Glasgow Courier. — 1859-02-15 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN THE PARISH OF  EASTWOOD, RENFREWSHIRE.  Early on Thursday morning, the foremen resident on the farm of Pa Berton, near Thornliebanlc, and in the Parish of Eastwood, Renfrewshire, and tenanted by Allan Pollok, Esq. of Broom, was roused by a man named Wright, who also resided at the farm steacling, and who told him that his wife was dead. On proceeding to Weight's house it was found that his intelligence was too tau; the poor woman was lying on the floor dead, her dress torn and her her dishevelled, while her features were distorted and covered with blood, which oozed from several wounds in her head. Her clothes were also wet and muddy, which was explained by Wright, who said that having found her lying on the road apparently dead, he had trailed her along to his house before seeking for any further assistance. Information having been given to the authorities of the circumstance, Wright was apprehended, and an investigation of the case made. Wright sacs that, on the previous afternoon, he proceeded to Thornliebank store with a cow, and that he waited there till he saw it killed. Returning home about eight o'clock, he met his wife coming to meet him, and they having also fallen in with a farmer and his wife, with whom they had some acquaintance, the whole four adjourned into the Railway Tavern, Thornliebank. Here they were served with a half mutchkin of whisky, which was made into toddy, and which they consumed. Deceased sung several songs, and the utmost good humour and kindly feeling appeared to prevail amongst the company. At ten o'clock they broke up, Wright and his wife proceeding to Pallerton. When about a quarter of a mile from home, Wright fell behind; accordingly, as he says, and in order to overtake his wife, he bask a near cut to his own house. Arrived there, and finding that his wife had not come, he lighted the fire, and sat down and fell asleep. On awaking about two or three hours afterwards, he found that his wife had not vet come, and be accordingly set out to look for her, and iound her lying on the road thirty or forty yards from the house. He conveyed her in the manner we have described to the house, and then he found that she was dead. Wright's story up to the leaving of the Railway Tavern is substantially confirmed by other witnesses, but after that there is a mystery about his conduct which has not been explained. At first he alleged that his wife had been so tipsy that she fell several times on the road, and hurt her head; but this statement he afterwards withdrew. A young man, named Clark, -who sleeps in Wright's house' ,says that when Mrs Wright left to meet her husband she had the smell of whisky, but was certainly not drunk; and the landlord of the Railway Tavern also says that Mrs Wright was not drunk when she left with her husband toga home. The young man Clark was not roused by Wright when he brought the body of his wife home, and was not made aware of anything being wrong until after the foreman had been called. The throat of the deceased had been violently compressed, and warmuch inflamed. A medical examination of the body took place on Saturday, but we have not heard to what particular cause her death may be ascribed. The prisoner is suspected to have inflicted the wounds on the head of the deceased with a heavy, coarse walking-stick. He is a short, thin, and spare man, and is 57 years of age. He was employed in feeding and tending the cattle. His wife was 55 years of age, and took care of the poultry at the farm. Wright was examined at Paisley before Mr Sheriff Glasgow, and committed to prison for farther examination.