The Sun. — 1850-03-20 (London, England)

FRIGHTFUL MURDER. (From a Second Edition of the Edinburgh Courani  of Monday.) Great consternation was excited this morning in the village of Juniper Green, about five miles south west of Edinburgh (in the neighbourhood of Currie), by the discovery of the murder of two persons in the house of -Dr. Wilson, a resident medical practitioner. The county police were immediately on the spot, and upon entering the house found Dr. Wilson in the kitchen, lying upon his back, quite dead, with his bead beaten almost to a jelly. The next object which presented itself was the lifeless body of the aged mother of Dr. Wilson, which was found lying in the passage, apparently on the spot where the unfortunate woman had been struck down, and killed. The implements employed in these murders appeared to have been the kitchen poker and tongs. A person suspected to be the murderer was apprehended in the house, and has been lodged in the Edinburgh jail. Information of the dreadful occurrence reached Edinburgh about nine o'clock this morning, when Mr. Sheriff Gordon, the Procurator-Fiscal, and Mr. List, Superintendent of the County Police, drove out to the scene of the murder. They were occupied for several hours in making an investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy, and returned to town a little after one o'clock. It would be improper, in the meantime, to enter into all the details that have come to light, but we believe that the publication of the following statement cannot interfere with the course of justice. From what we have heard, it appears that at a late hour last night (Sunday) a man of the name of Pearson, •who is understood to have been in confinement in a lunatic asylum, called at the house of Dr. Wilson for medicine or medical advice. The Doctor accordingly prescribed a simple dose, of which one-half was to be taken that night, and the remainder next morning. Dr. Nelson having just returned from visiting his country patients, left the man at the door, while be himself and the maidservant went to thei stable to put up his horse. Upon his return to the house, Dr. Wilson found the outer door locked, and, upon knocking, was immediately admitted. This appears to have been observed by the maidservant, who then went to her mother's house is the neighbourhood, where she usually slept. The precise circumstances that followed within Dr. Wilson's house, can only be matter of conjecture. The state in which his body and that of his mother were found next morning, has already been described. It is said that the man Pearson, who bad called at the house the previous night, is the person now in gaol upon suspicion of the murder ; and it is added that he had passed the night in the house, sleeping in Mrs. Wilson's bed, having first, it is supposed, burned his clothes. He was found naked, in bed, and sound asleep. The murder was brought to light at an early hour this morning by the servant returning as usual to her work. She found the door locked, and upon looking through the windows, sew the body of Dr. Wilson lying upon the kitchen floor. She immediately gave the alarm, when the door was forced open, and the full extent of the murder was disclosed. Dr. Wilson was about fifty years of age, strong ar dhealthy. His mother bad attained the great age fninety. We have already stated that Pearson had been in confinement as a lunatic. This, we believe was some time ago—his confinement lasted about four years, when he was discharged, apparently in sound mind. We understand that, within the last few days, symptoms of insanity again manifested themselves.