The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-01-19 00:00:00

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MGM COfJRT up .17,1871CJA Rt • T
.IDINIURSIO, ZAXV&IT 14.
Tbeluday John Lawson was brought to the bar to receive
.iedeguseut. The verdict of the Jury ea the previous day,
lading bin haviog beets read by the clerk, their
Lordship. here about to proceed, obits the Primmer inter.
typed them, by beguieg their Lordships to take late use.
elderatiee That his Coussel bad declined to had kle proofs,
of which I. had three ; if their Lordships would enosider
this, he aimed them is would bays the desired tikes, as be
had set been so bad as others.
Lord PITIVILLY treated the Prisoner's ebeirvatioas
&gels.. his Cesare (Mr. Smith) as without foundelloo,
W seldom had be seen so with node out of a bed
mese.
Lord al

sod_ (lb-

was of the mom *Mew,
served, that the abilities displayed by his pion kind o•
ouch uspromisiog materials would place him high in
the estimatius of the profession. His Lordehip proposed
that the Primmer should be transported for • period of 14
years.
The Loss JOITICK CLF.i entirely moseerred is whet
Lad fallen from Lord Mesdowbank, sad sealmaced Lawsos
t Fourteen Tears Transportation.
The Prisoner exclaimed," God bless your Lordships ! that
la jest what I wanted."
The LORD ADVOCATR here addressed as obs•rvstios
t• the Court, relative Ice the evidence on the trial of Lewes.,
s. prevent an opinion going &brood that there hod bees
say went of vigilance .s the part of the police; w►ich
drew • warm eulogium from the Lord Justice Clerk ow
the establishment in general, 'ad the seperistendest Cartels
particular.
Lord M.•Dowuai also paid a warm tribute of appro.
►•Lion to t►e efficiency of the establishment ; cod, is re.
kresee to the last trial, remarked on the eircumele•ee of
the Primmer going into t►e very lioes den to commit crime.
Hie Lordship alluded to the opportunities be had while
be held the °lke of Lord Advocate, of bele( folly an.
• ted with t►e merits of Captain Brow•, whose sew.
tiNfl Ss • public officer had his Lordship's liequaltied ap.
probatiom.
Lord PMIILLY observed that he had rot bee• preseat
at the evidence, but folly concurred in what hail bees said
as to the efficiency of t►e Police Establishment.
John Conner was then put to the bor, accused of break-
lag into the shop of T. and G. Ross, clotb•merebants,
Corluke, aad stealing therefiors a quantity of broad-cloth,
some a lk and cottoa handkerchief., and a small saw of
copper sad silver mooey ; be wan also charged wit► being
habit and repute a thief. The Prisoner had bee■ brought
before the last Circuit Court at Glasgow, but there being
some informality in the iudirtment, al was thee quashed.
He sow appeared sad pleaded Gritty.
The LORD ADVOCATR restricted the libel to an arbitrary
punishment, and the Jury found him Guilty in terms of his
own confession, and he was then seateaced to trauspertatioa
for life.

Williams Thorson and Williams "'Donald (the latter of
whom did not appear, and was evasespeently outlawed),
were accused of breaking into a grocer's shop is Dalkeith,
and stealing therefrom' considerable property. The Pound
pleaded Grilij of the theft only, but afterwards castrated
himself wills tbegeoeral plea.
The Advocate Depute restricted the penally as in the for.
gam case, and the Jury having found accordingly, the Pri-
soner was sentenced to transportation for 14 years.

FRIDAY. JANUARY 11.
(A short and incorrect report of thin cue, copied from an
Edinburgh Paper, appeared in TN■ BRIMS PRIM of the
17th instant.)

