On 29 June 1678, Margaret Russel, a married woman residing in the village of Paiston within the parish of Crichton, Edinburgh, provided a formal confession to the authorities. The nature of the accusations brought against her centered upon allegations of attending a witches' meeting, a charge that carried grave legal and social implications during this period in Scottish history. Following this admission, legal proceedings were initiated, and she was summoned to face the judicial system in Edinburgh.
When the court convened on 13 September 1678, Margaret did not appear to answer the charges levied against her. In accordance with the judicial practices of the era, the court declared her a fugitive and ordered her to be "put to the horn." This ritualized act of outlawry, which involved a symbolic blowing of a horn at the market cross, officially signaled that she had moved beyond the protection of the law and remained a wanted individual for her alleged involvement in illicit gatherings.