The Sun.
London, England, 1808-06-21 00:00:00

Ml?. LUDLAM.

This Gentleman has excited much tiosity from
'his eccentric condua Lill before and since he ha
been pronounced a tomtit:. We stated a short timd.
since, that he had made his escape from BroOkhouse;
Claptoh, where he was under the *care. of. Mr.
Holmes, the proplietor. When be escaped he had
not recovered from the wounds and brui,es that he
gotin mikiug a lamer attempt to 1.11.‘
Holives and his friends Made eVery-p6ss;ble exertion,
to hid lion, fur upwards of a fOrtnight, without
effect. On Wednesday, Mr. H. made appfic.nion
to Adkins and Lavender, the &eV-streetofficers, to;
exert themselves to lind him ; the officers, in con-,
sequence, set off upon the inquiry, and leante,l that,
Mr. Ludlam had been to Mr. Marlo,a coach- maker,„.
in the New-ttoad, to order a carri.ige, and it was
supposed he would be there again •un Thursday'
morning. The officers went 'into the •New-Roa4 at,
the time, -and shortly after a 114:n4.A:oat:It .ipi-,etirrN
el with Mr. Ludlam in it; the officers,
coach. Mr. Ludlam inimediately .:diScOverect. tvllci
they weie, and exclaimed to them that he was lint.
trod, and to prove which he plesente,d to them se.►
veral certificates, signed by Dr. Ito y Ibicis find 011,4qr5:,,
that he was recovered ; the officers did not pay tiny:
attention to them, but insisted Upon his gettiug, into,
the coach; ha then struck them with 'it crutiA),
which he walks with in consequence of hi.Jbeing.
lame; they, however, succeedenin com eying. hint
to Holmes's;
.on the road he frequently called of t
to the people, «I am William Locitaiii, whO they
say is mad, but Iron very. Well."
When Mr. Ludlam in confinement, his spirits
niver..fait bini, and • he, in general, talks as it
were perfealy sane. The day previous to
making his escape, he laid a, wager with his keeper,
of half-a-crown, that he would make his escape,.
When it was discovered that he had escaped, a now
from Mr. Luellani wa!Cluenci, addresseerto his fal..
vourite female servant, informing her' that he had'
won the wager, and she wLisuilitive the halt-ero
He escaped at four o'clock in the morning, by bend-.
ing an iron bar in the front of his wiudo.v, and let
himself down by tying his bed eluthes.togettier,
after which he got over a wall ten feet tliv
assistance of a long fares; he h'ut himself ,0
that he could only crawl upon his 'wilds ;Inc teet,
till he ,met with a larinct's earl, in ,v;ll,:ii he was
conveyed to London. hatk-
ney-cuoivies, and left them without pay.iig, 0,,t
having.any money; he was taken to lllttuii-iorti,3l
Office, and held tti bail for this ottenee, On the
day previous to' his being secured, he drove twice,
past Mr. 1-Limes's house in Clapton.

The ?unprecedented aura:lions of Vataiudi has
rendered it a favourite place of tfmusetnent among
the fashionable part of the community, several of
whom honoured the Gardens last night with their
presence, and appeared gratincn, nut taAre
with the splendour of Ole scene than w nil the .fielea
yet very numerous company present.
We understand that bet Ween four hundred and
five hundred rank and tile of the It.githent of Ox-
ford. Loyal Volunteers have Volunteered to go nn
permanent -duty this Suminer for fourteen days—
and that New-bury; in-flerkshire, is the town where
they are likely to be quartered. It is expected the
Regiment will march upon this duty about the t lib
of July.

On Friday morning, as the covered waggon be.
longing to the Aspley Academy, in Bedtoidshire,
containing the luggage of the young 'gentlemen, w 1,,)
have broken up for the boat; s, INIVi passing through
Guildford-street, the near fore-wheel suddenly broke,
and the waggon felt over upon the footTath thig
was.occasioned by the wheel being on tire,, and ti
whole waggon would have been in flames, had it
not been for the immediate supply of water. The
heat was so excessive that the water boiled in the
boles of the wheel, soon after it was thrown upon it.
At Kingscote, Gloucestershire, on the 25th tilt.
so aged horse, unsound in his wind, ploughed in -.lt
effectual manner an acre of a two.years ley, in tour
hours and. :m perm led him, but uo
whip was

;..l•-

ED,INLI Rcl J NZ: 6.

