AN ABRIDGED extract from Now Prisoner Within, murder, riot and crime in old Argyll’ by Lindsay Campbell, published November 28.
The man came from the north of the county, a little place called Ferlochan, a peaceful site, hidden from what is now the main road and above a twisting, tumbling burn. There must have been a thriving wee community here in 1741 and amongst them was Archibald MacCallum and his wife Euphemia. One night in March, Archibald is recorded as having an axe indoors; he may have brought it in to cut the morning’s firewood, drying overnight by the fire. Fair enough. But he also brought the axe into the tiny chamber next to the main room, and set it at the side of the bed he shared with his wife before they both settled down for sleep. Come the morning, what the neighbours heard must have chilled them to the bone.
The wee farmstead of Ferlochan was suddenly shattered by blood-curdling screams and thudding noises. The neighbours rushed in to see Effy MacCallum lying on the floor, covered in her own blood and gore. She may have still been conscious, as the records relate how someone described her husband calmly rising out of bed, before raising the axe to her. Effy had tried to flee, but couldn’t escape a rain of hits to her head, back and shoulder.