The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-24 00:00:00

THE GLASGOW MURDER.

Since the conclusion of the trial, says the Northern
Daily Mail, public opinion has swayed to and fro as re-
gards the vertgiveu. The manner in which her "state-
ment" before sentence tallies with the evideaceof the crown
has been generally remarked upon as favouring the idea that
she bad at last told the truth. A memorial to the Home
Secretary asking for a commutation is being prepared, and a
public meeting awoken of with the view of a general request
to the same effect to Sir George Grey.
The Scotsman lays :—" Yesterday an additional witness
turned up in the person of a girl, who alleged that oo the
morning after the murder she called at Fleming's house, and
having rung the bell, was answered by the old man. She
told hint that she was in the habit of being employed by
she servant to wash the steps, whereupon he took her in
and caused her to wash part of the lobby, for which be
gave her sixpence. Auother witness gives more reliable
testimony to the effect that one day shortly before the
murder, when Jessie M'Pherson was in her shop, she
remarked to li'Pherson that some acquaintance of hers
seemed to think she was made of money, as she was always
borrowing from her ; whereupon 11•Phersoa remitted that
it was the same with her and Mrs. M•Lachlan, who was
always burrowing from her. She added that she would nut
only stop lending, but have beck from her what she bad
lent. The crown authorities were very minute in their
search for any article of clothing belonging to old Mr.
Fleming that could show whether he had any hand in the
murder, but found nothing. They made hint account also
for every article of clothing of which he bad been perused.
They took down the jaw-boa and water-closet pipes and dug
the wholegarden, without any result."
The Glasgow Morning Journal, which warmly
espouses the 0111100 of Mrs. M`Lichlan, says :—" No
great public or national event could have produced
for the time being greater or more universal ex
citereent than that which prevailed throughout the
city ou Saturday afternoon. From the opening of the trial
on Wednesday all other topics were lost sight of, and the
progress of the cam was watched day after day with an
attention that has been given to no criminal cam, sot even
excepting the famous Madeline Smith trial. The ferment in
the public mind reached the greatest pitch, when, with the
issue of the trial, was made known the extraordinary
statement read by the prisoner's counsel before
the passing of the sentence. The scene in mart
whilst Mr. Clark read the paper was a striking one.
The prisoner, stolid heretofore throughout her wouy sit-
ting, cried bitterly but silently, her grief seeming greatest
whilst the account of the last momenta of the murdered
woman was being read; lint on the conclusion of the state-
ment becoming, whilst Lord Dews told her, in harsh and
unmerciful terms, her fixed doom, and his opinion of her
story, once more composed, and wearing, indeed, an sir
stern even to defiant*. The jury who had just settled
her fate seemed much mote discomposed than before
the reading of the statement, the faces of some of
the gentlemen showing a great deal more alarm, indeed,
than the prisoner herself did; while the feeling that prompts
some to cry on hearing the death warrant of a fellow-being
pronounced seemed overcome by astonishment, one tender-
hearted policeman, near the plug where the prisoner sat,
being the only person we saw shed tears. The aspect of the
city at large seemed one of unusual agitation. Meanwhile
the miserable woman, delivered over to the charge of
Governor Stirling, was at once lodged in the cell which bad
been prepared in case of an unfavourable verdict. Possess-
ins rare strength of will, she has retained her self-commend
silica sentenced with the mole outward q uietude as heretofore,
and has expressed her innocence in strong terms several times.
Whatever her hope of a respite may be, she does not ex-
press herself regarding it in any way, making the remark
on one occasion that she wished her statement given to the
public, not for her own sake, but that for the sake of her
husband and child the world might know she is not the
deeply-stained criminal she is convicted of being. Her
story finds many believers, and many more, though net
convinced, would yet give the unfortunate woman the due
benefit of the doubt as to the justice of the verdict."