•';`101C11 CO6l:T‘'V JU:ITICIARY.,

citi.OttaisT lot mt.IRDEn or
BUORE. LO:03 jUsrlCk; CL}, LOD.O ARMADALE, AND
L D . A Dt)V UA
Monclm, 0 11. •,!)tttr trial,a James C;ilchrist,
s.,)Ain,r-maker, at or near Slatefleld, on the road '
front Glasgow to CamlaOie, accused of the murder
of his wife.
The indielment states, that, upon theeveping or
night of Tiaffsday, the i; t st day of. January;:a aOB, or
upon one' or other of the days or nights Of that
Maith, or of the month of Dec, mber immediately
, .
preceding, or of February immediately following, the
said James Gilchrist, .having conceived a deadly ha-
tier!, malice, and against the tleceased Mar-
garet Brock, or Gilchrist, hiswife, did- barbarously,
ickedly, and.4elonionsly, within his house, at or
near SlateneldriforeSaid, by strangulation, or other
means to the Proaecutoraiknown, bereave of life
and Guarder the said Margaret Brock, or Gilchrist ;
and in order to 'prevent the discovery of his guilt,
and that it might be supposed that the said Marga-
ret Brodk, or Gilchrist, died in soisequence of her
doilies accidentally taking fire, he, the said James
GOchristsiid, soon after he bad bereaved of life and
murdered the said,Margaret Brock, or Gilchrist, rest
her body upon a chair, and then set fire to her
clothes, whereby her body, from her knees upwards,
was very touch scorched and burnt, B,:c.
objection was made to the relevancy.
Evidence fur the Prosecution.
Jean Abernethy deponed th)t she lived with her.
mother in-' the same tenement with the pannel,
Wh'ose lodging Was immediately below them ; that
it had only a deal flooring, without lath or plas-
ter, in which were sever..!
.chinks, next -the wall,
Jane so large as to admit o. a hand, and that they
could hear very well v. hat. was passing. Each lodg-
. ing consisted of a room and a kitchen,: the kitchen
of the one being above the room of the other. The
Pannel and his wite,when they attended their.work,
lived on good terms; but when they took to drink-
ing, and `were upon the ramble, they frequently
quarrelled, and she has .seen the -pannel strike his
wife. Between three and four o'clock on the after-
mon of Tlsursrlay the 2.lst Of January last, healed
at 14::r.nlotheet,-house to retain some books he had-
'borrowed, and'E,ret back one she had of him ; he ap-
peared to have -been drinking, but not much. Had
heard him go itto his own house before this,and Soon.
after speaking sharply to his wife, who seemed to be
izzyina. About a quarter. before six o'clock she heard
three screarnaand a Buller*, at the distance of about
five minutes from erich other---the goiter was a'
sound as if ii person was cloaking. That John
Girvan, who had • come into their house some
. time before, on 'hearing the wailer, sit'iig"" that is
the last cry she will ',make upon earth ; that Gir-
asanpreVented. her mother from going down, and
told her he once had an uncle killed by interfering-
between man and sure. The cries ceased at six
.o'chick ; 'she was positive as to the time, as Giivan
tookoa at hs wAtc.t, ,hpn the 'cries began and when
they ended.—About ten Minutes atter; and not be-
fore, site' felt a smell Of btirning, which she suppos-
ed might proceed from the wick of a. lamp she was
trimming, but her mother observed that the pannel
liad perhaps put burning paper under his wife's nose
to prevent her fainting. Soon after this she heard
man's foot proceed from the kitchen to the room,
where he sneezed ; heard the noise of a chair mov-
ing just befbie this in the kitchen ; heard him go,
bar,k to the kitchen, . and say, Peggy, come to
"
' bed," and immediately afterwards she heard ,
snoring. Ahem half past Seven she heard him get
out of bed and stumble against something ; -when
he cried up, " Jean, come down, my 'wife's gone."
" She answered; " If Peggy be.aone, 'tis with your
own hands, JaMes ; I'm noccomingdoWn to-night."
'She-then went tb Mrs. Waddel (who fives on the
'.same floor with her mother), and informed her of
what be had cried, up. Mrs: Waddel replied, that
it might not.be so bad as he said, and .the would
go down, She took a candle meaning to light it at
ltit fire, the witness followed her ; 'but When they
entered nil was dark. Got a light at the next door,

141'

too. She denied that there was .my (tuarrel between
her aud.the pannel, nor had she any ill will w him,
though there had been a dryness between them for
spine time.