This day the Court met for the trial of William Arm-
strong, accused of having, on the illst of November last,
is the village of Overtown, Dumfriesshire, murdered
William Ferries, tenant is Wsugbslie, in the same vicinity,
by discharging at bim a loaded musket. The Pseud pleaded
Not Guilty.
Agnes Armstrong lived as a servant with the Prisoner till
the month of November last ; recollects the last eight her
master was at home. He and her mistress were to bed
about eleven o'clock. Before she sod the *errata weal to
bed they beard • wise of people speaking ontsithe the door.
She went to the door, and the other servants followed he..
Os opening it she saw some mess upon the road. Two of
them came running to she door, oo which she ran in. She
sous after heard silica the men saying, 0 Tell Tibby Murray
to come out, as somebody wants to speak to her." Tibby
replied, she wield not go; on which two men came into the
passage. Tibby Murray lighted a candle, and west to see
who they were. Our of them struck at the candle and put
it oat; asosher came into the kitchen and danced. Tiliby
called to him to go out, or she would raise her master. On
this be ran hack into the passage, and bee master come out
of his room and put the map out of die door. She did not
bear any scufae beissere them. After this there was a win-
lent knocking at the door, which site thought would break it
down. Her master ran again into the kitchen, and look
down the gun off the just, and went to the outer door. By
the time he gut to the door all the seise had reseed. Tibby
Murray cried out, don't shoot the gem. He went to the
door, and she immediately beard the gun go off. After this
be came io, lucked the door, and laid the gun where it wes
before. He then scolded her end she other servant for being
out of bed so lung. They then went again to bed, and
shortly after heard • matt crying upon them to open the
door. Her master came into the kitchen, and asked Tibby
what the man had said ? Sic answered, that he (the Patted)
had burt William Ferries. On this he seemed in great dim.
tress, and went back to his room. Soon after be went away
with sense men to hie wife's brother. He expressed a desire
to give himself up if be was waited.
Cross•examined hyr Mr. J mann—Did slot know the man
who was shut. Her master is of rather a buoy temper. She
examined the door next mottling, and found that lime :neck
was drives from the door, so that it cuuld not be opened
from without till it was mended.

Juba Elliot was in the roach sham with Ferries and some
Others of his companions, going to Waueludie, on the 21st
November. Fri ries was very m. rry They went into • pub-
lic hou.e on the road, where they drank • good deal. By
the time they came out Ferries was very hearty with drink.
When they got to Armstrong's house, which won the road,
Ferries stepped up to the door, and witness ran after him to
make him return, and went in to tell one of the girls to come
our to him to prevent the deceased going is. Ferries, how.
ever soon followed, and finding he could riot get away from
the deceased, he proceeded on the road by himself; he sons
after heard a knocking, arid •fierwards the report of a gun
or pistol, followed by heavy grouse, which were repeated,
but in a lower tone. On this he begs. to dread something,
and turned back and beard some person run across the chair.
not of a burn which was there. After fisiiking about be sow
Ferries lying on the road aide and still groaning, but unable
to speak. Witness lifted him up and lard him dowu again;
he was aeon after joined by some others, when they carried
him to the bouseof one David Irvine. The deceased wasdead
when they entered the house. The light was such that a man
could be seen at the distance of abort ten yards.
John Irving surgeon, dissected the body of the deceased
in a house in Chapel Know, sod read in Court a report upon
the ease. From the position rattle shot in the body of the
d d, he appeared to be opposite the person who fired,
god not walking sideways.
Walter Newal,surveyur,was called to Sear evidence to the
correctness of • plin which he had made of Mr. Armstrong's
house, and the surrounding premises.
George Johnson, surgeon, bore evidence to the correctness
of the report on the dissection of the dressed, and ideutilled
the lead drops found lo his body. The shot seemed to have
entered to an oblique direction. The body was found about
o_prds from Armstrong's door.
• babella Murray, another w neat of Mr. Arautrons'a, ear-
oillorsted the whole evidence of the list witoessAgnes Ann-
-enlymy. The Paonnl, when taking down the ins, sated her
Min they had been, sod what airs these mese they had
Wight with them! To this wiinem aismeered, that obey
Piro nothing about them. It might hove bees two mi-
ssies after the Patina opeued the doer Wore be /red the
gas. Wbea she told bias, on reinvent( AO the hitches, after
'ad Iran *seared, that he had *hot a etas, be cried is rust
dom., oh, dee, !rm ROM it cane. he sas" When be
-Sratbsiek, after seeing the dead body, he seemed Irks use
h• judgnien e
.41104essimed by Mr. .11

beJamard of kis

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