The Sun.
London, England, 1820-11-14 00:00:00

GREENOCK Ot3 FRAGE AND MURDERS.

EDINBURGH, FRIDAY, Nov. 10.—On Tuesdny
the trial of Robert Surrage, John Dempsey, John
Beck, Joseph Elliott, Malachi Clinton, and Pa-
trick Lynch, all privates in the 15th Regiment of
Foot, came on before this Court, for the murder
of Robert Simpson, Henry Pearson, and Archi-
bald Morrison, at Greenock, o❑ the 31st of
July last. After the indictment was read, and
the panels had pleaded Not Guilty,
Mr. MENziEs stated, that as the,prisoners had
suffered considerably from the animadversions of
the public prints, and as they laboured under
other disadvantages-asstrangers, not knowing any
witnesses, nor so situated as to expect any to vo-
lunteer in their behalf, he was anxious that Ma-
lachi Clinton, against whom nothing could he
proved, might be put on his trial first, in order
that after his acquittal he might appear as a wit-
ness in favour of the others.
After the LORD ADVOCATE was heard in an-
swer, and the Lords Justices. CLERK, GILLIES,
and Prrifirmy delivered their opinions, the
LORD ADVOCATE deserted the diet against Clin-
ton, as his information did not justify him in de-
taining the Court with his, trial. The evidence
for the prosecution then proceeded.

Mr. Mitchell remembers hearing a noise in the Highland
Close, opposite Shannon's Close, in the summer, about mid-
night. When be went up, be sirw one of several soldiers, ti-
tan man, asking the best of the blue jackets to turn nut, and
he would fight them ; there were five or six soldiers, and about
a dozen sailors arid tradesmen. Afterwards one of the sol-
diers, a little man, came up with a bayonet under his jacket,
and asked them to turn out and fight ; he did not hear the
sailors cry any thing; they wanted to make peace. A sailor
came up, and offered tine soldiers half a pint not to wrangle.
On,- of the soldiers took hold of a stoup the sailor had, annul
said, " Cons" away, shipmate." The soldier went alongside
of him, and all the rest followed; witness remained at tine
head of the close, and shortly after he heard a noise, and one
of the soldiers !snacked down a sailor with a stoup. The sai.
!or rose up and followed the soldier into a large house; the
door was immediately shut, and people* as it from the inside,
called out they were killing the lad' Does not know the lad.
The crowd then began to break open the doors and window-
shutters; saw no soldiers at this time; witness ran up the
those ; he stood a little, and then heard one'of the soldiers
cry " fire ;" the crowd ran up the close, and said that a lad
tell, and afterwards he was carried up•t4e close. He heard
the people call the lad Morrison; he wad bleeding. Thinks
it was the soldier first mentioned who called " - An
old woman then ran and called the guard; heard several
”h”ts by this time.; thinks they were fired over the window
in the garret-story. . . .

Cros's-examiteed.—Does not think the soldiers had their
belts or bayonets on ; all the soldiers were " agreeable like,"
or disposed to make peace when they went down the close ;
did not hear the sailors abuse the soldiers; hut they might
have done it from the way the soldiers_were speaking when
he came rp.
John Nl‘Nnight, cloth merchant, Shaw•street, Greenock,
remembcvs a riot on the 30th of July, ab,mt twelve o'clock at
night ; concurs with the preceding witness as to the scuffle,
and heard shouts of murder; saw the guard take away two
men in sailor's dress; heard some person from a window say,
" Who are you ?" to a man in the close, who answered he
was placed there by authority; immediately after this a
musket was discharged from the window, and the man iu
the close fell.

Was. Gowan*, grocer, Laigh-street, saw a sailor and a girl,
wills some soldiers, coming towards Shannon's Close. The
sailor gave rule of the soldiers a push, and the soldier offered
to fight. The soldiers went to the foot of the Highland
Close, where there were a masher of sailors. One of the
soldiers went forward and said, by the Holy Ghost he would
fight any of them. The sailors gave no abusive language.,
and did not seers& inclined to fight. In a short time he heard
a noise, and upon going to look, saw two or three.soldiers
laying at the door where they lodged. At that time he heard
a man in sailor's dress say lie could Eck the whole of them.
One of the soldiers got into the house, and returned with a
poker, or other weapon, and drove back the sailor and crowd.
A sailor, who had a pair of stoups, struck him on the hack
of the head, and aftera scuffle, the sailor was knocked down.
The sailor was carried into a house, and the soldiers 'went
into their lodgings, when a numb of sailors came up and
broke the stoups against time door. luring this time a gun
was fired from the window, and shortly sifter a sailor, named
Morrison, was carried up severely wounded. Saw a gun at
the window, but not the person who fired it. Heard the
watchman Simpson desire them not to fire, and saw flint imme-
diately fall, iss consequence of a shot from the window.
_ _ _