John Girvan, mentioned in the preceding deposi-
tions, stated, in similar terms, what is there narrat-
ed : heard the three screighs (screams) and a guller;
they lasted aborwa quarter of an hour, from a quar-
ter before till six o'clock : he looked at his watch.
There ttis);!no smell of tire till a few minutes after
the cries had ceased. There was no noise before
the Cites. •

The next witness called was Margaret Colquhoun,
but from her designation in the indielment being
incomplete, the was not admitted as an, evidence.
Janet Stewart, wife of James .Waddek, also pre
vionsly mentioned, gave an account correspond
with what is there stated. When she beard the
cries, she said, "This is serious work." Thought
she heard'the'pannel's. voice in Robertson's house,
winch was immediately below hers. Pannel told
her he had never been out of the house,' but,after:—
wards acknowledged being at Robertson's door. Saw
a quantity bf clotted blood on the floor. The clothes
:ot the deceased were all burnt : nothing but a.stitail
piece of coarse linen cloth on herback, and another
on her head. The body was very much burnt, but
her hair and the cloth on her head were not singed.
After, going out for some time arid returning, she
percei%ed that the,cloth on the head had been re-
moved, and saw. it covering the clotted blood on the
floor. In the evening the blood was cleaned away,
and some meal put on it. The pannel did not seem
drunk, nor was .he much affected. He offered her
money, and .bade her go for whisky ; " 0 man !"
she said, " you may there see the fruits of whisky."
The chair on which the deceased was found leaning•
was, much burut.—[The chair was, 'produced in
Court.]
Dr. Steel examined the body on the evening of
the 2 1 st. He could not say
.that the burning occa,-
slotted her death, having made vo particular obser-
vations, as there was nu strong suspicions of violence.
„John Macarthur, surgeon, assisted by some other
medical geinlemen,T,examined the body on the 23d,
when it was roudi changed ; there was a .'et on the
back part of the head, but the scull was not injured;
thinks that the wounds from
,the burning were stab:.
cient to occasion immediate death.

Francis. Robertson, who lives next. door to the
pannel, went with his wile to Glasgow, a little be-
tore'six u'eiuclt on the 21st of January. Before. tie
left the house heard some cries, but did not attend
much ru them. Recollects going the daynfter with
thevannei to Glasgow for a coffin clic), went also
.to the Council Chamber, to get an order fora me-
dical man to examine the body, on account-0 • the
rumours. that had arisen. Being particularly inter
rogated, whether he kept hole of the pannel ? he
said that the pannel went freely,- of his OWII accord,
and without the witness having told of him., "
The decla ration of the patmui, emitted before one
of the Magistrates of Glasgow, was then read.: Ile
acknowledges 415 being iu the house on the after-
noon of the 21st of January, but saw nOthingot his
wife 611 he found her burnt he.did nut go from
the kitChell to ille,ruom, and then tenni', nor did
he -sneeze.

Exculpatory Evidence.
Dr. Duncan, junior, hutessor of • Medical -lurk-
prudence, was aslied some general_questions by the
panel's Counsel, as to the appearance of :the body
in cases of strangulation, &c.
Mrs. Stewart, Mrs.. Bone, 'and Mrs. Leslie, who
keep public houses, deponed, toat Mrs. (3ilchrist
was much addided to drinking spirits; they had
seen her frequently intoxicated, and nearly falling.
into the fire. ' .

. Julies Rae, who also keeps a ptiblic !rouse,
de-
potted, that Gilehrist" wasat his house about three
o'clock on the 2 tst ot January, and waited near an
hour expecting his wite, MrS. G: came atroitt five;
she rippdared.to be the worse of drink, and had a
little crystal bottle full ot, what seemed to be spirits.
Mrs. Rae confirmed her husband's deposition.
John sinith deponed, , that he sjw a crystal bottle
and some halfpence in the corner.of the chiddley-
grate; one of the women- took it up, bdt could not-
' say Which ot them. 7

