The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1849-09-12 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A GAMEKEEPER NEAR  HAMILTON.  On Wednesday night the town of Hamilton and the sur rounding neigh-lisp-hood was thrown into the utmost excitement by the reported murder of a young man named Joseph Kirby, who acts as gamekeeper to the Duke of Hamilton. The information was conveyed to the Sheriff by messenger on horseback, who galloped from the scene of the murder. The Sheriff and Procurator-Fiscal immediately proceeded to the place, and made inquiries, which but too truly verified the report in all its revolting atrocity. It appeared that, about seven o'clock in the evening, a young farmer, named Dick, was airing his horse on the highway between Blantyre and Hamiltoa- When near a part of the Crookshields road, known by the name of Stoneymeadow Toll, his attention was accidentally arrested by a man having the appearance of a labourer, carrying over his shoulder a gun, closely followed, at the distance of about 50 yards, by the gamekeeper Kirby, who was accompanied by two powerful dogs. The gamekeeper seemed to be pressing forward to overtake the labourer; but the incident was not of such an unusual character as to OCCallioll any suspicion on the part of Dick; and he trotted along the road for the distance of about a mile in the direction of Hamilton, and then turned his horse's head homewards. During this brief period, not more than twenty minutes, which had elapsed from the time he had met the men near the toll, till his return to the spot, no sound had alarmed him, and the horror of the young farmer may, therefore, be conceived, when within a few yards of the spot where he had seen Kirby in life and vigour, so recently, he discovered him lying in the middle of the path with his face flat on the ground, a stream of blood flowing from a wound in the side, and the two dogs standing motionless beside the corpse of their murdered master, for a moment's glance at the prostrate man showed that death had been instantane. ous. He had been shot through the heart. The farmer instantly gave the alarm at the nearest cottages, but nothing whatever had been seen of the labourer on the hiehway ; and it is, therefore, conjectured, that after firing the shot, he had crossed the field in the immediate neighbourhood, and made his escape in that direction. Though Dick does not recollect of hearing any sound, the tenants of a small cottage, about half a mile from the scene of the murder, distinctly heard the report of a gun at the time the shot must have been fired. From the appearance of the ground where the body was first discovered, there does not seem to have been any struggle between the unfortunate gamekeeper and his cold-blooded murderer. The gun, too, must have been in close context with his person when fired, part of the coat being scorched. It is unfortunate that the casual look which Dick obtained of the labourer in passing, was not so minute as to enable him to give a very good description of the assassin, but we understand that a party having his appearance was seen by more than one individual in the course of the day loitering about the neighbourhood. It should be mentioned, there is reason to believe that a boy was in company with the murderer, which circumstance increases the chance of his speedily falling into the hands of justice. All the nem.sary steps have been taken by the county for his apprehension, which we earnestly trust may prave successful. The unfortunate deceased, who was a fine promising young man, was a native of England, and was much respected in the locality. He was unmarried, and, with the exception of a sister, has no relatives in Scotland.