The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-19 00:00:00

defence, which averred that the statements were substan-
tially correct, were read, And put in as evidence.
Mr. Jeffery thew addressed the Jury on the part of the
defenders. He considered this ketion as an ill-advised',
and improper snit, and to that conclusion he was confi.
dent the Jury would come, when the whole case was laid
before them, It' blame was to be attached to any party
for the unfortunate exposure that must take place, by far
the weightiest part of that blame must rest with the
individual who had forced the matter into a court of law.—
He (Mr. Jeffery), appeared to protect an honest trades-
man in the exercise of a lawful right, which he used for
the. benefit of the public; and to the jury, as part of
that public, did he look for protection by a verdict in fa„-
'your of free discussion. The Learned Oentleman pointed
.out what were matters of fair discussion, and contended
t'liat,in,•this libel there was no malicious intention. The
ollire of rector in all Scots Universities was:filled by popu-
lar election, but in St. Andrew's, by inveterate usage, the
'appointment had been confined to the Professors. The
students, however, had been guilty of the presumption
of thinking, that the name of Sir Walter Scott, was more
glorious than that of Professor Alexander, and they, or a
majority of them, elected that ornament of Scottish li-
terature to the office of Rector. Who could blame the
youths in glorying in such a name, or in endeavouring
to identify it with their College; or who could blame
his client for sympathising. with them ? It could not be
denied—nay, it had been proved by the pursuer himself—
that considerable disorder and noise took place on that
occasion, and that an interruption was given to the or-
dinary course of teaching. The Editor of the Dundee
paper—published just across the Tay from St. Andrew's
—taking an interest in a matter of public notoriety, pub-
lished several paragraphs on'the general question, not one
of which was found fault with-that is, not one of them
'had been Made the subject of an action—he put in the one
complained of, not as iin attacks on an individual, but as an
incident arising out of the Rectorial dispute, AVllleh had
been particularly noticed in the antecedent publication.—
Bat even if there had been any thing injurious in the pa-
ragraph which it is alleged formed a libel, its sting was
taken out by a subsequent paragraph, which was pub-
lished two clays before any complaint as to that of the 24th
March had reached his clients.
The Lord Chief Commissioner, with great elearaess
and impartiality, charged the Jury, stating that it was
not a case of law, but of evidence.
'The jury then retired, and after an absence of fifty
minutes, returned with an unanimous verdict for the pur-
suer—Damages 504
Counsel for Professor Alexander—H. Cockburn. and
P. Robertson, Esqrs. Advocates; agent, W. Cook, Esq.
W.S. Counsel for *Donald, Sec.--F. Jeffrey, Esq. Ad-
, eocate agents, Ramsay and Imrie, W.S.
Professor Malthus and his family were in Court during
the whole

Pa , CUTION .
.
Of LEONARD WILKFNSON, at YORK, on MONDAY, for the

MURDER of VR. NICHOLAS CARTER.

This forenoon, at twelve o'clock, this wretched culprit
paid the forfeit of his life for the atrocious murder of Mr,

-Curter.