Several other witnesses were,examMed. They.
deponed in general that the deceased was 'much ad-
„dieted -, to. drinking that the pannel used her well:-
aud.that they never saw him beat her.
Two of the, witnesses for the.. panne). depOned,
that the deCeased Was kneeling ,by the chair, her
hinds firnilfgr,ispiog the top bar of .the back of it,.
so that it required fierce to reinove them. Another
,witness &potted, that the hands were fixed firmly
about the-middle of the back of the.chair, and ,that
Mrs. Abernethy had threatened to be revenged on
the pannel.
[i\'lrs. Abernethy and MrS:Waddel, in their de-.
positions, stated that the deceased was kneeling
.by
the chair,- her arms' i,:intitg on. the seat of it, and
her. head resting_ on the stoekin4 frame of her ht is-
band, .on.which there were no rnai ks of hurning,j •
Some cif the witnesses in exculpation stated, that
the window shutters of .the panties house. were so
cleheictlt that any persoil passing' might see what
wasgotng on. •

"rte eiTidence' being closed,
.Mr. ALEXANDER NlAcuNoctizz addressed the.
Jury on the part of the Ciowu, recapitulating the
leading features of the evidence with much precision.
and currentness.'

On the part,of the 'pannel the Jury were addressed
by' Mr. JOHN Rum, in a speech of much ingenuity
and legal research, and delivered with great,energy
and *feeling.
The Loan JusTick Ct.eax gave a 'clear and cor-
rect abstrad of the evidence. In support of the in-
dictment lie pointed out the distinct a..tl consistent
depositions of* the two Abernethys,
\Vaddet; if it was passible to suppose that these wit-
nesses swore taesely, it certainly was no Cwt.:ill/a
perjury; it was'the most faul'anct atrocious coitspira.
cy that ever appeared in a Court of Ju3tic e.:tie
other hand, there were circumstances much gil la-
your of the panel; it did not appear that any pre-
- vions quarrel but taken place between liirn and his
\Vile. It k% as also a tnost Miaccountaole anti favOur-
abie circuinstarree for the. patiner, 'that when tha
shrieks were heard there iv: :s not the sitiaLest• rioke
ut struggring, shuffling of Ice!, or au) so-Ind
ever, although the witiAlste4 were ~istcoing sa :men-

ticeln but this,' n part, might be explained by
the extreme state of intoxication which Lhe avee.dstul
waS it). Nor did he, even after suspicions 11:1,i
arise», evade inquiry; he even Courted it, and never
attempted to escape, though: hi) might have etfecled
it with -ease. •

• •
The ,Tury were then enclosed ; ands by appoint-
ment of die Court, on Tuesday, at two. o'clOck ,4 re-
turned finding, by a plurality of voi;2s,
the pannel'qiiitty. :
After the verdict-was'delivered, the panne} said—
" There certainly must •be some Misunderstanding
in this'case-; but 1 -declare before GOA and this
dience, and as I basic ta answer Goil at the'day of
judlment, I am as innocent Of this crime as
child unborn. I knew noil,itig of my wife that night
till I got out of bed, and found her burnt. HOW-
e%'er, it be the will of the Almighty that lam to
suffer, die innocent."

An objeation was stated to the verdia by the
panneftS counsel, that it was 'too general, and did
not specify the crime ; which was repelled..
The Court then proceeded to pronounce jirt-
, punt. The LORD JUSTICE CLERK, in a most elo-
quent and impressive speech, addressed the prisoner
on the enormity- of his crime. He then pronounced
the sentence of the law, which was,- that he should
be taken back to the Tolbooth. of Edinburgh, be.
there detained, and fed on bread and water, till'the
20th of June, and then delivered over by the. Ma-
gistrates to the Sheriff, to be by him sent under a
safe escort to the IICK't shire, and so on till brought
to Glasgow, where be was to be confined until the
loth of July, and on that day to be hanged at. the
common place of execution, and 'llk bOdy gi>•eu to
the Professors of Anatomy for diSsl:clion. •
When sentence %vas- pronounced, the prisoner
said; If he was guilty, a hundred deaths were too.
little for him; but he thanked the Almighty
.lie Was
innocent."

' The panne' is 47 yea: s of age, stout made, of a
dark complexion„ add d-. Tent appearance. He was
very attentive to the procee.fings, but no \r ay agl7
tated, and heard the dreadful sentence with firm-
ness and composure.

Counsel for the Crown, Alexander MacoqWochie
and Henry Cockburn .Esqrs.; agent, Fleg:l.ar-
render, E,q. 1..V.5".--4,0r the panne{, John lieici.and.
John:Cuninghacne, Emirs. ; agent, Win. Drysciale,
Esq. W.S.

Yt:TL

Kn~Y.