The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-21 00:00:00

Shocking Murder near Blairingone

(From the Scotsman.)
The immediate vicinity of Blairingone—a village
in the parish of Fossaway and county of Perth—has
just been the scene of a cowardly and premeditated
murder. The facts, so far as at present known, ap-
pear to be these :—Messrs. Wm. Muirhead and Son,
bakers, Alloa, have in their employment a carter
named Alex. M'Ewan, whose daily duty is to drive
a bread cart to various towns and villages in the
vicinity of Alloa—his practice being to leave home
early in the morning, his cart being laden with
bread, returning in the evening to his employers
with his en'pty boxes and cash drawn from sales.
On the morning of Monday last M'Ewan left Alloa
with his bread cart, intending to proceed to Dollar
and Muckart, then returning by the Dollar road on
to Blairingone, from there to Forest-Mill and Clack-
mannan, and home to Alloa, calling on various
dealers or customers in each place. In the course of
his daily journey, the carter received money from
the customers of his employers, and these payments
it was his wont to account for on his return home
after his day's work. On the present occasion, all
seems to have gone well with M'Ewan, both at Dol-
lar and Muckhart.. On returning from the latter
place, M'Ewan had to pass, on his way to Blairin-
gone, through a bleak and wooded road—a road
little frequented, and particularly dreary at this
season of the year. There is a bridge on the road,
known by the name of Vicar's Bridge, and at this
stage on his journey M'Ewan arrived safely between
the hours of 4 and sin the afternoon. At this point
an assassin was waiting in ambush the arrival of the
poor carter. At what must have seemed to him an
opportune time the ruffian stealthily emerged from
his hiding-place, directed the muzzle of a loaded
gun or pistol behind the ear of the unoffending tra-
veller, fired, and fatally wounded his tvictim. So
sure was the aim that part of the face of the carter
was blown away, and his head otherwise greatly
shattered. Whether the carter had fallen from his
seat after having been shot, or whether he was
dragged from the cart to the ground, is at present
uncertain. Be that as it may, unappalled by the
frightful tragedy, the assassin, doubtless in accord
with his premeditated plan, proceeded to the work
of plunder. He rifled M'Ewan's pockets of all the
money they contained, the amount of which is not
yet known, and then left his bleeding victim to die
on the public road. The horse and cart duly ar-
rived at a house of call at Blairingone, and the horse
paused there, but its usual guide was missing, and
the cart was stained with blood. These circum-
stances caused immediate inquiry, and on search
being made the unfortunate carter was found to the
east of the village, frightfully disfigured, and life
fast ebbing. Questions were put to him, but he
comprehended them not, and a faintly-uttered
" Where's my horse ?" were the only words dis-
tinctly articulated. Medical aid was sent for, but
proved of no avail—the murdered man dying in the
course of the hour or two after having been struck
down. Intelligence of the tragedy soon spread, and
the police were immediately on the alert to discover
the perpetrator of the murder. News of the event
was telegraphed to the Perthshire authorities,
and every effort will doubtless be made to discover
the murderer and bring him to speedy justice. Whe-
ther the police have as yet succeeded we do not
know, but already they have apprehended on sus-
picion two well-known characters, named Bray and
Bell—the former an Englishman, a dealer in horses,
and sort of under-contractor for railways ; the other
an Irishman, a poacher, and otherwise of bad repute.
As may be supposed, the crime has caused consider-
able excitement in the district. The deceased carter
was a faithful servant, was very generally respected,
and leaves behind him a wife and child to lament
his untimely death.

The Fire and Loss of Life in Aldgate•
4

Mr. Wm. Payne, the coroner for London and
Southwark, opened an inquest at the Mitre, Mitre-
street, Aldgate, on the bodies of the sufferers who
perished in the fire that occurred the preceding day.
The inquiry created great excitement, and after
the foreman and jury were sworn, they proceeded
with the coroner to view the charred remains, and
upon their return to the inquest-room the first wit-
-m=s-tatierrW7tl3 _ _

Mary Simmonds, wife of Daniel R. Simmonds.
The Coroner, before any evidence was adduced,
said that according as the law at present stood, no
one was allowed to make fireworks or any other
combustible material without a licence. They would
hear the evidence, and then say whether there was
any blame attributable to the owners of the premises.
Mr. A. J. Murray, solicitor, of great St. Helen's,
attended to watch the case.

The witness proceeded to say that in August last
a man named Cohen took the back room for an
office. He also had a room on the second floor. From
April last he carried on no business whatever. His
Christian name was Emeline. A gentleman named
Ashbury, who had lodged in her house, brought him
to her, and recommended him. In August he said he
wanted another room as an office to carry on the
business of a cigar and cigarette merchant. [A letter
was handed in by Mr. Case, the chief clerk, which
went to show that he had addressed a circular to
certain persons, in which they set forth that being
large importers from St. Petersburg, he would be
happy to receive their orders by post or wait upon
them to see them personally.] As witness was going
out into the back-yard she heard a loud puff, and
then saw flames on the staircase. Witness rushed
out, but her clothes caught fire. She went to the
dairy close by. Mr. Levy lived in the same house.
Mr. Cohen and a strangegentleman were inthe house
when this happened. The only part of the premises
destroyed was the office, but the other rooms were
scorched or deluged by water. Mr. Cohen was now
at the London Hospital. He was found in the yard
and was still alive in that institution. On Saturday
evening she saw some packets of paper resembling
tissue, which were hung in the office, and Mr.
Cohen said that if she liked she might put them in
a box, as they were Chinese fireworks. She, in
consequence, put the whole in a box and placed it
near the fireplace.

By the Coroner—She received no instructions
from Mr. Cohen to be careful, and was not cau-
tioned that the paper was dangerous or explosive.
Mr. Cohen let the other person in, whose name at
present is unknown. _ _ _

Thos. Davis, of 3, Sussex-place, Leadenhall-street,
said that he was sweeping some chimneys when he
heard a cry of " Fire." He ran to No. 7, and found
the gentleman lying on his back, and he tried to
lift him up, but his skin cracked. lie tried to get
assistance, but no one would help. .His clothes, and
even his shirt, were in flames. He procured a cab
and took him to the hospital, but he was unable to
say anything as to the origin of the fire as they
went along.

Police-constable Walpole said that upon hearing
the cry of " Fire," he went to the house, and saw
flames coming from the first floor back. He sent for
the turncocks and firemen, and they quickly at-
tended. He knew nothing of the Chinese fireworks.
Chas. Levy, of 10, Bookham-street, New North-
road, a cabinetmaker, said that he knew Mr. Cohen
by sight. He was in partnership with his father. He
knew nothing about the business, and he found the
money for Mr. Cohen to carry on the cigarette
business. On Friday his mother showed him a sam-
ple piece of paper, and he understood that an offer
had been made to Mr. Cohen to dispose of some,
and that he could sell it wholesale. His brother told
him last Saturday that there was a great quantity
of the Chinese fire-paper in the office. He had seen
the two bodies but could not identify them. He be-
lieved that one was that of his father. The Jewish
professional watcher at the hospital told him that
Mr. Cohen had stated that a gentleman had lighted
a cigarette, which he threw down, and that it acci-
dentally fell into the box, and caused the explosion.
Imagining the door being locked he jumped out of
the window. The gentleman who dropped the light
was either the party who introduced the material or
was going to purchase it.
Mr. Bisentman, 157, High-street, Bow, said he
had known Mr. E. Cohen since April last. When
he first came there he said that he had been "hum-
bugged" by his partner, and was very badly off, as
he had spent about £5O which he brought over to
this country. Witness lent him about £4O, and he