The Sun. — 1858-11-17 (London, England)

THE MURDER AT THE BRIDGE OF  EARN.  The Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary resumed its sittings on Monday, for the purpose of taking up the case of Alexander Murray, charged with the murder of his grandmother. On the bench wore the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Ardmillan, and Lord Neaves.  The prisoner is a young man, 23 years of age, by profession a sailor. The murder he is charged with was committed at the Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, the residence of his grandmother, at whose house he had gone to stay a few days after his voyage, and before starting on his next. His vessel arrived at Greenock in the early part of the week, and on Thursday, the 19th August, he arrived at his grandmother's house. Then he was the worse of liquor, and stated, in reply to a question, that he had been drinking very hard for two days previous. On the Saturday afternoon, while apparently suffering under an attack of delirum tremens, he seized a common dinner knife, and stabbed his grandmother in the throat. She died almost immediately, and for this murder he was to-day called upon to answer.  The Lord Advocate, the Solicitor-General, and Mr. Blackburn, advocate depute, conducted the prosecution. The defence was sustained by Mr. George Young and Mr. Alexander Moncrieff. The Prisoner, in answer to the charge, pleaded not guilty, and it was specially alleged on his behalf that the offence was committed while he was under the influence of insanity. Several medical witnesses for the defence were accommodated with seats in the court, and provision was also made for medical witnesses retained by the Crown. The principal witness was Isabella Campbell, daughter of the murdered woman, and aunt of the prisoner, who said—When prisoner arrived at our house from Greenock he was in a state of delirium tremens, from drink. He was very violent and restless in the house. He remained mostly in the house on the day of the murder. I heard a noise in the back bed-room where my mother and the prisoner were. I heard screams. I went to the  tack bed-room, and saw my mother lying on the floor. The prisoner was above my mother, striking her on the head. Her feet were near the door, and her head away from me as I went in. The prisoner's back was towards me. I caught hold of the prisoner, and tried to pull him off my mother. He knocked me down. He pulled me down in the scuffle. I don't remember whether he threw me down on the top of my mother, but it was near her. He struck me repeatedly when I was down. I managed to get up, and cried for assistance as loud as I could. I heard my mother say he had cut her throat, and I observed that there was blood. My mother was covered with blood, and blood ran on the floor. I raised her up, and attempted to take her into the next room. 04e of the maids came, in answer to my call, and helped me to take out my mother. I had her out in the lobby, when the prisoner seized her and knocked her down again. He struck her several times with his hands, and knelt down on his knees beside her, and struck her on the head. I pulled him away again, pushed him out at the front door into the road, and locked the door. I returned to my mother. She was still alive, but died almost immediately. Tire Court adjourned the trial till Tuesday. The prisoner sat the whole day with his head drooping and turned to the side away from the jury, and looking very abject and melancholy.