Star.
London, England, 1823-09-18 00:00:00

SCOTTISH CIRCUIT OF JUSTICIARY.

The Circuit Court was opened at Perth on Saturday
the 6th inst. by Lord Mzapowzasz.
Walter Graham and James Cameron were placed at
the bar, charged with having uttered some forged notes.
They pleaded Not Guilty. It appears that, on the 29th
of March, they entered the shop kept by David Mac-
kenzie, merchant in Brechin, and purchased a pair of
stockings. for which they tendered a forged note in pay-
ment ; and on the same day, they passed another npte
in John Taylor's shop, where they also purchased a pair
of stockings. They after wards went into a shop kept
by Jean Shires, and having purchased a silk handker-
chief, they offered another forged note for her acceptance.
Before any evidence was called, Mr. ROBRRTSON,
their Counsel, objected to Graham's declaration being
produced against him. The declaration was taken by
Bailie Speed, of Brechin, when he was first apprehended;
but in course of the examination, Graham became so
debilitated and sickly, that he was in no condition to
know what he was doing. They had also been confined
longer than was proper before the examination was',
gone into ; and although Graham was in such a weakly
state, he had been imprisoned in a most unhealthy apart-
ment, without either bedding or covering—articles
which were very tardily supplied by the Magistrates,
even after they had been applied for. The objection
was over-ruled.

Twenty-two witnesses were examined for the prose-
cution; and most of them also underwent a tedious cross-
examination for the prisoners. There was no exculpa-
tory evidence. The public prosecutor gave up the case,
so far as Cameron was concerned ; for though there
were strong suspicions against him, the proof was not
sufficietttly clear to warrant him in asking for a verdict.
Graham's Counsel, Mr. ROBERTSON, made an elaborate
defence for him ; and Lord MEADOWBANK having gone
over the case at great length, the-Jury, after deliberat-
ing about ten minutes, found Graham Guilty of the first
and second counts in the libel, and the charges against
Cameron Not Proven. His Lordship immediately pro-
ceeded to pass sentence; and having delivered a suitable
lecture to the unhappy culprit, he ordered him to be
hanged at Perth, on Friday the 17th of October, between
the hours of two and four o'clock. Graham was imme-
diately removed from the bar; but, as he was retiring,
he addressed the Judge in the following words: " My
Lord, I hope you will give as favourable a report of my
ease to his Majesty as you can, on account of my wife
and family, and an aged parent. lam much obliged
to you for your kind attention to my case. The verdict
that has been pronounced against me is just according
to the evidence; but some of the witnesses know them-
selves how they have sworn."
Cameron was discharged with a reproof, which is not
likely to be very effectual.
Graham was fantastically dressed, evidently with a
view to prevent the witnesses from identifying him: his
face was divested of the enormous whiskers which he
usually wore: be had on a white drab great coat, a
Marseilles vest, and a shirt with ample length of ruffle.
On entering the Court he looked round him with great
indifference; but during the summing-up by the public
prosecutor, he held down his head, seemed muck agi-
tated, and wept a good deal. Ilis fortitude entirely for-
sook him while the Judge was delivering his address,
for he cried bitterly, and-had to support himself against
the back of his seat. Graham is a native of Perth, and
is notorious in most towns in Scotland, and from early
youth has had much suspicion attached to his character.
Alexander Aitken, surgeon in Forfar, accused of per-
forming an operation upon Susan Davidson, then ser-
vant to Dr. Hull, at Forfar. The evidence in this case
was received with closed doors. The chief witness was
Susan Davidson, who deponed substantially to the act.
She went to Aitken in the month of April, for the pur-
pose of concealing her shame. He offered to execute
her purpose for 02; but on learning that she was only
a servant, agreed to take 255. She first went to his
shop on a Sunday, and again the Thursday following,
when the operation was repeated. On Friday she be-
came alarmed, and told Dr. Hulk's shop-boy, what she
had done; and on Sunday the object she aimed at was,
accomplished. in this evidence the unhappy woman
(who both in and out of the Court seemed to be in a
state of great mental suffering) was corroborated by al
woman, .Janet Laird, who saw her go into Aitken's shop
on the Sunday ; by another woman, Barbara Watt, who
met her going home in a faint state on the Thursday;
by b.. Hull's shop-boy, to whom she had told what
Aitken had done; and by the evidence of Dr. Hull and
Dr. Adams, who examined her
Lord MEADOWIIANK summed up the evidence, and
the Jury, after retiring for some time, returned a verdict,
finding by a majority, the prisoner guilty of the charge.
His Lordship, after commenting upon the enormity of
an offence which was aggravated by the respectability
of the profession to which the prisoner belonged, and
the comparatively liberal education which he must have
received, sentenced him to transportation for 14. years.
Aitken had been out on bail for a small sum ; and on
the morning of his trial he breakfasted with several oldie
'Jury in the inn, apparently nothing daunted at his situ-
ation, or probably not fully aware of its danger.

.

Since the celebrated race at Doncaster between Dia-
mond and Hambletonian,no interest has been so power-
fully excited in the sporting world as was occasioned
by the St. Leger Stakes, on Monday. Mr. WATT%
colt Barefoot, in the estimation of the knowing ones,
was nearly at the bottom of the list. Some of our
northern Gentry were conSiderable losers on this race..
When Mr. Fa was in Paris, he was one day, with
ninny other persons, in a room in which there was a
map of the world. A gentleman in company said to
him, ' now is it possible dm this littli island which is
seen by the side of Europe, has found the means to lord
it over the world entire displayed on this maji?'--, This
island; =plied Mr. kox,.eprphatically, ' is the place we
have elitism where to build .our houses. It is the cli-
Mate we refer, and it isf there we chute to meet and
deliberate respecting our affair's; and to rejoice in each
other's Coriipany; but Etiglitid, Mdelpiadt;
every where.-*-4She is the world Peat."