The Express. — 1862-09-24 (London, England)

THE GLASGOW MURDER.  Since the conclusion of the trial, says the Northern Daily Mail, public opinion has swayed to and fro as regards the vertgiveu. The manner in which her "statement" before sentence tallies with the evideaceof the crown has been generally remarked upon as favouring the idea that she bad at last told the truth. A memorial to the Home Secretary asking for a commutation is being prepared, and a public meeting awoken of with the view of a general request to the same effect to Sir George Grey. The Scotsman lays :—" Yesterday an additional witness turned up in the person of a girl, who alleged that oo the morning after the murder she called at Fleming's house, and having rung the bell, was answered by the old man. She told hint that she was in the habit of being employed by she servant to wash the steps, whereupon he took her in and caused her to wash part of the lobby, for which be gave her sixpence. Auother witness gives more reliable testimony to the effect that one day shortly before the murder, when Jessie M'Pherson was in her shop, she remarked to li'Pherson that some acquaintance of hers seemed to think she was made of money, as she was always borrowing from her ; whereupon 11•Phersoa remitted that it was the same with her and Mrs. M•Lachlan, who was always burrowing from her. She added that she would nut only stop lending, but have beck from her what she bad lent. The crown authorities were very minute in their search for any article of clothing belonging to old Mr. Fleming that could show whether he had any hand in the murder, but found nothing. They made hint account also for every article of clothing of which he bad been perused. They took down the jaw-boa and water-closet pipes and dug the wholegarden, without any result." The Glasgow Morning Journal, which warmly espouses the 0111100 of Mrs. M`Lichlan, says :—" No great public or national event could have produced for the time being greater or more universal ex citereent than that which prevailed throughout the city ou Saturday afternoon. From the opening of the trial on Wednesday all other topics were lost sight of, and the progress of the cam was watched day after day with an attention that has been given to no criminal cam, sot even excepting the famous Madeline Smith trial. The ferment in the public mind reached the greatest pitch, when, with the issue of the trial, was made known the extraordinary statement read by the prisoner's counsel before the passing of the sentence. The scene in mart whilst Mr. Clark read the paper was a striking one. The prisoner, stolid heretofore throughout her wouy sitting, cried bitterly but silently, her grief seeming greatest whilst the account of the last momenta of the murdered woman was being read; lint on the conclusion of the statement becoming, whilst Lord Dews told her, in harsh and unmerciful terms, her fixed doom, and his opinion of her story, once more composed, and wearing, indeed, an sir stern even to defiant*. The jury who had just settled her fate seemed much mote discomposed than before the reading of the statement, the faces of some of the gentlemen showing a great deal more alarm, indeed, than the prisoner herself did; while the feeling that prompts some to cry on hearing the death warrant of a fellow-being pronounced seemed overcome by astonishment, one tenderhearted policeman, near the plug where the prisoner sat, being the only person we saw shed tears. The aspect of the city at large seemed one of unusual agitation. Meanwhile the miserable woman, delivered over to the charge of Governor Stirling, was at once lodged in the cell which bad been prepared in case of an unfavourable verdict. Possessins rare strength of will, she has retained her self-commend silica sentenced with the mole outward q uietude as heretofore, and has expressed her innocence in strong terms several times. Whatever her hope of a respite may be, she does not express herself regarding it in any way, making the remark on one occasion that she wished her statement given to the public, not for her own sake, but that for the sake of her husband and child the world might know she is not the deeply-stained criminal she is convicted of being. Her story finds many believers, and many more, though net convinced, would yet give the unfortunate woman the due benefit of the doubt as to the justice of the verdict."