Star.
London, England, 1822-09-23 00:00:00

PERTH CIRCUIT COURT.

Friday, the 13th instant, the Circuit Court of Jus-
ticiary was opened at Perth, by Lord SUCCOTH and
-Lord HaRMAND. After Prayers by • the Reverend
Mr. I'HOMSON, David Liddle Kennedy and Janet
Douglas were placed at the bar, accused of vending
forged notes; they having, on the 10th of July last,
passed a note, purporting to be a £1 note of Sir W.
Forbes and Co. bankers in Edinburgh, at the Leathem
Fifeshire; and also with -vending a note
of a similar description in Auchtermuchty. The pi i-
soners pleaded guilty. Mr. HOPE restricted the libel
to an arbitrary punishment. Lord HERMAN!) shortly
addressed the Jury, who found the priioners Guilty in
terms of thei. own confession. The prisoners %%ere
sentenced to seven years transportation. •
John Miller and Wra; grimier, accused of the crime
of an assault, with an intent to commit a rape on a
girl•about .14 years of age, in the neighbourhood of
Glammis, on the sth of May last, were placed at the
bar. The Court was then ordered to be cleared, but
tiey pleaded Not Guilty.
'rue Jury; after having been inclosed for .rearly an
haurr.-s-Cturied a.rerdict, by the plurality of voices
finding the.prisoners. Guilty of the assault with an
attempt to cudirnit a rape.
: Lord Hartia,to, in a speech of great. energy,
pointed out the aggravated nature of the crime of
which the prisoners had been convicted, and proposed
that they should, in addition to the punishment of
transportation,he whiPPed through the town of Dundee.
Lord SUCCOTH; in the course of his observations on
the clime of which the prisoners had been convicted,
remarked, that it was clear that they had been both
aiding and assisting in the perpetration of this most
atrocious crime; and it was indeed a very rare occur-
rence for two men to be concerned in such an offence,
'the one holding the feet of their victim, while the
other was attempting to commit the brutal act. There
had been cases in which greater marks of violence
were exhibited, but that would not, in any way, mill
tate in their favour. It w'as not necessary for the
prisoners to knock down the girl, because, from her
tender years, she was unable to resist the strength of
two men. It was•also proved that they had gone de-
liberately about their criminal purpose, by dragging
the girl into a wood ; this shews that they were de-
termined to effect their object—the girl crying out
and making all the resistance she could. It appeared
in evidence that the girl, who was only 14. years of
rige, continued in a state of fever for some days after.
Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore,
be agreed with the suggestions of Lord Hermand, as
to the expediency of the prisoners being publicly whip-
ped, in addition to the punishment of transportation.
The sentence of the Court was read, ordaining Mil-
ler and Storrier to be publicly shipped through the
town of Dundee, on the 4th day of October; and
thereafter to be banished beyond seas for 14 years.
William Robertson, accused of a similar act, Was
then put to the bar, and the Court cleared, as had
been done in the former trial, during the exams,
nation of the evidence, Etc. and the Coolt'conti-
nued shut from eleven to past seven o'clock at
In the course of that time a great number of witnesses,
both for the prosectition and in exculpation; were
examined.. The general outline of the evidence was,
that the female, who lived near Cupar Fife, had been-
violently assaulted, severely wounded, and actually
ravished, by the prisoner. .
After some pleading by the Counsel for the Crown
.and for theprisoner, and the case being summed up
by one of their Lordships, the Jury retired, and were
inclosed for about an hour, when they returned with
a verdict—finding, by a plurality of voices, the pri-
soner Guilty of a rape; but:unanimously and strongly
recommending him to mercy.
Mr. HOPE having moved the judgment of the Court,
Lord SERMOTH addressed Robertson in a short but
most energetic speech, stating that the Court had no
alternative but to pass the last sentence of the law.
Lord HERMAND also made a few observations on
the nature and enormity of the offence, and. con-
cluding by sentencing Robertson to be hanged at
Cupar Fife, on the Nit of October next.
The prisoner heard the awful dooms pronounced
with great conaposaris and firmness. He was a good-
looking nriddle-avai*an,:anthas a family.
Teresa Flcusing4tout, or Flannigan, accused Of=