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    APRiii 25,1857.J THE LEADER. 391

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    A MURDER IN THE NORTH. Tun materials for...

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    Gatukrings F110m This- Law And Police Co...

    Greek-street , Soho , a crowd collected about him , the members of which , both men . and women , stared at him as in abhorrence , and made threatening gesticulations . Not understanding English , he could not gather from what they said any idea of his offence ; but he was at length relieved by the appearance of a policeman , who parleyed with the crowd . The constable was informed that the mob were justly indignant with the French gentleman for endeavouring to trepan a girl , fourteen years of age , from her home ; but no one person in particular

    had seen the act . While this explanation was going on , a young Irishman , named John Kelly , was observed to snatch away M . Kenaud ' s watch , though the policeman was standing close by . He was taken into custody and the watch recovered . He is known to the police as a bad character , and it was pretty certain that the charge against the French gentleman was invented , in order to create a confusion favourable to Kelly ' s design . The case was brought before the Worship-street magistrate , and remanded .

    French gentlemen , however , are not the only victims of street tricks with an eye to theft . A Mr . James Cowan , a " -serious" gentleman , has been hoaxed , if we may believe the facts as they stand at present , by a transparent " dodge , " into which , according to his own account , lie was entrapped by his spiritual zeal . His story , as told by himself at the Clerkenwell policecourtj is tnost ludicrous . He said— " On Friday night , I was in Cheapside , when I was accosted by the prisoner { a young- woman , named Margaret Ashburn ) , who commenced speaking to me on serious religious matters , which so much interested my mind and . feelings as a Christian teacher that I was tempted to encourage and continue the discourse . She said there was an awful

    responsibility attached to us , as far as regarded our conduct in this world . We conversed together until we came to Finsbury , when I gave her a half-crown to get lid of her ; but , still feeling strongly inclined to hear more of her discourse , having been influenced by it to an extraordinary degree , I walked further on with her , when she invited me to accompany her to her own private apartments , to which I acceded , and I went with her to the house in Cherry-tree-court , where a woman demanded one shilling for the Toom . I suspected then what sort of place I was in . I took out my purse to pay the shilling , when the prisoner made a snatch dexterously at the purse and took it from me . I then gave her into custody . " She was remanded for a week .

    Two batchers of Newgate-market have been fined each twenty shillings and eosts for exposing for sale meat that Was unfit for human food . One of th « m said he had given twopence-halfpenny a pound for the carrion which he attempted to retail to the public , and that he was told it had passed the inspectors . Sir Frederick Thesiger moved in the Court of Queen s Bench on Monday for a rule to show cause why a man . damns should not issue to the Justices of Gloucestershire ,

    commanding them to order payment of certain fees and allowances to Mr . Gaisford , one of the coroners for the county . The learned counsel said that the present application had been rendered necessary by the circumstance that coroners were obstructed in the performance of their duty by the narrow view taken by the magistrates of that duty , and their disposition to disallow the costs of holding inquests except in a limited class of cases . Lord Campbell told Sir Frederick that he might take a rule .

    A meeting for the choice of assignees in the case of J . B . Wavell , billbrokor , of Adam ' s-court , Old Broadstreet , took place in the Court of Bankruptcy on Monday . The bankrupt is the person who was summoned by the parish authorities for neglecting to maintain his wife and three children , he being living at the time with a Miss Collins . An angry altercation now ensued between the deserted wife , a ladylike person , and another lady , understood to be her sister , who evidently took part with the bankrupt . Interference was necessary oa the part of the messenger of the Court . It appeared'that tha bankrupt had fraudulently appropriated a bill of exchange which was entrusted to him . The

    commissioner said it was a case of fraud . The bankrupt , however , baring been eight months in custody , he would suggest that the opposition should for the present bo withdrawn . The opposing creditor might hereafter have an opportunity of arresting the bankrupt . This suggestion was adopted , and the discharge was ordered . Mrs . Wavell wished to make a , statement , but the commissioner would not allow her . The debts of the bankrupt are 2700 Z ., the assets merely nominal . The celebrated case of Campbell « . Covloy came before the Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday . Mr . Corloy , it may bo remembered , had been secretlv married to

    Mr . CuinpboU ' a mother , an old lady upwards of eighty years of age , upon whose death Mr . Corlcy took ° out administration , and also instigated certain porsona to " lilo bills in Chancery against the plaintiff and his trustee , claiming to be next of kin to Mrs . Campbell , upon the ground that Mr . Campbell was an illegitimate son . The plaintiff afterwards brought an action against the defendant for maliciously , and without probable grounds , instigating theao suits , and also laid a claim to compensation for being compelled by the defendant ' s wrongful conduct to filo a bill against his own trustees to enforce Jm right ; and , on tho trial at Guildhall last Trinity

    term , a verdict was found for the plaintiff , with 7001 damages . In last Michaelmas term , Mr . Serjeant Byles obtained a rule calling upon the plaintiff to show cause why a new trial should not be had , xtpon the ground that the action would not lie , and that the cause of damage was too remote . Mr . Manisty and Mr . Watkin Williams now appeared to show cause , when Mr . Serjeant Byle 3 announced that it had been arranged "b y mutual consent that the rule should be discharged , and the damages be reduced to 3 O 0 £ . George Augustus Hamilton Chichester , the prospective heir of an Irish marquisate , passed his examination in the Court of Bankruptcy on Tuesday , the assignees making no-objection . He was described as a commis-. sion agent , of York-buildings , Adelphi , and he deposited in court eight shillings as the residue of his estate .

