The Sun. — 1850-05-20 (London, England)

THE JUNIPER-GREEN MURDER.  The High Court of Justiciary met on Thursday, the Lords present being—Lord Moncreiff, Lord Cockburn, and Lord Ivory.. Lord Moncreiff presided in the absence of the Lord Justice-Clerk, who was engaged hearing a civil case in the Second Division of the Court of Session.  Peter Pearson, lately residing at Juniper-green, in the county of Edinburgh, was placed at the bar, charged with murdering George Wilson, surgeon, and Jean Ritchie or Wilson, at Juniper-green, on the night of the 17th or morning of the 18th March last. The prisoner, who is a stout-built robust man, apparently between forty and fifty years of age, was placed manacled at the bar, and was carefully guarded by three police-officers. Hei wore a morose and sullen aspect, and, with his head sunk forward on his breast, he manifested not the slightest interest in the proceedings, and appeared utterly unconscious of what was going on. Mr. Dees, Mr. Montgomery Bell, and Mr. Maitland appeared for the Crown ; and Mr. Robert Robertson and Mr. G. R. Ogilvie for Pearson. On the prisoner being placed at the bar, Mr. Robertson, on his behalf, pleaded insanity in bar of trial. He stated that he had known the prisoner—who had been a tenant of his—for upwards of ten years, and so far as his judgment entitled him to form an opinion, the prisoner had been an insane person, ever since he knew him. In the year 1838 he took up the religious notion, founded upon an onfdon his father's house a a passage of Scripture, thateHr erroneous on accordingly s interpretationought lteort abhis father and his family, and never again returned, to the house. After leaving his home in 1838, he supported himself till 1843, when, he came to him (Mr. Robertson), as his immediate landlord, for the purpose of calling upon him to protect him against some imaginary encroachments upon his property, but finding then untenable, he (Mr. Robertson) had declined to do anything in the matter. On that occasion he became perfectly furious, and he was in consequence. sent to the Asylum at Morningside. He remained -in and was liberated on a medical certificate, in the that institution for two years and eight months, autumn of 1846. Since that period Pearson had never supported himself, and had never been able to settle at any business or trade. He was originally a mason, but he had been entirely supported by his family. In March last the events recorded in the indictment took place; and he trusted to be able to prove that on the 18th of March he was perfectly insane, and that he was still in that condition. Professor Miller was then called in, and stated that he (Professor Miller) had no doubt that he was at that moment a dangerous madman. Dr. Spittal thought him a dangerous madman. Lord Moncrieff said he supposed that the Court could come to no other conclusion than that the prisoner at the bar was not a fit person to go to trial on the charge against him. Lords Cockburn and Ivory concurred. The deliverance of the Court was then read, to the effect that as the prisoner at the bar was not a proper object for trial, the diet be deserted pro loco et tenspore ; and that he be conveyed to the prison of Edinburgh, and taken thence to the general prison at Perth, to be there detained subject to the future orders of the Court. The prisoner was then removed from the bar.— Edinburgh Advertiser.