The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-07-24 00:00:00

EXECUTION OP DdrlD 114GG4IIT.

On Wednesday morning this-unfortunate young
man underwent the heaviest penalty of the law, for
the murder of the Dumfries turnkey, at the usual
place of execution, head of I.tith•rton's-wend.
About half-past eight o'clock lie was brought out of
the cell in the Lock-up-house, where he had spent
the night, preceded by Millie, Child and M'Ken-
zie, and the city °Meer'', and attended by the Rev.
Henry Grey, the Rev. Dr. Anderson, and the Rev.
Mr. Porteous, chaplain of the gaol. The appear-
ance of the unhappy youth, on quitting the prison,
was !Ifni and unshaken, and his countenance exhi-
bited a degree of mildness astonishing to those
acquainted with the daring hardihood of his cha-
racter and exploits. The calm serenity, however,
depicted on his countenance was changed for a
moment to tut expression of grief, and he even shed
a few tears on bearing an exclamation of sorrow
involuntarily burst from it few women tunemliled
in Libberton's-wynd to catch a glimpse of his
tall slender person, as he passed to the ',Winn!).
—When on the scaffold, part of the 130th Psalm
was sung, and a fervent and impreisive prayer
was offered up by Mr. Grey. fleggart then shook
hauls with the. Ministers sod the Magistrates,
bidding them farewell in a most affectionate man-
ner, and ascended two or three steps of the plat-
form, but wishing to say a few words he came
down to the scaffold, when turtling to the multi-
tude he earnestly conjured them to avoid the heinous
crimes of disobedieuce to parents, inattention to
the Holy Scriptures, amid being idle and disorderly.
When he had finished his short address; he re-
quested Mr: Grey to give out part of the 43d
Psalm, which was accordingly sung. lie then
knelt down and prayed fervently and eloquently
for a few minutes, after which he took his station
on the drop, and spent u few minutes in prayer,
when he gave the signal, and was launched into
eternity. He was decently dressed in black, and
seemed stouter than when un his trial. The crowd
araciabled oo the occasion was nonleast.aew(4ll4liid
burgh Paper.) , •,

On Monday evening last, about eight o'clock, •
very atrocious murder was committed near Bresfy,
about two man from this, by a number of persons,
men ■nd boys, who proceeded from thi4 town.
The unfortunate objects of vengeance, but. we
hope, not of deliberate murder, were a Mr. Albot
Murdock, ■ man possessed of property to the
amount, perhaps, of 16 or 1,700/. and a woman
named Carney, with whom (having put ■way his
wife) he was known to have lived in a state of adul-
tery. The latter survives the ferocious attack which
was made upon her life, but the unhappy Murdock
has fallen • sacrifice to the fury of some of the
individuals who composed the lawless band which
beset his house—we say of some of them, for a
perfect conviction rest upon our mind, flint many
of the party, who never contemplated the crime of
uturder,.were trepanned into the etfray.
It would he too tedious to relate all the particu-
lar* with which we are acquainted, respecting this
horrid business--and although much is known,

there is ►ull something obscure and mysterious
couisected with the transaction. It appears to us
that the sufferings of the repudiated wife of the
deceased, who was 'supposed to be deranged, and
who complained chiefly, of her daughter having
hear takeu away from her, excited an interest in
her favour, and induced the party to associate in
order to recover the child by stratagem or by
force, from the father (to whose possession she wail
and to restore her to the mother, as a likely means
of assuaging the grief which pres,ied upon her, and
removing the malady which it was supposed to
have created. It is, however, en unaccountable
feature in the transaction, that the deceased father
of the girl was known so be from home, and at the
fair in this town, until about seven o'clock on Mon-
day evening, and during his übsenee, of course, the
child mieht base been taken with greater facility
then stirr his return home, particularly as the um-
fortuitaie victim generally went armed, was of as
uncompromising temper, and pos►essed of more
than common resolution, yet it was not until he had
reached his house 'that the attack was made. The
party, it would seem, affected to have a Magistrate's
warrant againet Murdock, upon mentioning which
to him he instantly submitted himself unarmed
and unsuspecting to the fictitious authority of a
pretended constable. The daughter, who, it will
he recollected, was the apparently sole object
of pursuit, now walked quietly out of the house,
and was given in charge to some of• the boys of the
party, who conducted her into this town. No
opposition was offered to her removal, nor could
any be effectually made. When she was itieut a
hundred yards away, her father was 'dragged out
of his house, knocked down upon a contiguous
dunghill, sod when dome the contents of his own
musket, which was found io the house, loadecltfur
his protection with two bullets and some small,
shot, were fired at him by one of the party and'
belied in his tenet, whereriport be turned round
sod ,expired svithieitt a gram •of au ejaculation....