The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1867-04-19 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

STE WART MURDER.  At Perth Circuit Court, before the Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland and Lord Dees, James Criohton, a plovehman, was charged with the murder, on the 30th of March, 1866, of Janet Henderson, or Rodgers, , within the farmhouse of Mount Stewart, Strathearn, Perthshire. The deceased, who was an aged woman, wife of James Rodgers, labourer, kirntilly, had on the 28th of March come to the farm of Mount Stewart, tenanted by her brother, William Henderson, to keep his house till he could get a domestic servant in room of Christina Miller, who had left. On the 30th Hew demon went with his horse and cart to Perth. and was absent from 10 in the morning till eight at night, and the deceased was the only person in the home. On his return he found the prisoner Crichton waiting at the stable, and Crichton &misted him to unload and put up the horse. Henderson then went to the house, but could not get in. He then followed Crichton to his house, several hundred yards off, to oak if he had seen his sister, and wee told by him she bad not been seen since the forenoon. He returned to the farmhon=e ,ind called for his sister at all the doors and wit ~ow , but there was no response. At length he took a udder, and got in by a bedrcom window. He found the deceased lying dead on the kitchen floor covered by a heap of bedclothes. He went for some neighbours, and the same night Dr. Laing, Bridge of Earn, and the police were sent for. Some money and clothing were discovered to ha missmg. The medical evidence showed that death had resulted from a wound inflicted by an sue, the blow, to all appearance, having been immediately fatal. The walls of the kitchen were spotted with blood up to GU, hieb, but no traces of blood were found eleewhere. The evidence which connected Crichton with the deed was wholly circumstantial. It appeared that he alone was on the farm, so far as could be discovered, on the day of the murder; that the fragments of a pipe resent. bib g his werelonn din the kitchen; that belied changed his clothes on the day of the murder, and nest days suit of clothes as set oat by his wife to bleach and dry. The only probable motive was plunder, but the evidence tracing the stolen property to the prisoner woe rather vague. The doctors were of opinion that the murder had been committed in the afternoon. It was not till December that Crichton was apprehended, as suspicion in the first place had fallen on Henderson, whom Crichton had accused of committing the murder on his return at night from Perth. Henderson was, however, liberated, and a reward was issued for the apprehension of the murderer, and eventually Criohton ' was taken. The evidence of Christina Miller, formerly Henderson's servant, WWI to the effect that, after leaving the farm, she had remained a night or two at , Crichton 's, and that one night while in bed she had heard Crichton say to his wife that if the murder was found out he should be hanged, to which his wife replied thst she 'and the family would ha disgraced, and would be linable to live for the people. This wither] (who had been imprisoned in order to secure her evidence) deposed to seeing some pounde in the hands of Crichton's wife, from whom she had on leaving borrowed a few shillings. On Thursday the case was brought to a conclusion, Mr. Adam addressing the jury for the Crown, and Mr. Scott for the prisoner, Lord Dome summed up, pointing cat many strung facts bearing against the prisoner. The jury, after 11 minutes' absent* brought in a verdict of Not Proven.  Toothache may be instantly cared by Ranter'. Nerein e. Which also forms a stopping, saves the tooth, and renders ez• tractioa unnecessary. Bold by all chemists. la lid. per packet.