The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-22 00:00:00

CRAIIGE •'r tfG

.~

The Circuit Court for the cowininol renu, tna?, •
was opentd here yesterday by the sand Justice Clerk Lad L
Pitmilly. and a number of eases of an aggravated and nature will be brought before it.
Thomas Marshall, George Scott. and James White, were ,
put to the bar, charged with the crimes of murder,
laasaa,d,
riot, committed at the toll-hotse of stobsinuir, in the ..
Dundee, on the 13th of July last. nt
This interesting case occupied the Court the greater part ok,,
day.
It appeared that John and Alexander Allan, and sob
as
masons. their companions, emploved at Hu mane. in the a„1 hourhood of Stubsinuir, where a kir is held, had, after lsiey,,
when their labours were concluded, gone to the fair.
drank some whisky, ale, and small beer, but were not in tbei...7
intoxicated, as the whole sum spent among the nine men wal
six shillings and sixpence. While they were return,
peaceably, about nine o'clock. they soot at the toll-fuse-
wanted admission. They had not been there many minutes,
they were suddenly assailed by some men who can hut the
of the house, and most of them knocked down. The aura s
so sudden and unexpected that they were not able to wawa.,
bpersons of the prisoners, nor did they know from what
lows proceeded, as they had no previous quarrel with say e'
One witness, Sandman Stewart, bleacher, deposed,
ts%
he was passing the toll-bar at Stobsinuir, he wn assailtak
one of whom aimed a blow at him, from whieb be dreaded
himself with his umbrella ; that another man came up, and uud
to him who struck him, that be, Stewart, was not one of the
74;
meaning, he supposed,4
the masons. The man who at bra
was Scott, and it was Marshall who interfered for his resole. This
man saw the prisoner strike at J. and A. Allan yepsatedly„whafej
down. saw John Allan receive a violent blow in the temple vita,
tswtiockm;iihmet,,reesaledid,. anudoserorded, strpamitiedgoltriime,
ate
nbutlowsiranik: intnuade
Ity
more !" and fell Hat on his face on the road.
The testimony of several other witnesses went to psnee,ts,
Marshall, Scott, and ll'hite, had been actively engaged is the net
and assault ; the two former in particular. The pany
Marshall as their leader. He bad his coat stripped, and
stick, and his name was frequently called out be the others. At
one time he exclaimed, •' We re the bays that will do frthets,^
and, Dundee for ever." was called out by the party. Arta
Allan fell, his body was removed into a potato field, and liftman
it was carried Into the toll-house. While the hoe/ we, reinorgg
into the field, Marshall and his friends bad gone from the spot bs.
a time ; but they afterwards returned, and on suing Alenade
I Allan standing by the dead body, asked what IVY the matte? whet
it was announced that a dead man was lying there; on shieb
shall said, '• I)—n it, let us all have the last whip at him."
Many other circumstances were brought forward, all peat,r,
that the assault was most wanton and unprovoked on the part r 7
the masons.
A medical report was given in, and witnessed to by Whin
Crichton, surgeon, Dundee, which certified that the death of Jab
Allan was occasioned by a blow on the temple.
Mr. A Lisom, Depate Advocate, addressed the Jury forth
Crown, and they were shortly addressed by theCuunselsflllie,
and b Mr. liirmoca, for Scott. Mr. Incisow made afore-he
appeal to them on behalf of Marshall.
The Loan JUITICE CLERK summed up the erideron a
speech winch occupied upwards of an hour and forty nueetaos
which he went minutely into every particular that 6.11 ben
been sworn to.

The Jury retired for half an hour, when they came into Cent,
and returned a viva wee verdict, finding Marshall Gailt:ofu.
sault and riot, with the aggravation of carving a suck in the riot;
Scott Gritty of assault and riot ; and 11 hire GA/4 of riot.
This verdict seemed not congenial to the Court, or those who hit
heard the evidence given, and it seemed generally expected nu;
Marshall would have been found guilty of murder.
The Cot' KT informed the Jury, that the aggravation of 0217Titt
astick could not be admitted into the verdict, and they thereon aL
toed their verdict so u to omit this as to Marshall.
Lord PIT MILLS' then address:d the Court, setting forth the
heinous nature of tbg crime, and propoeed to sentence Marshilln
transportation for 11 years, and Scott for 7 years White to be cm.
lined 12 months in the gaol of Dundee, an to find dation for good
behaviour for five years.
In this the Learned JUSTICE CLERK concurred, and in hie
dress to tile criminals, the Jury could be at no loss to unit:masa
the great disappointment be felt at the verditt they had return?.
The whole audience seemed to participate in the feelings oils
Lordship, and regarded this whole transaction as one that merited
the severest pnnishment that the law afFords, and to think with him.
that if such grow and daring outrages are not severely checked
this country may soon degenerate into a state similar to that
Ireland.