    Three men belonging to the Fusilier and Coldstream Guards are now xmder remand at the Westminster police-court on a charge of assaulting a tradesman and his wife , and also the police . One of them had misconducted himself at the house of a newsvendor in Tothill-street , and , being spoken to , attacked the tradesman and Ms wife with the belt which he wore . The police were sent for , and the soldier was taken in charge , when the two other Guardsmen , together with one who is not in custody , attacked the constables , and rescued the prisoner , who , however , was soon retaken . Two of the rescuers then went into a public-house , outside which the police waited , tintii a guard had been fetched from Wellington Barracks , whither the rioters were taken . The case was adjourned for farther evidence . On Wednesday , the original offender was sent to prison for three months , and = _ the other men for two months and one month .

    Dr . Lushington , in the Consistory Court on Wednesday , delivered judgment in the case of Campbell v . Campbell . This was a suit for a divorce on the ground of adultery committed by the lady . The evidence produced on the part of Mrs . Campbell sought to show that the offence had been condoned by the husband having again had conjugal intercourse with her , and been on terms of affection with her , after the commission of the adultery . These averments were contradicted in plea by Mr . Campbell ; and Dr . Lushington therefore pronounced for the separation .

    The , ecclesiastical case of Denison v . Ditcher has been argued before the Arches Court this week , on an appeal by Archdeacon Denison . The point to be determined was , whether the suit which had been brought by Mr . Ditcher against Archdeacon Denison for heterodoxy , and which had been decided against the Archdeacon by the Archbishop of Canterbury , sitting as and for the Bishop of Bath and Wells , was brought within a proper legal time from the commission of the alleged offence . Sir John DodrJon came to this conclusion : — " That the suit or proceeding , or whatever it was to be termed , had not been brought within the time required by the statute ; that more than two years 'had elapsed from ' the time of the commission of the-alleged oileueo , and it was therefore the duty of the court to pronounce lor the appeal , to reverse the decision appealed from , and to dismiss the Archdeacon from all further observance of justice in this suit . He would make no order as to costs . "

    lhe case of Earing v . Gordon was brought , forward iu the Sheriff ' s Court on , Thursday , on a writ of inquiry to assess the damages in an actiion brought in one of the superior courts against the defendant for having had criminal conversation with the plaintiff ' s wile . Judgment had been suffered to go by default , and tlie defendant did not now appear . Tlie jurv gave a verdict for 300 O / . A wretehecl-looJciiig man , dressed iu a suit of dirty black , was charged at the Southwark police-court with

    being drunk and incapable in the Blaokfriars-roud . He was found by a policeman lying on the ground , almost insensible , while sonic boys were blackening bis face with soot and grease . This udormnent of hid physiognomy was still visible when ho was brought before the magistrate . It appeared that ha i . s a clergyman , the Rev . William Gray , of Great Giiililturd-stroot ; < uul a letter was found on him from a Dublin clergy man , enclosing live . shillings' worth of stamps , which it would seem the Kev . bacchanalian had converted into drink . He was discharged , al ' tcn a lecture LYuin tho magistrate .

    Lleveu out of the twelvo Irish Juilgc . s sat in Error on Wednesday for tho purposu of giving judgment on the application for a third trial of the case of IJutlcr v . Mountgarrctt . Tlie question turned upon the alloyed illegitimacy of the defendant , anil whether or not he was entitled to the estates . 15 y a majority of only one , tlie Judges clodded again . it Ibo application for a new triul , thus confirming the verdict givon at the Assizes in favour of Lord iUountganvtt . An action was brought in the Coin ! of Queen ' s Bench

    on Thursday , by a depositor in tha Uoyal British Hank against an individual . shareholder , to recover n auni o U 3 / ., which wan thy balance remaining at his credit when tho company stuppud payment . At a previous trial , a verdict was given lor tho plaintiff , with liberty to the defendant to niovo to outer it in hU favour . A rulo was accordingly obtained to enter tho verdict for tho defendant , and on Thursday it came on for nrginnent , when Lord Campbell decided that tho action was not maintainable .

    Apriii 25,1857.J The Leader. 391

    APRiii 25 , 1857 . J THE LEADER . 391

    A Murder In The North. Tun Materials For...

