The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-28 00:00:00

eo. _ The lanes 'thvaire 'might be stout is Luce

---
ts his ast.
. James Grant was servant to Mr. Thomson last
February ; recollects his mores house having been
assaulted in that mouth. Knows the Prisoners;
hod seen them at the manse in the forenoon of the
preceding day. heard them sweating at Mr.
Thomson, and ask him what right he had to ripe
their house. tine of them, Isaac Bell, slid, hell
would get hint. James Bell had a stick in his
blend, and said to the Minister he would speak to
him over the nose with his stick. Tins was before
the door 114111 shut. Next day saw a 1111111bCr of
panes broken in several of the windows. Saw same
stones lying between the glass 31111 the shatters. In
the stack-yard saw to number of stocks thrown down.
Agnes Black, servant to Nil.. Th ..... 4,*0 in Febru-
ory lust, recollects the lonise hoeing been assaulted.
Knows Aliddlemost, awl never sate the other two
till the day before the assault. Saw them come to
the door Hod converse with her mister. Maw them
after they had left loin Iwo by the window where
she was, and heard James B. II 'wear •. he G—d it
shall he the worst night they ever saw." Under-
stood Bell to mean the Nlinister and his Gamily.
At night lieuril ;ono going i ll between twelve and
two o'clock. Heard witidaws Inoken : next morn-
tog perceived several windows litisketi. War then
reminded of ;what she had heard J Imes (jell say,
abd which she had told to her master 'hat ofternoon.
Cruts-examined.—When sir heard the words she
was in a back-room, and the men were close by the
house at the window where vise was. It W 54 at a
highs window. 111111 the window was open. There is
a paling round the house, about six or seven feet
from the house.

From the Jury—tilad at that titn, rli•tinctly seen
the Prisoners; it was at the b.,ck of the house, some
time after her master had Phut the door. James
Bell had a stick : when he was going round the
house he waved the stick, and understood that he
alluded to her master, having braid from others
that he hail used threatening rxprrsrlous More.—
The door at which the Mtish•ter ►nuke to them was
the back door, a very shalt distance oitr. Stw tin
dogs with them. 1.).,er not know whether Bell saw
bee.

Alexander Fisher was servant to Dr. Douglas,
Minister of Galashiels ; was HI Maxims manse in
Fehroary. Rementheis having seen three men
speaking with Ali.. Thomson, the. Mini-ter; heard
them ask Mr. Thomson why he hail rent those fel-
lows to ripe anti turn their house up and down.—
They teemed angry. He shut the door upon them,
awl told them that he wont:tray notliii.g to them,
lint if they hail a complaint they m'ght make it to
the Sheriff. Heard one of them then say. " ll—n
him, hell will never be full till he it, in it." • And
also heard them swear, " by G--41 that they would
glee him such a night of it as he had never had
since he came to this place." This was when they
turned to go away. Cannot say which of them
used this expression. Sew them next morning at
Jvdburgh, in the Sheriff'', Office; heard there that
an attack had been made the night before on the
Minister's manse.

Cross-examined.--Mr. Thronsoo's boy, James
Grant, was standing by loan when he heard the
threats, but the buy did not hear the last expression.
Harriet Blaikie, daughter to John Blaikie, Wright
at Nlaxton, recollects a search having been made at
Maxton in February. Saw Pallorls at Maxton on
th-At day, after the starch; they were together.
Heard James Bell cry after the officers, " Here's
the fellow that stole the bell tow." Heard the three
Pannell swearing at the Minister. Does not think
that they were then ii) very good humour. In coo-
sequence of what she heard, she said to her father
and her mother, that she wished the Minister to be
put upon his guard.
14shel Mather, or IVlotra, Mary Burns, and Eli-
zabeth Dun, lly recollected of the search,
and heard Punnets use threatening language against
Mr. Thomson.

