The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-03 00:00:00

ATROCIOUS ATTEMPT AT
ASSASSINATION.

(From the Kelso Chroxicle.)
This neighbourhood, long remarkable for the quiet
and peaceable character of its inhabitants, became, on
Friday, the 22d inst., the scene of da: tardly and atro-
cious bloodshed, under circumstances of a very painful
nature. The victim of this cowardly and cold-blooded
attempt at assassination is James Cockburn, a ferm-
servant at Quixwood, in the parish of Abbey St. Bathans,
who was on that night to have been married to Jean
Steel, or Rankin, widow of the late John Rankin, and
residing at Lintlaw, in the adjoining parish of Buncle.
The bride and bridegroom were to have met at Dunse in
the evening, in order to have had their nuptials cele-
brated by the Rev. C. Miller, of the Second Secession
Church. The bridegroom, with an acquaintance, of the
name of James Youl, was proceeding to the place of
meeting in Dunse, from his residence at Quixwood, and
when at a place called Preston Clough, about half a mile
to the north of Preston, at about half-past fire o'clock in
the afternoon, was fired at with a gun or pistol from the
plantation adjoining the east side of the road, or from
behind a whin-bush on the road-side next the planta-
tion. The shot took effect in the back, and the piece
being heavily charged, he instantly fell. You! also
received some of the shots in his arm ; and being stunned
by the murderous attack, and seeing Cock burn fall, he
fled to Preston for assistance and protection to himself
and Cockburn—having procured which, and returning
immediately to the spot, Cockburn was found as he fell,
but there was no trace of the murderer. Ale was now
conveyed to the nearest house at Preston, and medical
assistance and the proper authorities sent for from
Dunse. On an examination of his wounds, he was
found to have received about IGO slug and round shot in
the back, which was dreadfully lacerated. On recovering
sensation, he was heard to say " that it was a poor re-
venge ;" and when asked if he suspected any one to have
done the deed, he said that he thought it would be John
Johnston, who presently resides with Jean Rankin, as
hind to her; the bride to whom he was to have been
married. Johnston was at that time in the room, and
was then apprehended, but was then thought to be in-
nocent, as some came forward and said they knew him
to have been elsewhere when the shot 'as fired. Since
then he has been placed under examination, and re-
manded for some days until further evidence be pro-
duced. The bride and bridesmaid had arrived previously
in Dunse, and were waiting the arrival of the bridegroom
and his friends, when intelligence of the deed reached
them. The friends of the bride, on hearing it, saw the
propriety of being cautious at such a time in communi-
cating it abruptly to her; they, therefore, sent for the
Rev. Mr. Riddell, who, in a calm and suitable manner,
made her aware of what had befallen her intended hus-
band. The poor woman, on learning it, was sorely dis-
tressed. It is not our business to surmise who may 'be
the guilty party at the present time. Johnston is in The
hands of the authorities, and if there be evidence at all
against him, he must stand at the bar of his country to
answer for the deed. We understand that up to this
time James Cockburn is in a very dangerous condition,
and not expected to survive. Some of the shots have
been extracted, but there are still above 100 lodged in
his body. A further examination of Johnston took
place on Wednesday, when he was committed for trial.
From what can be learned, he had borrowed a gun from
some person in Chirnside about three weeks ago, which
he denies. The person from whom he got the gun is to
be examined. A large concourse of people turned out
to see him pass from the Town hall to the prison. When
he made his appearance, he looked unconcerned, and
turned round and gave a stare.

Tun ROYAL EXCHANGE arrangements have
now all been completed, as we are given to understand,
for giving possession of the various parts of this great
work. All the shops and offices arc let, and the agrce-
ments have been signed by the tenants, many of whom
are in possession, and are fitting them up with consider-
able taste and effect. In Lloyd's subscribers'-room there.
%Nil' be mahogany seats and tables for the subscribers,
between 800 and 900 in number ; and in the commer-
cial or club-room, similar seats and tables are to be
placed for the accommodation of 300 or 400 persons.
Hound the room, and in appropriate stands, will be laid
the journals and newspapers from all parts of the world.
In the merchants' area the tessellated pavement has been
entirely removed, and the surface is now covered with
an exceedingly hard and smooth coating of the asphalte
of Seysel of a uniform and pleasing colour. Tho
Gresham Committee at first proposed to open this aria
for the use of the merchants yesterday, or on Monday
next ; but at a meeting of that body on Saturday, they
considered that it would be more advisable to bring all
the compartments of the building into use at one time,
and that probably it would on the whole be more con-
venient to give a somewhat longer notice, and to allow
the public to pass through for some days previously, so
that business persons might not be interfered with by the
intenseness of a natural public curiosity. The merchants'
area will, therefore, it is confidently reported, be given
up to the merchants on the Ist of January, and com-
plete access will be given to all public portions of the
building a week or ten days previously.
THE GORGON STRAM-SLOOP.—Extract of a letter
from an officer on board her Majesty's steamer Gorgon,
dated Monte Video, Sept. 22, 184.1:—" We are still on
the beach, although not quite a fixture here, as we have
moved the ship 21 inches, and are as confident and per-
severing as ever, though I cannot say when we shall get
off, yet I feel sure that before long we shall succeed. We
have built immense oblong boxes (in nautical phrase
termed camels), and have secured them under water to
the ship's sides ; they weigh her up about 220 tons, and
we have got more anchors and purchases to haul off by,
and have done everything to insure success, &c., save
the time and labour of taking the engine out. I dare say
you can fancy a ship stuck into a sandy beach, and the
tshuech is
nativeso ur
knowposi-
sand dug away from all round her and deep water, so
ttihoant.
large bts o
There
area no
high gales
tides a s e
until our summer (which is your winter) has passed
as little of ebb and flood as negroes do of ice or snow,
boats could
geglaor rtoiudnesdh herre
others, er the
s, equinoctial
x°epetictal
The rise and fall of the river is regulated entirely by the
winds and rain, and we expect some gales at the equinox,
eawnday7itwhe shall
them high tides.
away. Our labour has been incessant and well directed,
as the enormous mounds of sand we have raised up tes-
tify ; more than 7,000 tors will mark the spot fur many
a yoar where the Gorgon was on shore, and afford ample
proof to the wondering natives of the energy and perse-
verance of British hearts of Oak.' I am not aware
that a similar attempt to recover so large a vessel from
off a dead lee shore, so deeply embedded in sand, has
ever Wen attempted. The French got a frigate on shore
in this river a few years ago, and after five months'
labour they were about to give her up, when the water
rose unexpectedly and floated her off ; but I fancy her
position was very different from OUTS."—llanipshir
Telegraph.