The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-11 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF JOHN KERR.

This unfortunate man, condemned at last Glasgow Cir-
cuit Court, for having murdered his wife, in October last,
on Wednesday underwent the dreadful sentence of the law,
upon a scaffold erected in front of the New Church.
So early as nine o'clock the prisoner had been removed
from gaol to the Mid Parish Church, where two psalms
were rung, and an appropriate prayer offered up by the
Rev. Mr. Hems. Towards the conclusion of it, the un-
fortunate criminal, who during the previous part of the
day, had been calm and collected, became extremely agi-
tated when about to be pinioned and removed, be ap-
Peered very much exhausted, and wine was promptly ad-
ministered much exhausted
About two o'clock intimation was
given that the time for leaving had arrived, and soon after
the unfortunate man was conveyed through the body of the
church to the place of execution in front. In passing
along, he groaned heavily and repeatedly ejaculated to those
" God bless you." When in sight of the scaffold,
"l'lttrength again failed, and at his own request, a glass of
Was given him.
Pr was
at a quarter past two o'clock, Kerr made his
il""s‘fance'ota the scaffold, supported by the Rev. Mr.
ve.rens of,,the Independent Congregation, the Rev. Mr.
l'*(); Chaplain of the Jail, followed by the Rev. Mr.
A "Re Turner, e f the Methodist connection. After about
tainutes paned. in coinreraation with these Rev. Gen-
141'e ro, and in making the' necessary preparation, Kerr,
an natant
uttered a short prayer, gave the fatal signal, and in
Want was launched into eternity. He died apparently
aaWithout a single struggle. At this awful moment, though
e concourse of spectators was immense, universal silence
d good order prevailed. The crowd extended to the foot
of William-street, on the north, and to the Cross Shore-
-4t eet and Manse-lane, on the east and west, and amounted
JO several thousands, among which, .the number of females,
I'4ll children in their arms, was more indicative of the
ettriosity of the sex than consistent. with correct taste or
Road feeling.
John Kerr was about 54 years of age, of short stature,
but
strong. and compactly made. He was a native of the
district of Kerry, in Argyleshire, and the illegitimate
°felking of a small farmer, still alive and residing in that
quarter. At an early age Kerr went to sea, and eontinu
to follow a seafaring life for many years, during which e
served a considerable time in the Royal Navy. About 2u Years ago, or perhaps more, he settled in Greek, and
followed the business of rigging vessels, in wh,i • was
considered as being highly proficient---index'
a!lqat--and many of our very finest merchantmen, were I
rigged by and under the direction of John Kerr.
It is not surprising that the capital punishment of Kerr
should have excited a strong sensation, as besides the rarity
of an execution in this town, he had been se long domi-
ciliated in Greenock as to be generally known., There were
circumstances in his case likewise, whieb,, while they
marked him out as a not unfit object for -the Royal cle-
mency, created a feeling of commiseration_ in his behalf.
The irregular habits of the woman to whom he bad been
united for the long period of thirty years, had for a consi-
slerable portion.tof Alla time destroyed his domestic com-
forts—it is knoW9. that he had often exhibited extreme in-
(lulgenee tower her;in her irreclaimable thirst for ardent
spirits, and Aven.ia the fatal catastrophe which arose out
of an indulgence of this unfortunate propensity, though
114 Passion had triumphed over his better feelings, and
even his reason, there was no evidence of premeditation in
ore deed. His disposition was not naturally either cruel
„revengeful. We have only to add, from our informa-
lon of this miserable couple, that they stood in the rela-
t'" of first cousin to each other, and that, had their days
11:t been thus prematurely shortened, they would next
Su
have been married exactly thirty years. Kerr's
Wife was older than himself by ten years : fortunately, we
InteatlsaY. they were childless, since they leave none to per-
-"ate
the memory of their wretched fate.--Greenock
414ertiser.

