The watch brought their own lanterns, weapons and refreshments, and stood guard at the Howff, Dundee’s graveyard, until six in the morning. There were a few memorable incidents including a gun fight among the gravestones, a member of the watch falling unseen into an open grave and a grave robber caught climbing over the wall. That particular man had cause to regret his position as a member of the watch thrust a bayonet into his bottom, but no more graves were robbed in Dundee.
A Mr Norval Scrymgeour told a story in 1827 of a resurrectionist who had been busy in the howff. At dead of night they filled a sack, and on coming away hoisted their burdon on top of the wall near the top end in Barrack Street. It so happened that a Dundonian who had drunk deeply had squatted on the dry pavement on the other side of the wall to enjoy a dose. Whack! whack! down came the sack with its weird contents, and great was the horror of the resurrectionists who heard the corpse exclaim angrily "Canny, ye deevils, ye've broken my back."