Glasgow Courier. — 1857-07-25 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SHOCKING MURDER.  Aberdeenshire—a quarter rather notorious some two or three years ago for murders—has just been the scene of another deed of this lamentable nature —the immediate vicinity being the quiet rural village of Oldmeldrum, 22 miles to the north-west of Aberdeen; the victim an old woman named Jane Galloway ; the accused, or indeed self-acknowledged murderer, her son-in-law, John Booth, a travelling smallware merchant, or what may be better known by the title 'Scotch Pedlar.' The particulars may be briefly stated thus:—John Booth, the prisoner—for he was apprehended a few minutes after the death of the unfortunate woman—has for some years resided in Oldmeldrum with his wife and two children, his father and mother-in-law keeping a small shop for the re-tail of little things in the same village. All appeared to bo of the class tinker, and while John was in the habit of being from home frequently, plying his vocation in the neighbouring villages and fairs, he was as frequently learning from his asso ciates that his wife was untrue to him—that, in short, she was in the way of cohabiting with other men who are named in the district. On Wednesday week the large market of St. Sairs was hold about eight miles from Oldmeldrum, and Booth, on his return to his home, had, as he alleges, ocular proof that what he could not believe from heresay was but too true. Some angry words passed, the wife maintaining that the husband was jealous without cause, and led to think what was false from being in drink—(Booth allows that he was in drink, but that there was ' no mistake' as to his wife's guilt). On Tuesday, along with several other pedlars who had foregathered at Oldmeldrum for the purpose of proceeding to a large market—Aikey Fair—next day, Booth had been drinking pretty freely, and one of the party, coming to hot words with Booth, said he would go to his (Booth's) wife, where, in very plain terms, he added he knew he would be warmly received. This appears to have roused Booth very much, and proceeding to his house about half-past nine in the evening, he, as she says, asked his wife quietly like ' to unfasten his shoes. In a second after he made a stroke at her with what she felt to be a knife. She endeavoured to grasp it, but her hand slipped along the blade, and seeing that the door of the house had been left open, she fled to her father's —3OO or 400 yards distant. Booth followed immediately after, and finding the door closed, demanded, ot rather forced admittance, stating that he wished to see' Mary,' his wife. The mother-in-law, against whom Booth evidently bore a grudge, endeavoured to prevent his searching the house, upon which he struck at her, but failed, through the interposition of the father-in-law, from getting at her. At length in his desperation he reached her, and the blado of the knife (a long-hefted one, with a spring, known as a deer.kniftr) must have gone straight to the heart, as the poor woman fell and breathed her last in the course of five or six minutes, uttering, however, before she did so, and in the presence of some passersby, who had been attracted by the scuffle, • he's murdered me.' Booth's wife, in the meantime, had escaped from the house; and intimation having been without loss of time conveyed to the village constable of what was doing, the infuriated man was I apprehended on the spot, making not the least attempt at defence or endeavour to escape. Indeed, he rather glories in his deed, and adds, we understand, but one regret, namely, that his wife did not receive what he maintains was her just due --death at his hands. Booth was born in Aberdeen in 1820. The murdered woman was a native of the neighbouring parish of Daviot, and may have seen a few more than 60 summers. Booth's wife is a stoutish person of 35 or so. They have two children, a buy and girl, aged respectively nine and three years.