The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-27 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT BLAHUNGONE

The murder of David M'Ewan, or Mleece,
of which Joseph Bell was convicted at Perth Gni
Court on Wednesday, and condemned to be executed le
the 22nd of Dicky, was a singularly brutal and unread
crime. The prisoner, who is a native of Burton=
where be was bred a potter, but who hie been is
for about eight years following the lawless life of a
poacher, is about 27 years of age. He does not epos
to have been previously acquainted with the due*
and the only ostensible motive for the mender was to pi
the few pounds of money generally in possession of th
latter in returning home after his tour with his brad.
cart. M'Ewan, who was aged about 40, and was woe,
was in the employment of Mr. Muirhead, baker, ADA,
and was in the habit of making certain rounds in* Is
cart every week, usually bringing home from the MEW
circuit about 41. or 51. The unfortunate man went
usual route on Monday, the 18th of December, sad es
way home that evening, about 5 o'clock, darkness Wiwi
in, he was shot and robbed, the cart going en empty, eel
the victim being left on the ground dying, and seek
insensible. The right side of his face was fright*
wounded, the nose, cheek bone, and jaws being llama
The injuries evidently arose frum a gunshot, fund siting
a few yards of his face, though not sulliciutly awl
leave the marks of powder. The poor man ow quits
unable to do more than ejaculate a few incoherent ark,
and the probability is, though his senses had less Wt
to him for a time, the surprise and shock were et =WO
as to have prevented him giving any informatists keln
the discovery of his assailant. His death took OM IL
a neighbouring house about two hours after the We
The rural police lost no time in their inquiries, esithe
following night they apprehended Bell on seaski.
It was proved at the trial that Bell led a very dina
petal and irregular life, poaching being almost his WI
occupation. He lived among ploughmen, labourers. saf
ooalworkers, sometimes repaying favour shows him by*
prevent of a bird, bat generally selling what he knoel
down by his gun. The gun used in the crime was to
rowed by him on the 7th of December, and its history iu
followed by the evidence up to its being discovered bj
boy under the arch of a bridge over a stream a few Ws
after the murder, and within a short distance of theism
of it. Before the murder Bell was proved to have boa I
great want of money, while on the night of the mime be
began to spend freely, and on his person the followingl
was found the sum of 41. 18s. The employer of
calculated that the money he should have brught leek*
him was V. 15s. 7d., but deceased had also money vibes.%
and the prisoner had already spent a good deal Ware is
was apprehended. The footmarks discovered near ths seas
of the murder were deposed by some witnesses towrope&
with Bell's shoes, but upon that point the evidence ow
what wavered. The prisoner, in his deolaratace beige 9s
Sheriff, asserted his innocence. but acknowlede& kug.g
had and having hidden the gun, pretending that dr.
custom to do so at night. The money found spa Om le
declared to have been paid to him on the Mosby fer Pol
by a dealer from Dunfermline, but all the praaalse
there were brought to prove that they had sever bet sal
transaction with him. It was proved that Wei we
several references to the bread-cart before the craw, as g
the subject was in his mind. He told his landlady model
that if he shot anything he would send it with the kW
cart. To one witness he said he knew a man that woes
the Kinross side in • gig, and if witness would laif Mt
horse by the head he would soon " chuck" him.
said he was not a man of that kind, when pnaeoef I°M
that he was only trying him, but that he feed been! swfw
man in his day. The evidence in the cam occused
court all Tuesday, and the following day counsel Went
the jury, and Lord Ardmillan delivered the UAW- "'"
jury unanimously found the prisoner Otti/ty,
On and eastofigr
of death passed on him in the usual form. resef
sentence the prisoner said, " Thank you, my lord, 1,0
innocent."

---
LORD RICHARD GROSVENOR, M.P., Al 0
CONSTITEINTIL—Fifty-seven signatures have been se'
tamed in the county of Flint to the fx=
memorial, which has been forwarded to Lord
Grosvenor, M.P. : " We. the undersigned sor,,
electors of the county of Flint, have leant_ ,ses
deep regret and surprise that it is your WIWI
intention to vote against the government Rass
Bill now before parliament, which bill we deem "I
judicious, moderate, and well considered, enonst* •
does from such deep-thinking ntinds as that of the
earl at the head of the government, the Chaneellor
the Exchequer, and other colleagues. We beleit
lordship will be pleased to re-consider the dere
be taken, and to call to mind tne liberal sentiments,ra"
by you on the hustings, for the promotion or "'—
sentiments we pledged our support. Elrod In's
THE QUERN PRAYED FOR AT A NAHOREDAN
Pt
VAL,—For the first time in India (says a
the Friend of Indio), the " Khutba" has beer
half of the Queen of England. The event took Piees:
Lahore, by Mir Hassan Shah, Pirzadsh of Battals,
Red festival, in Alamgir's Musjid, which Las been.
mei
over to the Mahomedans for public worship. 'Transle_•
" 0 Lord ! help and befriend her who has bestowed oil'
this splendid musjid, and has given us this noble bust
namely, the Empress and excellent lady whose "Wile°
tends from east to west , and who has become victorious eel
the kings of Arabia and the rest of the world ; her wbso
name is Victoria. God reserve her empire and as L!
and bestow on her subjects the blessings which kw ow
her government. 0 preserver and gracious helper efle°'
kind. Amen (i. e. hear)."
ROYAL COLLEGE OP SERGEONS.—The fOllOl6ll
gentlemen having undergone the necessary tumble*:
for the diploma, were admitted members of the colkr
a meeting of the Court of Examiners, on the 26th
vii: —Mears. Barnabas Walter Lamb, SteurPc'et',..._,..
cestershire ; James Brierley Hughes, Congleton.
William James Tattersall, Bacup, Lancashire: er.l,
Beaumont Pattinson, Heavitree, near sister'; ;T.
Conlbou*, Old Dalby, Leicestershire, students of
Bartholomew's Hospital. Clement Samuel BlYtltt
Swinton, Yorkshire ; blonekton,Beenchley.
Frederic William Parsons, Bayswater ; and Charles
Market Beeping, of King's College. William John.
verfordwest ; and William Joseph Rickards.
Cornwall, of Guy's Hospital. Moses "
Staffordshire • and James Lawson Cooke, Market NO"
l
of the Birmingham flohooL Henry Child Budagieitr
nelly, Carmarthen, of St. George's HeePele". Ads
Edward Bowkett, Poplar. of the London Hogie",,
Hill, LS.A., Pimlico, of the Westminster Heslu""
School;
ward Malins, Liveol, of the Edinbugh
Alexander RiddochGesy, M.A. and N.B. Mule
. •
At the le' martini of the court, Mr. David !ell
Thomas, of Greenwkh Hospital, passed his ei"ebejr
for naval surgeon. This gentleman bad rwallom
admitted a member of the college, his 'ploms
date April 11, 1861.