John Elliott is constable at Nlitxton. Was em-
ployed on the 19th of February to apprehend the
two Bells. Found them lying in bed. This was
on suspicion of having attacked the manse the night
before. James Bell dressed himself in trousers,
which were wet up to neatly the middle of the leg;
and if lie remembers right, the night before was
wettish. On the NVednesday before, the 17th, saw
Isaac Bell carryings gun, and James Bell with him,
awl Fuirbairsi. a warless. Their clothes were lying
at the bed-side when lie found them, just as they
had put them off. When lie took them to Jed-
burgh they had a spotted dog following them.
William Paton is u peace-officer at Maroon. Re-
collects of the assault on the manse in February ;
was in consequence employed to apprehend James
Bell, Isaac Bell, and Willism.bliddlenrost. Found
the Bells in bed ; observed JtIIICS Bell's clothes to
be wet ; saw on his hat something Lite hay and
chaff, battered by the rain.
Cross-examined.—Did tint feel the clothes, but
merely supposed them to hr wet front their appear.
(thee* The colour was black.
William Riddell is Sheriff's officer at Jedburgh.
Was employed in February to search the house of
Foirbairn, the witness, at on, fur fire-arms
after the attack. Found a gun there and a pistol.
Both were above the bed. Identifies them and the
shot•bag also found there. Put his linger down
the barrel of the pistol, and found it dump. This
took place.on the 20th or 2lst of February. The
gun was without a luck. and also appeared to hare
been recently fired. Knows gigues Turnbull. The
gut' lock came out of her house. Tried the lock
on the gun, and found it did not fit it.
James Fairbairn, weaver iu 111uxton.—In Fe-
bruary, Riddell, the officer, searched his house for
tire-arms ; a pistol was found and a gun ; identified
them. ‘Vitoess had lent the pistol, six weeks be-
fore the outrage, to James Bell, David Bell, and
Isaac Bell, to take a shot for their amusement; did
not fire it after lie got it hark ; had put it into the
press, where there is no lock. On the night before
the assault, the two Bells were in his house ablaut
half-past ten, or nearly about ten ; they only remain-
ed a few minutes: his house is about 300 yards from
the manse; lie was theu asleep; they might, there.
fore, have been there some minutes•twfure lie was
aware of it. Does not recollect of having lent thew
auy powder and shot; he was not in bed 'Wreathe
Bells came in, but asleep upon a chair ' • and he and
the Bills had some spirits together. Witness had
only-one glass in the house, but whether they drank
out of it or nut cannot say ; the glass usually stood
iu the press *tyre the pistol lay, but cannot say

whether it was there then or not. James Bell wit
the perion whiiasked him to take hhisikey; his7i;eir.)
sister brought in the whiskey ; Isaac was not above o
minute in the house; Bell asked him to go out whit
him. but witness said he could not; the subject of
the search was talked of. Witness told Bell he ougl.t
not to have gone down to the priest ; and Bell a,,.
swered, perhaps he had better tint have gone ;
ness remarked that it was very like an action of the
priest ; *Ones. eannnt speak as to his dreg. whets
he went ont. Identifies the gun 'lsitltont a lock:: It
had been in Ina house from the end of harviit till
it was found on the search ; it always lay about th•
bed ; he had used the gun shout a fortnight Waft,
to shoot some crows: the luck belonging to it was
attached to uniother gun in another place. This
lock did not helou; to it, and he never saw till* WI
11•! SAW it here. About a week before he had ars
comp:tided the two Bells to Kelso. Witness the.'
had a gun with him ; not this but atioth.r. *lvo'
lie afterward* left at the guiiniirker'*, to he repair.
ed. The pistol had been returned to loin the day
before the attack, and then he putt it itito the pre*..
The pistol. no the +earth. was found above the twit,
and lot remarked, that probably his wile might have
put it there.
William Wilkie, son of James Wilke, black-
smith, at Alavon. !rot Isaac Bell a gun, ou:e ur
o two days before the search for the gates; the can
was in bad order, stud had not been used fi,r loog
'tune; perhaps the inside of the barrel ticght br
rusted. Got it back the night that the Belk were
taken into custody ; received it from the vr!fe of
James Fairbairus ; it was in nearly the same •tale as
when it was lent : could not say whether it had been
fired or not : did not pat his finger into the harrel
to sitamine it. Witness went for the gun first to
Bell's house : saw their sister, and asked for the
gun, but no searching it could hot he found.
Went to Fairlsirtes, and asked his wife if she
it ; she answered she did not know, but that she
would search. It was searched for, and found
above the bed.

The declarations of the Pannels were then given
in and read ; after which Mr. Waco:locum ad.
d►essed the Jilt,' no the part of the Crown, and
lON 11111 SOLE nit that of the Pannels.

The Lunn .1 CSTICE CLERK hiving summed up
the evidence, the July retired, and in 11 short time
returned with a verdict, unammously findieg all
the three Pamir Is—Guilty.
Sentence delayed till Monday.