Joh-n M‘Farlatte, sibipmaster, Greenock, swore to the affray
on the street. Saw the soldiers take their fire arms at the
higher window. The crowd made a rattling at the dour, and
one man appeared first at the window, and fired up the close.
A great number of shots were fired, but he did not see any
one fall. Saw only two of them fire; one, be thinks, fired
very often. When any person " hose in sight," they asked,
tt. ho goes there ?" trum the window, and said, they had
plenty of ammunition. A watchman came, and was asked
from the window 'who be was, and told to be off, or they
would blow his brains out. He said he was there on duty,
when a shot was flied, and he fell. Did not see any of them
load. Cannot swear positively to any of the prisoners.
Mary Taylor swore to the conversation between the soldier
and watchman, and. that the latter fell down at her feet, or
within four or five feet of her; she endeavoured to lift him
up, but was not able.. Pearson, the, other watchman,. came
down the close, and said, " For God's sake, come and assist
him," and was immediately shot. Pearson died in'less than
an hour, declaring that they aimed the shot at him.
John M'Corqudale swore to the riot in the street. The mob
endeavoured to force the door, and a shot was fired from the
window above ; heard Simpson say, " Avast firing ; we are
all King's men as well as you." He went into the house with
the guard, and a scuffle ensued. The guard went away to get
fire-arms, and then searched the house, and took several of
the soldiers. Did not see any of the men fall.
Robert Robertson and John M'lntosh, sailors, swore that
they were attacked by the soldiers as above stated.

Other witnesses were called who corroborated the testi-
mony above given, and some evidence tvas adduced favour-
able to the gentraLcharactels of the prisoners. After this
was gone throtigh,
The Lonn.ADVOCATB addressed the Jury at length, and
after stating that he had not sufficient proof to insist against
Elliott, Beck, and Lynch, asked a verdict of Guilty against
Surrage and Dempsey.
Mr. MENZIES, fdr the panels, made an able and ingenious
defence.

After the LORD JUSTICE CLERK had summed up the evi-
dence, the Jury returned a viva yore verdict, finding Beck
Not Guilty, the indictment against Elliott and Lynch Nut
proven, aad Surrage and Dempsey Guilty of the murder of
Simpson and Pearson only, bat unanimously recommended
&triage to mercy.
The trial lasted eighteen hours and a half, and the Court
adjourned at half past tour on Wednesday morning to half past
ten.

The Court accordingly met at half past ten o'clock on Wed-
nesday, when JAI' Dempsey and
,Robert Surrage were
brought to the bar to receive sentence.
The verdict of the. Jury leaving been read, Lord Gillies said
it now became the duty of their Lordships.to give effect to the
impartial verdict which had been pronounced by an attentii e
and intelligent Jury against the very unfortunaie prisoners at
the bar. He felt himself bound to say, that a hirer or more
equal
,trial be bad never witnessed, and that the panels had
been most ably defended. He conceived and suggested that
the verdict of the Jury had left no alternative in the breasts of
the Court, but they must faithfullyadminister the full penalty
which the law both human and divine has • denounced against
the crime of which the panels lead been funnel guilty; and,
with the most painful feelings, he lead to propose, that the
prisoners be taken frimi the bar to the place front whence
they came, and be executed in the manner which the law
prescribes, on Wednesday, lath of December next. Partici-
pating in the regret which his learned brothers and all hu-
mane persons must feel, that suds a solemn example should
be unavoidable, he.trusted, while it would serve :u convince
the military in particular, that the weapons which they wore
were entrusted to them .for the defence, and not fur the
destruction of their peaceable fellow-citizens, it would
also demonstrate to the other classes of his Majesty's sub-
jects, that the law and the administration of the law are
even-handed; and that it would. serve as a warning•to all
classes of men not to indulge. a rancorous spirit, and not
to surrender their better feelings to the indiscriminate
and uncontrollable fury of a tumultuous indignation.
Lord Prrstt LLY never had addressed their Lordships under
diaper or more acute suffering than on the present occasion

tie
but it could not fail to be watisfactory to the panels thous' is
conservative of the law of the country, and important t;t'd
comfort of us all, that in this or any other ciiminal I,loor
never did Counsel, Jury, and every person bound to 16111'
fere, conduct themselves with more ability and Pr°P
than had bean exemplified by all the parties concerned totio,
trial. The Jury had shown throughout this case an attend,'
that reflected on them the highest credit. The verdict
the only one that could have been pronounced without (10,4
to the country. It was impossible to suppose that the Pe",l
of a garrison town could ever be preserved, it such all l'et
rage and violence as had been proven against the panels
to pass unpunished ; and the sentence named was the 04
one in their Loriships' power to pass on the unfortuu
panels panels at the bar.

\t the bar.--111