Glasgow Courier. — 1862-07-10 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE MURDER CASE.  IT must be admitted by even the most sanguine philanthropists and advocates of progress, those whose wish for the amelioration of mankind may have been father to the occasional thatthe millenium was imminent, that recent appearances are unfavourable. We do not think we err in stating that the record of heinous crime, of amanita more or less successful on the sanctity of human life, throughout the United Kingdom for the last six months is unsurpassed for number and aggravation by that of any similar period within the memory of living man. Ireland, we need scarcely say, has furnished its full quota to this black list. We had begun to think that the wrongs and the wrong-doing of that unhappy country were over, and that peace and prosperity in a superlative degree should henceforth shed their effulgence over its annals. The too delusive dream, however, has been dissipated. Undoubtedly the country is in a more prosperous state every way considered than heretofore; but, unfortunately, the evil passion of an ignorant and misled people have of late burst forth afresh, as it were, and the foul shadow of "agrarian" assassination again rests upon the land. In more enlighted -England matters have been in proportion ee almost equally bad. Scarcely has it possible to take up a newspaper, for months back, but the announcement of a "brutal murder," "wife murder," " family murder," or other outrage, has immediately met the eye. All this is very sad and very disheartening, to those especially who have wished well to, or toiled long for, the advancement and elevation of their kind. Hitherto, with all her faults, our own country, our native Scotland, has been honourably distinguished for the paucity of such dire misdeeds committed within her borders or by her sons. We have this week, however, received a check to undue self-congratulations on this head, and one which we shall not be likely soon to forget. In every news sheet, from the most puissant to the most puny, over the length and breadth of the land, for the next few days at least, the "Glasgow murder," as it will be called, will occupy a painfully prominent position. It is not for us, or for any one at present, to publish any pre-judgment on this most mysterious and intricate affair, and we certainly have no intention of so committing ourselves. That it will be expiscated to the very bottom is almost as certain as it is on all accounts to be desired. Escapes from justice are now happily rare; we say happily, because the certainty of detection affords the strongest deterring influence possible to the would-be transgressor of his country's laws. The Sandyford Place murder promises to take a prominent place among the British causes ceisbre of more recent times. A case more determined and ,complete in its execution, and so surrounded by circumstances baffling at first anything like elucidation has not occurred since the "Road" murder, the secrete of which are as yet, and will now probably remain, undiscovered. The public will await with no little anxiety the result of the efforts being made to fathom the present mystery. One incidental moral meantime may be legitimately drawn from it, namely, that, however common the practice, it is not well to leave female servants alone in charge of a house by day and night while the family are at the coast. In this instance, the woman was not literally left by herself, but for all the protection afforded by the presence of an old deaf man of eighty, or thereby, she with virtually so. It is a positive cruelty to expose ignorant, and it may be giddy girls to the temptations opened to them under such circumstances; and though it is but rarely indeed that an issue so tragic has attended the custom, it is very decidedly one "more honoured in the breach than in the observance."