The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-17 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT THE BRIDGE OF

EARN.

The Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary resumed
its sittings on Monday, for the purpose of taking up
the case of Alexander Murray, charged with the
murder of his grandmother. On the bench wore the
Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Ardmillan, and Lord
Neaves.

The prisoner is a young man, 23 years of age, by
profession a sailor. The murder he is charged with
was committed at the Bridge of Earn, Perthshire,
the residence of his grandmother, at whose house
he had gone to stay a few days after his voyage,
and before starting on his next. His vessel arrived
at Greenock in the early part of the week, and on
Thursday, the 19th August, he arrived at his grand-
mother's house. Then he was the worse of liquor,
and stated, in reply to a question, that he had been
drinking very hard for two days previous. On the
Saturday afternoon, while apparently suffering
under an attack of delirum tremens, he seized a
common dinner knife, and stabbed his grandmother
in the throat. She died almost immediately, and
for this murder he was to-day called upon to
answer.

The Lord Advocate, the Solicitor-General, and
Mr. Blackburn, advocate depute, conducted the
prosecution. The defence was sustained by Mr.
George Young and Mr. Alexander Moncrieff.
The Prisoner, in answer to the charge, pleaded
not guilty, and it was specially alleged on his behalf
that the offence was committed while he was under
the influence of insanity.
Several medical witnesses for the defence were
accommodated with seats in the court, and pro-
vision was also made for medical witnesses retained
by the Crown.
The principal witness was Isabella Campbell,
daughter of the murdered woman, and aunt of the
prisoner, who said—When prisoner arrived at our
house from Greenock he was in a state of delirium
tremens, from drink. He was very violent and
restless in the house. He remained mostly in the
house on the day of the murder. I heard a noise
in the back bed-room where my mother and the
prisoner were. I heard screams. I went to the

tack bed-room, and saw my mother lying on the
floor. The prisoner was above my mother, striking
her on the head. Her feet were near the door, and
her head away from me as I went in. The
prisoner's back was towards me. I caught hold of
the prisoner, and tried to pull him off my mother.
He knocked me down. He pulled me down in the
scuffle. I don't remember whether he threw me
down on the top of my mother, but it was near her.
He struck me repeatedly when I was down. I
managed to get up, and cried for assistance as loud
as I could. I heard my mother say he had cut her
throat, and I observed that there was blood. My
mother was covered with blood, and blood ran on
the floor. I raised her up, and attempted to take
her into the next room. 04e of the maids came, in
answer to my call, and helped me to take out my
mother. I had her out in the lobby, when the pri-
soner seized her and knocked her down again.
He struck her several times with his hands, and
knelt down on his knees beside her, and struck her
on the head. I pulled him away again, pushed him out
at the front door into the road, and locked the door.
I returned to my mother. She was still alive, but
died almost immediately.
Tire Court adjourned the trial till Tuesday.
The prisoner sat the whole day with his head
drooping and turned to the side away from the
jury, and looking very abject and melancholy.