In 1786 Thomas Smithy was a normal everyday guy, he had a beautiful wife two amazing children, and some would say a good job. He worked in a Iron works factory in Edinburgh a about a mile form his house in Fishers close. He worked there in the wages department, but he always wanted more for his children and his wife. One day Thomas was on his way to work. Upon leaving his house he was to find at the bottom of the stairs a bundle of rags. Left just to the side of the close door way.
Upon stopping and looking through the rags. he made a find that turned his blood cold. For wrapped up in the rags was a 9/10 year old girl. She was badly cut up. Her poor body broken and cut open from top to bottom. It would seem to the police that came, that the body had been dissected. Her main body was so badly cut open, that her intestines were hanging out. Some of the police who came and saw the body, were very badly shaken by it. But to some it seemed Mr Smithy had not been moved by the find, and spoke normal when asked about the body and the find. The young girl was quickly forgotten by the police as know one came forward to report the young girl missing.
Nor did any one in the close seem to know her.
Thomas Smithy went about his daily routine, of work, home and play with his children. However severely months later. Two young women, were walking in the Cowgate part of Edinburgh. When one of the woman let out a scream. She had just found hidden behind a bin. The remains of a young girl of about 9/10 years old. The police came and removed the body. The strange part is they never linked the two bodies, of the young girls. You see the 2nd young girl was like the first. Very badly cut up, most of her body and been cut open. Some of her internal organs, had been cut open. What looked like someone had been opening her up for dissection in class. The police thought it may have been some of the young Doctors at the medical school. They were all asked of their movements, no matter how much the police looked no one could be found for the crime of murder.
Well that was until almost a year after the first body of the young girl had been found in Fishers Close. Poor old Thomas Smithy had been on his way to work. Nearing his work at Tollcorss He was to find yet another young girl. Same age as the last two between 9/10 years old. Plus she too was badly cut open. You have to think how unlucky must you have, to be to find two bodies. Both of them in the same way badly cut open. It would leave you very badly shaken. But it would seem that it did not leave Mr Smithy this way. It is reported that he spoke normally to the first police officer on the scene. Stating all the facts. Much like it was rehearsed, the police thought it to much that he should be like this.
At this point they thought to look more closely at Mr Smithy life. As he seemed just to ok with the finds. They asked his friends and neighbours about him. They all said the same thing, he was a very nice guy. Always had time to speak to everyone, would often help people even if it meant he was late for something. His work was always done on time, and he often stayed behind to finish jobs. He was kind and caring, very understanding person. The one thing they all seemed to say was that he loved his wife and children very much. But one day his wife had just up and left him, with their children. Was this the clue the police needed. The police now wonder why this man with such loving ways, to suddenly make his wife move out. The police spent the next few days trying to track down his wife. They were to find her in another part of town. Well away and well hidden from Thomas Smithy. She was staying with friends in the new town area of Edinburgh.
The police asked her what she was doing, why she had moved out so suddenly that night. Why she had taken great care not to leave any note of where she had gone. That it took even the police a few days to track her down.?
She told the police “that her husband was taking a strange look at her children, that he looked at them all most like he was looking inside them. Not seeing them.”. She went on to add “ that it was not just her children but that of her friends as well”. The police now had enough, they wanted to see inside the flat. She had told them that they were never to go inside the old room. Her husband would keep the door locked at all times even if he was in there which seemed like a lot of the time. She told them he had the room fitted with a sink and wash table.
The police returned to Mr T Smithy later that day, after going to his work and finding out he had gone home. They wished to get his side of things, and see if the stories matched up. As the police knocked on his door. they heard the sounds of foot steps. It seemed to them that he took a long time in getting to the door. Just as they were about to knock again the door open and their stood Thomas Smithy. He looked like he had just washed and cleaned up. The police said they were there to go over, the statement he made to them about the finding of the 2nd body. As they went to the house, one of the young police officers, looked inside one of the rooms. Their he saw a table, on the table was signs of blood. Dripping down the side. On the floor was a pan that seemed to be full of blood.
Thomas Smithy was arrested and taken down to the Tollbooth, giving the police time to go over his flat.
It was when the police got into his flat, that they were to make the most horrifying discovery. The table the young police officer had seen, was covered in blood. On the table it’s self was maniacals used it looked like to hold a person down. Lying through out the room was medical texts books. There was also medical instruments lying on the floor and tables around the room. What could he have been up to? The police also wanted to know. On questioning it came out that he had applied to the medical school to be come a surgeon there. But during one of the tests it would seem his eyesight was not good enough. Nor was his hand movements. He told them that he was practicing, so he could reapply to the school some day like they said he could do. He wanted to be come a Doctor so he could give his family a better life. On the 22nd June 1786. He was taken to the gallows. Where is body was hanged. he was cut down and handed over to the young Doctors at the medical school for them to use during their lessons. None of the girls found murdered by Thomas Smithy were ever given a name. There was many a poor house around Edinburgh that he may have visited, where he could have picked these young girls up. We also may never know why he choose the young girls the way he did. No record has been to say why, he picked them. Nor why he went for such young girls in the first place. But in those days life was cheep, and sometimes meaningless but even then the deaths of three young girls must have stuck in the minds of the police officers that found them. Plus those that had to look in to their deaths.
Many people walking the streets of Edinburgh today hardly knows what can go on behind a closed door. Today we are more than likely not to even know our neighbours. You wonder back then how he kept this to himself all those months without someone finding out. It is also said that when you walk the streets of Edinburgh at night you can hear the sound of children crying out, is this the sound of many a child who may have been murdered, or could it be the sounds of children who died in the many plagues. Or even just the sounds of cats fighting.
