The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-14 00:00:00

THE CONDEMNED CRIMINAL BARBOUR.

The Sheffield magistrates concluded on Wednesday
evening the investigation ordered by the Home Secretary
into the "confession" made by the convict Barbour, 'now
under sentence of death at York Castle for the Murder.
of Alexander Robison, at Sheffield, on the 2d of Septem-
ber last, whose execution had been respited for thatputrb-
pose till Saturday next. The police have been unable
discover any evidence confirmatory of a
Barbour'ss con-
fession," inculpating George M'Cormack
discovered the mur-
derer ; but on the other hand, have
additonal evidence as to Barbour's guilt. Indeed
M'Cormack's innocence is made quite apparent. It
is proved by two witnesses that for two hours before
and two hours after the time that the murder was com-
mitted, and when Barbour states that he gave M'Cor-
mack the murdered man's pack to take to the Royal
Standard, M'Cormack was at the Rein Deer public-
house, two miles off. He also disproves the statement
of Barbour, that when he called at the Rein Deer that
afternoon, M'Connack gave him the murdered man's
watch to take care of. M'Cormack's attorney stated
that he was prepared to call Mrs. Swann, the landlady
of the public-house, and two or three other witnesses, if
necessary, to speak also to the same facts. The disclo-
sure by Barbour of the place where the pistol was hid,
has brought to light additional evidence against himself.
Barbour, in his confession, alleges that on the Monday
morning after the murder, M'Cormack, after produc-
ing a pistol, and saying, "This is the pistol that
cooked Robinson's goose," swore him to secrecy, and
afterwards they walked together to a field adjoining the
Botanical Gardens ; that M'Cormack there secreted
his pistol in a fence wall, and they returned into the
town together, each smoking a cigar. M'Cormack states,
and is confirmed by other evidence, that during the whole
of this day he was engaged in waiting upon customers,
two miles from the Botanical Gardens. But on the other
hand, Barbour is proved to have been seen, at half-past
ten that morning, within five minutes' walk of the place
where the pistol was hid, and walking in the direction
of the very place. Two hours afterwards, he is also
found at the Ball-in-the-Tree public-house, within 100
yards of the Botanical Gardens wall. Apart from this
evidence, Barbour's own account boreSithe stamp of impro-
bability on its face. It could scarcely be credited that
M'Cormack having—as the "confession' states—confessed
himself to Barbour as the murderer of Robinson, should,
when Barbour, whom he knew to be innocent, was to be
tried for the offence, and he subpoenaed to give evidence
against him, allow the pistol to remain for four months
in its hiding-place, ready to be produced as damning evi-
dence against himself at any moment that Barbour might
make the disclosure. Another important piece of evi-
dence, in disproof of Barbour's implication of M'Cormack,
is the production of two letters written by Barbour,
while at York Castle, to Mr. Pigott, with whom he had
lodged. In both of these letters Barbour writes, " Give
my best respects to Mr. M'Cormack." This to a man
whom he knew all the time to be guilty of the foul mur-
der for which he, an innocent man, was then awaiting his
trial, with the knowledge, also, that this man, the real
murderer, was one of the witnesses subpoenaed to give
evidence against him !

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.—A meeting of thiS society
was held last night ; Mr. Payne Cullier in the chair.
Several new donations were announced to the secretary,
amongst them were Isaac Casaubon's Scriptores Sex,
Historku Augustre, with the autograph of Ben Jonson
on the title page. Some interesting exhibitions were
placed upon the table ; among them rubbings of the
engravings on the ancient candelabra at Aix-la-Chapelle,
and a cast of a Runic monumental stone, dug up, not
long since, near the front of St. Paul's. Several papers
were read, among them one of great interest by Mr.
Akerman, giving curious and novel details regarding
the discovery of Roman pottery on the borders of the
New Forest, now far removed from any dwellings, but
formerly surrounded by a dense population. The con-
jecture was that the whole district had been depopulated
by William the Conqueror for purposes of the chase.
THE LINEN TRADE:—The quantity of linen exported
from the port of Newry during the past year amounted
to 7,215 packages, being the largest quantity shipped
from any Irish port, with the exception of Belfast.

50
100
100
20
50
25

Aberdeen

Ambg. Nottng. Bost
& Eastn. June

Birmng. Wolvarh.
Stour Va11ey.........

'Birkenhd. Lancsh. (It
Cheshire Junct......

Do. Chesh. & Birk.,
£5O & £25 Cons....
Do., £2O

(Bristol & Exeter

!Caledonian.

Chester & Holyhead
Cork and Bandon '
Dublin&Belfast June.
Dundee Perth &Aber-
demi Junction .......
Do. New

....
East Anglian (£25 L
& E. & L. &
Do., (El.B E. & H.)
Eastern Counties
Eastern Union, Class
A. late E. U. Sh
Do., d 0........ ......
Do., B. & C.

East Lancashire ......
East & West Ind. Dk.
& Binning. June....
Edinburgh & Glasgow
Edinb.Prth.&Dundee
Glasgow & S. Western
Great Northern Stk..
Do., i A. Stock ..,...
Do., t B. Stock._
Great Southern and
Western (Ireland)..
!Great We5tern........1

Irish South-Easterx.
Lancaster & Carlisle.
~ Do Thirds

........
Lancash. &Yor::shirc
Do Fifths

I Do.; Wst. Riding Un
Leeds Northern__

Liv. Crsby. & Sotghpi.
London & Blackwall
Loud. Tilb. & Stheud.
Lond.Bright.& S.Cst.
London &N. Wesi;em
Do. Fifths
Do. JO/. 5h.,M&8... C
London & S. Western
Do., £50... • • •• •
Do. , • •
Didndrry.&Coleraine
Lndndrry. & Enuisk.
Jianch.Shef.&Lincln.
Do., Maui. & Lin. Un.
Midland ........ .....
Do. Birming. & Derby
Midland G.West.(lr.),
Do. Shares ..........
Newcastle & Carlisle..
Newmarket

Ne wpt.Aberg.&Htfcl
Ne h & Enniskillen
Newry Warrenpoint
& Rostrevor
Norfolk..

Do., New ....... ......,
Northn. Counties Un
North British

North Devon,
Do., No. 2.

IDo., A Deferred...
Do., 4 B Guaranteed
North Staffordshire..
North We5tern.........

N. & S. Westrn. June.
Oxford Worceser &
Wolverhampton..
Scottish Central
Scottish Midland.,
Shrewsbury & Birmg
Do., L. & N. Westu
Guaranteed Stock
Shrewsby. & Herefd
Shrewsby. & Chester
(Nor. W. Min.)
Do. Halves, do

(Do. Oswestr'

Shropshire Union ....
Do., A.B.C.&D.fully
paid up at p. c......

South .....
South Ea5tern.........
South Wa1e5...........
S. Yorksh. River Dun
D 0.....

Stockton & Hartlepl.
Thames Haven Dock
and Rai1way.........

Vale of Neath.........
IWaterfd. & Kilkenry
IWaterford&Limerici

'West London
Woodford

. . _.. ..... ,
York Newell. & Berw.
Do. Extensions .......
Do. G.N.E. Purchase
York & N. Midland..

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