracted to the spot, the man was taken up and carried into the post office. His wife was sent for, and by the time she arrived, Imlah had so far come round as to be able to sit up and speak. A cab was got, and he was taken to his home in Moir’s Court, Gallowgate. It was not supposed that he was in any way seriously hurt, and when able to speak, he seemed unwilling to say much about the matter, stating that “he didna want to mak’ a case o’t;” and indeed the condition in which he was seemed to be pretty much owing to the effects of liquor, so that the police did not consider it necessary to send for medical assistance. Next morning, Imlah was found to be no better, but his wife supposed that the effects of the drink had not left him – that he was, in fact, just sleeping off his “booze” – and it was not till about one o’clock that she sent for Dr Duncan – having become alarmed that Imlah was showing no symptoms of reviving consciousness. Dr Duncan, on seeing the man, said that he had no hope of recovery, as he had been too long in being called in, and on calling again about a couple of hours afterwards, he found that the man had died. Grant has, we believe, been apprehended, and remitted for further examination. The deceased, who was a slater by trade, leaves a wife with four of a family.
The Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday, January 30, 1867
FATAL STREET BRAWL
Yesterday afternoon a post mortem examination was made on the body of a man named James Imlah, a slater, residing in Moir’s Court, Gallowgate, who died on Sunday afternoon, from injuries received on Saturday night, under the following circumstances: On the night in question, about eleven o’clock, Imlah was proceeding homeward rather the worse for liquor, accompanied by a little boy, and when near the corner of Broad Street in Union Street, he came in contact with some other men, who were also the worse for liquor. Some aggravating talk ensued, which resolved itself into an open quarrel, when Imlah received a blow which made him fall heavily on his back on the causeway. He was quite stunned in consequence, and lay for a considerable time motionless. Information was sent to the police, who had Imlah conveyed to the Police Office. His wife was sent for, and when she arrived, he was so far recovered as to be able to speak. It was thought at the time, that his want of consciousness arose as much from intoxication as from any injuries he might have received; and on his coming round so far as to be able to speak, he refused to inform upon any one, saying that he did not want to make a case of it. A cab was got, and he (Imlah) was conveyed home, and put to bed. In the morning, his wife, though somewhat alarmed about his condition, which was not improved, did not send for a doctor till about one o’clock, thinking that her husband had not yet got over the effects of the drink he had had the previous night. Dr Duncan, who was sent for, said at once, on examining Imlah, that he had been too long in being called, and that the case was beyond recovery. The man was quite unconscious, and the pupils of his eyes were dilated, while every symptom of life was gone, except that the pulse was still active. Dr Duncan at once applied such restoratives as the circumstances of the case called for, and left; and on returning about two hours afterwards, he found him dead. A post mortem examination was made by Dr Ogston yesterday, but the result has not transpired, further than that a fracture was discovered in the skull. George Grant, a quarrier, residing in Peacock’s Close, is in custody, charged with having dealt the blow which caused Imlah’s death. Grant bears the character of a troublesome fellow, and has been twice convicted of assault. The deceased leaves a widow and four of a family.
The Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday, March 27, 1867
SECOND DIET SHERIFF AND JURY COURT – ASSAULT TO THE DANGER OF LIFE – Yesterday, before a second diet Sheriff and Jury Court – Sheriff Thomson on the bench – George Grant was charged with the crime of assault, in so far as on the 26th January last, at or near the junction of Broad Street and Union Street, he did “wickedly and feloniously attack and assault James Imlah, slater, now deceased, then residing in or near Gallowgate of Aberdeen, and did, with his fist, strike the said James Imlah a severe blow on the breast or some other part of his person, and did knock him to the ground, whereby he was bruised and injured to the effusion of his blood, his skull was fractured, and he was otherwise severely injured, to the danger of his life.” The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and proof was led, from which it appeared that on the night in question the prisoner and two other men, named respectively Wilson and Fyfe, were drinking together in McCaig’s public-house, Exchequer Row, when a disturbance took place which caused them all three to be put out at different doors – the prisoner having knocked a man down. On leaving the public-house, the prisoner and his companions proceeded along Broad Street, where they met the deceased Imlah who was the worse for liquor. Abusive language was passed between the prisoner and the deceased, and the former said to this companions, after Imlah had passed on towards the corner of Union Street, that he would go and give him “something.” It was then the blow was struck which felled Imlah to the ground with a crash described by one of the witnesses as resembling “creaking timber.” A crowd was gathered, and deceased was conveyed to the Police-office. There was no direct evidence to show that Grant was the man who struck the blow, beyond that of deceased’s son, a child, who identified the prisoner as the man; but several witnesses deponed that soon after the occurrence Grant admitted having struck the blow. His companions, Wilson and Fyfe, were close at hand, but did not happen to be looking at the prisoner at the time. Dr Ogston, who had made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased, stated in his report that the immediate cause of death was lung disease, but that the skull was fractured in such a way as to produce death sooner or later. The agents for the prosecution and defence having severally addressed the jury, the Sheriff summed up the evidence; and the jury having withdrawn for a short time, returned with a verdict finding unanimously the pannel guilty as libelled. The prisoner’s agent asked for mitigation of sentence, on the ground of provocation, and notwithstanding the serious consequences, that only one blow had been struck; besides, his client had already been two months in prison. His Lordship, in passing sentence, referred to the aggravated nature of the assault, and expressed a hope that the prisoner had got a lesson he would never forget – first, never to take drink so as lose his head by it, and not know what he was doing; secondly, to take care never to lift his hand rashly to any man. Looking at the whole circumstances of the case, he thought it to be his duty to impose a somewhat lengthened period of imprisonment; were it not for some facts of the case it would have been much longer; as it was, it would be for a period of nine months. Mr Runcy appeared for the prisoner. – Theft – John Fyfe was charged with having, on the 9th Feb., stolen from the person of John Black, labourer, residing at Newton of Drum, within the house occupied by Ann Duncan, innkeeper, Castle Street, a purse containing 14s. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, but the charge was found proven, aggravated by three previous convictions; and he was sentenced to be imprisoned for a period of twenty months.
(Notes:
I’ve left in the charge of theft against John Fyfe even though it has nothing to do with the assault of John Imlah to show the deficiencies, in my opinion; of the legal system in the 19th century. George Grant was given a sentence of nine months for aggravated assault while John Fyfe gets a sentence of twenty months for stealing 14s.
James Imlach (bc 1825, son of James Imlach, General Carter & Ann Imlach ms Gillespie) married Ann Bird (bc 1831, daughter of George Bird, Inn Keeper & Ann Imlach, previously Bird, ms Munro) 13 February 1863, St Nicholas, Aberdeen.
Children (IGI):
Alexander Imlach or Bird, b. 2 November 1856, St Nicholas, Aberdeen
James Imlach, b. 20 January 1863, St Nicholas, Aberdeen
George Imlach, b. 25 January 1865, St Nicholas, Aberdeen
Annie Imlach, b. 26 May 1867, St Nicholas, Aberdeen
1867 Deaths in the District of St Nicholas in the Burgh of Aberdeen
No. 87; James Imlay, Slater (Master) married to Ann Bird, died 1867 January Twenty Seventh at 4h 30m pm at Moir’s Court, 103 Gallowgate, Aberdeen, male, age 46 years. Parents: James Imlay, General Carter (deceased) & Ann Imlay ms Gillespie. Cause: Compression of the Brain 10 hours as cert. by Alexander Duncan M.B. Surgeon. Informant: Frances Murray, her X mark, Inmate, present, Charles Stronach, Assistant Registrar, witness. Registered 1867 January 29th at Aberdeen by Charles Stronach, Assistant Registrar. (See Reg. of Corr. Entries Vol II, p. 157, dated April 13th 1867.
James Imlach married Ann Gillespie (date unknown)
George Bird married Ann Monro 4 February 1822, Cairnie, by Huntly, Aberdeenshire
Ann Munro married John Imlach 19 April 1845, Keith Banffshire or 10 May 1845, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.)