The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-20 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL MURDER.
(From a Second Edition of the Edinburgh Courani

of Monday.)
Great consternation was excited this morning in
the village of Juniper Green, about five miles south
west of Edinburgh (in the neighbourhood of Currie),
by the discovery of the murder of two persons in the
house of -Dr. Wilson, a resident medical practitioner.
The county police were immediately on the spot,
and upon entering the house found Dr. Wilson in the
kitchen, lying upon his back, quite dead, with his
bead beaten almost to a jelly.
The next object which presented itself was the life-
less body of the aged mother of Dr. Wilson, which
was found lying in the passage, apparently on the
spot where the unfortunate woman had been struck
down, and killed.
The implements employed in these murders ap-
peared to have been the kitchen poker and tongs.
A person suspected to be the murderer was ap-
prehended in the house, and has been lodged in the
Edinburgh jail.
Information of the dreadful occurrence reached
Edinburgh about nine o'clock this morning, when
Mr. Sheriff Gordon, the Procurator-Fiscal, and Mr.
List, Superintendent of the County Police, drove out
to the scene of the murder. They were occupied
for several hours in making an investigation into the
circumstances of the tragedy, and returned to town a
little after one o'clock.
It would be improper, in the meantime, to enter
into all the details that have come to light, but we
believe that the publication of the following statement
cannot interfere with the course of justice.
From what we have heard, it appears that at a
late hour last night (Sunday) a man of the name of
Pearson, •who is understood to have been in confine-
ment in a lunatic asylum, called at the house of
Dr. Wilson for medicine or medical advice. The
Doctor accordingly prescribed a simple dose, of
which one-half was to be taken that night, and the
remainder next morning. Dr. Nelson having just
returned from visiting his country patients, left the
man at the door, while be himself and the maid-
servant went to thei stable to put up his horse. Upon
his return to the house, Dr. Wilson found the outer
door locked, and, upon knocking, was immediately
admitted. This appears to have been observed by
the maidservant, who then went to her mother's house
is the neighbourhood, where she usually slept.
The precise circumstances that followed within Dr.
Wilson's house, can only be matter of conjecture. The
state in which his body and that of his mother were
found next morning, has already been described.
It is said that the man Pearson, who bad called
at the house the previous night, is the person now in
gaol upon suspicion of the murder ; and it is added
that he had passed the night in the house, sleeping in
Mrs. Wilson's bed, having first, it is supposed, burned
his clothes. He was found naked, in bed, and sound
asleep.
The murder was brought to light at an early hour
this morning by the servant returning as usual to her
work. She found the door locked, and upon looking
through the windows, sew the body of Dr. Wilson
lying upon the kitchen floor. She immediately gave
the alarm, when the door was forced open, and the
full extent of the murder was disclosed.
Dr. Wilson was about fifty years of age, strong
ar dhealthy. His mother bad attained the great age
fninety.
We have already stated that Pearson had been in
confinement as a lunatic. This, we believe was some
time ago—his confinement lasted about four years,
when he was discharged, apparently in sound mind.
We understand that, within the last few days, symp-
toms of insanity again manifested themselves.