i,
is 91tTHERN YACHT CLUB—REGATTA,—
It wi
Norther,th t ple ure that we find the members of the
Ygracehat Cub have made their arrangements for
thLaPPrnachi g eeting which takes place on the 18th
better We understandin,
this meeting is expected to be
:..t.ter attendedthanany hitherto held, since the founda-
hi"' 0 the el
-"e
PurPose: libel. there
h will also be several new gigs,
built in th
e Clyde, and in Belfast ; and the
dictredut re. aetchesamareePext pected to, be severely contested.—
. Oniqu 1$1„
vicury.
LW
OP LIBEL.—If Jurors were always
c
aware A
of the effect of their decisions, we are in-
lined to think those decisions themselves would
be different from what they are. If, for instance,
_they understood that a plaintiff of high character,
h.ad suffered so much from the mention of a fact,
that, completely to console him for his damaged
fame, a shilling, five pounds , or even twenty-
five pounds were necessary, we doubt if, for such
b
a "jewel" of 4, reputation," they
quite easy in their
cons6ience, on would feel
being told,
that they took from the defendant some three
hundred pounds. Twelve plain, old-fashioned,
unsophisticated Englishmen, when a man of
small character comes for damages, in a case
where malice was out of the qustion, and
no very culpable out
could
.be esta-
blished, might perhaps think there existed no
good reason for encouraging' litigious foolery,
by giving a verdict at all. But if two plaintiffs,
corrected in business, and outraged by the same
paragraph, chose to bring two - .
separate actions,
though their fame could be as well vindicated,
and the sentence of the law
as easily
e.roape,roa-
cured, by one, merely to inflict double
417) who acted from the suggestions a common
6,ense, and common feeling, would perhaps think
there was something like malice in such a roceed-
ing, and not be sorry to see one of theses shilling,
five pound, or twenty-five pound character men,
hum his fingers. We hope English Jurors will
Ily themselves to punish guilt, and not-suffer
tnemselves to be cajoled into despoiling one class
of their fellow countrymen, to fatten, at their ex-
pence, another, and not the most estimable,
class that could be named. If, as the law stands,
such verdicts cannot be returned as will inflict-
the Proper measure of punishment--if, at pre-
-sel,:nt) knavery must be allowed to run down pro-
y, we we trust the time is coming when, whatever
:7 may be raised against innovation, such a sys-
'ni will be introduced, that those most ready to
,ref the jurisprudence of the country, will not
r'able to pretend to mistake our Courts of Law,
" Courts of injusticee.Corier,

ARRIVALS OF GRAIN IN LONDON DURING LAST WEEK.
5 x 0 . ~,,,, 7. 1
From Whence. it g- IL '6 r.
:9 °
<-. ,C r S.
---....
Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Scks.
Aldborough 2OB 10 12 45
Boston
Clay
Cowes
Colchester lO5 484 17 914
SI Harwich
.: Leigh
801 15 100 7 gs
4.1 Maldon 4BB 7 348 8 147 58 gi.s
Gainsborough — 50
Hastings ......
Hull — 220
Ipswich 27 20 1015 673
Kent 960 10 30 155 43 1480
Lynn — 1562 202
POole
Rye ll6
Southwold
Stockton
Wells
Weymouth — 25 310
Whitby
Woodbridge 3lB 10 50 256
Yarmouth
Berwick
Dundee l2O 61
------
5026 144.9 8913 2310 520 169 ipso
IRISIL
FOREIGN.
Antwerp — 1930 _
Bremen — 1759 100 58
Brussels _ 860
Carolienziel — 300
Copenhagen — 620
Dantzic 2510 1000 —•—•
Dordt
Dunkirk — 576
Emden — _ 280 150
Groningen r 5
2.'9
Hamburgh — 425 3455 225 228
Hookziel —.— 315 _,
Memel — 100 -- 430 -- -- --
Palau .... — 1010 250
Riga — 1110
Rostock 1330 56 1720 16
Rotterdam - 1300 1305 278 40
Santanda — 520
Stettin — 880 35
---. —
Total BB6O 5734 89131`1200 1273 546 18863

AGGREGATE
Rye, o—Tares,

8866 1
OLT
[ustard,

I 5734
[TITY (
iseed,
O—H,

8913
3F OTt
11&.4-]
emp, 0

i 21200
ER Kr

I 1273 I
NDS OF
9.

F FIJI,S
airank,