Since his conviction (and indeed from the moment of
his arrival in the Castle) he has devoted himself to reli.
gious exercise, and ' was much assisted by. Mr: Carlisle,
who was last Thursday acquitted • of the manslaughter of
Mr. Blackburne, that gentleman having humanely given
him every instruction as to the nature of penitential
prayers, and its effect hereafter. He expressed his belief that
his hopes in this world were but trifling, and the certainty of
41:is being hanged during the. Atieizes was more thanprobable.
During' ,the brief interval of . time, from Friday to this
morning, he seemed .anxious to , hear prayers read, and
joined with apparent ferVour in the penitential Psalms ar-
ranged for persons in his awful predicament.: He parted
with his parents and a girl to' whom he was to have been
married, In this course of Sunday, and that parting,was
Imarked with` that .tleseriptinit of thrilling anti agomitini
grief which too sorrowfully mark those most affecting in-
Aerviews. The cell in which be was confined was, in point
of space, much limited, and - its gloomy appearance was
well calculated to bring . the unhappy wretch back to the
dark recollect lima of his guilty career. However, it is rae
ther singular that, amid • the ,horrors of his situation, he
never lost his appetite, but devoured every thing eatable in
a most voracious manner. He slept well at night, and
from his placid countenance, and quietness (if demeanour,
it could not be supposed that he could cemmit so foal and
deliberate a murder.
This morning, at ten o'clock, he was attended by the'
Chaplain; he appeared very:collected mid firm, and joined
in some Psalms with much fervour, winging the responsea
with great firmness. At the ,conclusion, Mr. Shepherd,
the gaoler, ordered him to be pinioned, and from that suns-
meant he lost all his eelf.possession, and bursting into tears,
cried with the greatest bitterness, without intermission,.
for,the remaining two hours of his existence. He had di.
rented those books of prayer and Scripture which had
been given to hint to be divided amongst his family, and
ordered a Bible to be given to the girl whom he styled
his sweetheart. Mr.. Under-Sheriff Brookes, by the
may; gave a most uncourteowi refusal to.. the gentlemen
connected with the London and provineiel press, of per,
mission to enter the interior of the Castle, in order more
faithfully to report the previous ceremony of the execu-
tion. However, through the kindness of Mr. Shepherd, a
situation (from which all that passed could be seen) was
brocured for them. The unhappy • man heing diaencum.
ared of his chains, was led from a room or ward to the
ptatform. He cried as he walked along . with evident
anguish and sorrow, and appeared so. extremely weak . as
scarcely to be able to proceed, he, was therefore led by two
persons connected • with the awful ceremony. His dress
was somewhat peculiar, being a red witistcoat with shaloon
sleeves of the seine colour; antrpatent coal breeches. At
a few mutates to IV he was placed on the sestifold, and
knelt 'down with his face to the Castle walls. The Rnv.
Mr. Flower then read the limy, , penitential prayers, ttte.
During the reading of this, the Unhappy man displayed the
utmost bitterness of sorrow, and seemed ite if seized with
a violent shivering fit, which so increased upon him that
it was fotind necessary to support him to prevent his fall.
big on his face: Towerde the conclusion he appeared. to
revive, but again lost his se possession, and appeared
almost itt A state of stupor when the lify: Clergyman said,
---" In a moment, in the twinkling of an eyr, we shall he
changed."
The burial-service being concluded, he was raised upon
his feet, still having his back to the immense crowd, and
his face to the wall, and a rutflanly-looking— old man
dressed in a ragged white coat, rather hastily ran out and
threw a white cloth intended for a cep, but having tn.pre
the appearance of a pillow-case, over the wretched man'a
face and head, and then placed the noose Of the rope
which had been already appended to the fatal beam,round
his neck', and tyinga cord round his legs, diaappeered al.
most as suddenly as he eame. The bolts were thee with-
drawn,' the drop fell, and the wretched culprit was left sus.
Penciled. His sufferings appeared to be of the most hor-
rible description. The knot of the rope, which is usually
placed under the left ear,' by the force of the fall, and be,
fore' the rope littainedN full tension, slipped film its
m I)"
sition, and becae fixed ova ibo Vertebral,: or back of the
neck; eonaequel It ly the unhappy
in al's evidently painful manner, fobrft4allteiLvT,tign,;t;koilt:ltd.afr:4
raised his`chest,6o.4 body in a dreadful convulsive manes.
Ile stetieghd. in this it for- above 4 minutes, taen
t;rsiigulation evidentir pu
' t ,iii end to his sufferings.
Ilk'sllk'swita, after teat hour's suspensiou pit down and remov-
ed IA the 4heiecting-room of the Castle, kr dissection.
Ti. "tioodOtter, who performed hie business ao plum-
wily, from his lqm;1-0-'11fei with the inst sentence of the taw,
is generally shiatned by the nistie iintinty'of this neigh-
bourhood,
and consequentiyllas ilivome a kind orbeing
Who has no friendship Air mankind, and iPitUi in the gaol,
and for %lint, of society, gets frequently drunk I:te__'',in
self was under sie-1410C0 id death for sheep-btettlioF; v..,/