    A MURDER IN THE NORTH . Tun materials for wild poetry and tragic drama exist as strongly in tlie northern parts of this island at the present prosaic period of our general history as in the days of Ossiati himself . Primitive life and manners , a , primitive style of language , and the passions in all their original force and intensity , . combined with a capacity of poetical yet earnest relation of tremendous facts , are exhibited this week in a trial for murder which , has taken place at Inverary . Heetor M'Donald , a labourer , aged thirty-two , living

    in one of tlie islands on the coast of Argylesliire , was charged with killing his wife . The evidence consisted almost entirely of the testimony of the wife's mother , an old woman and a widow , named Christina M'Donald , or Seaton . Her account of the affair is so singular aud grand that we give the greater part . It was given in Gaelic , through , an interpreter . She said that 3 ier daughter Jane was between twentyfour and twenty-five years of age , had been married to the prisoner three years aud a month , and had two children . Jane was a strong young woman , and was in good , health on the day before she died : —

    " The prisoner and she did not agree . The younger child is now about a year old . Neither of the children is baptized , and prisoner denied that they were his children . Prisoner and his wife lived under the same roof with me—^ a wooden partition separated the two houses . That partition only reached to the top of the side walls , not to the roof of the house . The prisoner and his wife slept in their own end of the house , while I slept at the other . I have a son named John . He was sometimes siuce last New Year's-day sleeping in my house . It was a straw bed the prisoner and his wife slept on . The straw was spread on the ground , with eight stones laid along outside to keep the straw iu its place . These stones were about the size of a man ' s hat . The

    prisoner , was at home on the evening of the 12 th of last February , where he generally was . His wife came home that evening about the time of lighting candles . She said slie had been that day at Balephetrish , a good mile distant . She came home quite well , and took a small bowl full of supper , consisting of thin porridge , made of whelks and oatmeal . That meal waa not common to her ; it was the first time she had taken it that year . Prisoner and his wife went to bed that night between eight and nine o ' clock . I heard them scolding before going to bed . She said ,. ' Hector , keep the child ( tho . ' younger ) , / or else make the bed ; ' and

    then , shortly aiterwards , ' Oh ! you have killed the boy ; ' and he answered , ' Then raise or lift you the boy . ' The wife said , ' Yes , I will do so when I bring down the cruizie ( light ) from my mother's . ' He then got up , and put his back to the end of his own house , and said , ' You have said to many a person that I have thrashed j'ou ; say the fourth part again , and—hell to my soul—I will crush you . ' After they went to bed , I ¦ wen t to bed also . ' There ' was a door which entered directly through the partition from the one house to the other . I was sitting in my own house when I heard the conversation referred to , aiul tlie door was open . "

    The old woman and INi'Donald had some angry conversation previous to their going to bed , the former telling the latter that she would get some trustworthy people in the house to bear witness against him with respect to his- violence to his wife , lie answered , ' -. Little do I caio what you do , old woman . Go awuy ' aud seek them ; the door is open . " On going to bed , the old woman took the elder of her grandchildren with her ; the younger slept with its parents . In the course of the night , there wns more quarrelling between Hector and his wife ; but , a little after twelve o ' clock , they became quiet , iuul the old wonuui fell asleep .

    u About daybreak , 1 heard a noise us if the outer door had fallen down . I remained in bod till I heard a second sound or stroke likes to a heavy bag falling out of a cart on to tho ground . This noise came from the lloor of the pmoner ' d house , and from where the straw-bed was . The house has an earthen iloor . I got up aud went to the prisuiiQr ' s cud of the house , and opened the partition door , a ; i < l there saw the prisoner standing on tho lioor with his shoes , trouaora , anil braces on . 1 don't know whether lit * had those on when ha went to bod , but if ho had it waa unusual . He hud hi * wife ( my daughter ) in his anna , with her . shift on , and his hands were either at her lliront or opposite her heart , I cannot say which . Her head rested on his left shoulder , and his head leant over her head , and she had a small ahawl on her head .

    I said , ' O God ! what is here ? ' My daughter made no aii . su-0 !' . The prisoner said , ' Jano has fallen . ' I asked , 1 O God ! what is hero V as my heart waa frightonod from th « j language ho had used before going to bed . I said to him , ' Let go my daughter , ' aud ho answered me , ' I won ' t . ' Then my sou John , who was behind mo , said , ' Let go Jane , Heetor , ' or ' Lot her go , Hector . ' FrLsonor then let her go , and she fell down on tho iloor . [ Here tho old woman cam ( out of tlie witness-box to the centra of tho court floor in front of tho beueh to give practical illustration of the manner iu which her daughter had fallen on the nighl in question . She there made a staggering circiilax movement , fell soi ' tly on the court floor on her faco , and uttered a . low , deep moan . Tlio aoleum aud dramatic

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 25, 1857, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25041857/page/7/