The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-27 00:00:00

The LORD ADVOCATE objected to the question.

Mr. COCKBURN.---I hold that I am entitled to
test this "gentleman's" credibility with tho Jury,
and with that view I propose to-ask him it he was
concerned in any murder except this one.
LORD ADVOCATE—Thought the Dean of Faculty
had agreed to confine himself to the present case.

Lord MEADOWBANK thought it neither a fit nor
proper thing to allow the question..
Lord Justice CLERK coincided in the view of
Lord Mckenzie,. although he agreed with Lord
Meadowbank in thinking this the " most extraordi-
nary question he ever heard." But the case is an
extraordinary one, and allowances must be made.

LORD ADVOCATE wished to know in what situa-
tion he was placed ? Was he allowed to ask him, if
he confessed, of what murders were you guilty ?
Mr. COCKBURN—We put this question, and the
Lord Advocate is entitled to. put any others he
pleases. I cannot state the thing more generally.
We intend to object to no question the Lord Advo-
cate may choose to ask.

Haire recalled—Assisted in taking the old woman
to Surgeon-square; this is the only body he ever was
concerned in carrying ; never carried any other
bodies; he "never was concerned in none," but he
'Saw them done.

LORD JUSTICE-CLERK—You are not bound to
answer the question about to be put.
Mr: CoCKBURN stated to the witness that he was
not bound to' answer the queStion7-How often have
tent seen them "doing" it ?—Declines to answer.
Is this of the old woman the first murder you have
ever been concerned in ?—Declines to answer. Was
there a murder committed in your house last Octo-
ber ?—itemembers Burke saying he had got a shot;
he understood that to mean a person whom he was
to murder; had heard the expression " he got a
shot," used by Burke, but not often. He said it
many times when he did not mean to murder; on
this occasion told witness he meant to murder the
woman between 11 and 12. Witness was dancing
in Connaway's that night; when he was at Conna-
way's he had no notion there was to be any mis-
chief that night; he had no notion except " from
his speeches;" when he was dancing in Connaway's
he had no notion there was to be any mischief that
night; first time he formed any notion was when
he saw him (Burke) on the top of her; Burke and
witness fell, and he had not a notion till he saw
Burke upon her; saw the old woman's dead body in
the police.
The question was objected to by Lord MEADOW-
BANK.
Mr. Cockburn-Pisher and others having sworn
that Burke and witness, and all of them, when shown
the body denied ever having seen it.
Mrs. Haire or Hare--This witness was solemnly
admonished, by Lord MEADOwBANIC, after which
site was.examined by the LORD ADVOCATE. Lives
in Portsburgh ; remembers last Hallowe'en night.
Afterwards lay down in a bed. Was standing be-
tween the door and the bed when Burke was on the
top of the old woman. Very little room betwixt
the door and the bed. Burke had not lain many
minutes when Nelly M`Dougal and witness flew out.
Was alarmed at what she saw, Saw Berke on the
woman, but could not say whether on her mouth or
on her breast; Had some previous reason of sus-
picion. Had seen a little nick of it done before.—
M'D.ougal had, in the course of the afternoon, gone
to witness's and said, " There was a shot in the
house." She did not say any thing about the mean-
ing of a shot, but that Burke had picked her up out
of a shop. M'Dougal told her it was a woman, at
the same time she mentioned it was a " shot." She
did not say expressly she was to be made away with,
but
t
witness
unarceras:oo,v perfectly that
be
rundersttandt thisin was to
understanding
a " shot"
plied to murdering or making away with a person,
They had given her drink,- at were not pressing it
upon her. The old woman was rather the worse of
was, that she had known it on former occasions
drink. The reason why she run out was she was
afraid she would see the woman murdered. She
thought nothing of What had been said about a
" shot" in the forenoon. Did not expect the old
woman was to be murdered that night. Had made
no remarks.

Dr. Christison—Saw and examined minutely a

body in the Police Office on the 2d and 3d Nov.
Found unequivocal proof of violence in the contu-
sions dispersed through the body, and in no cause
of death being visible. Ile begged to add, from the
woman being seen recently before alive and well, the
blood under the, bed, as well as the appearances al-
ready mentioned, death by violence was extremely
probable.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
The declarations of the pannels were then read,
and from their number, occupied a considerable time;
after which,

The LORD ADVOCATE addressed the Juiy on be-
half of the Crown.

The DEAN of FACULTY replied, and had not
concluded when our Paper went to Press.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Yesterday morning, about four o'clock, a fire was
discovered in one of the lofts in the extensive pre-
mises of the Scottish Brewery Company, in Junc-
tion-street, foot of Leith-walk. On the first alarm,
the Leith engines and a strong body of police repaired
to the spot, and very soon after two engines from
the Fort, with a detachment of artillerymen, also
arrived. It was some time before water could be
obtained, and even then the supply was scanty.—
The flames meantime had attained such an ascend-
ancy, and spread with such rapidity that all efforts
to arrest them seemed unavailing, threatening de-
struction to the surrounding houses. A more co-
pious supply of water having been obtained, and two
engines having arrived from Edinburgh under
the direction of Mr. Braidwood, the greatest ex-
ertions were used to stop the progress of the
flames, which for some time were unavailing._
At six o'clock thefire raged with such fury, that the
whole of the front lofts and the south wing were
enveloped in flames ; and when the roofs of the dif-
ferent houses successively fell, the columns of tire that
instantaueously rose up, throwing the embers to a
great height, presented an awfully grand and sublime
appearance. The attention of the firemen was now
directed to the north wing, consisting of malt barns
and bonded warehouses, and to which the fire had
not reached, and they fortunately succeeded in pre-
vanting that valuable part of the premises from
sharing in the general conflagration. The fire was
got under about ten o'clock. No accident whatever
took place. We understand that the premises and
stock are insured.--Edinburgh Evening Courant of
Thursday.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.