Glasgow Courier. — 1859-11-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE CASE OF SMETHIIRSI.  A free pardon, under the Great Seal, WM received by Mr Keene, the governor of Horsemonger Lime Jail, on Tuesday, for the prisoner, in reference to the crime of wilful murder upon Isabella Bankes. The announcement was, of course, formally made to him, but, as he had been led to believe that this would be the result from the course that had been taken in referencelo the charge of bigamy, he did not seem at all surprised that the government had absolved him from the crime of which he had been convicted. Dr Smethurst is now, therefore, merely in the position of a prisoner under committal upon a charge of felony, and be is, of course, relieved from all the restrictions to which he was liable, under the jail regulations, as a convict under sentence of death. He will remain in Horsemonger Lane Prison until a few days before the next session of the Central Criminal Court, when he will be removed to Newgate, and take his trial in due course for the offence of bigamy. The utmost punishmeet that can be awarded for this crime is penal servitude for four years.  The following is a copy of a letter addressed by the Right Hon. Sir G. C. Lewis to the Lord Chief Baron, communicating the grant of a free pardon to Smethurst, so far as the alleged murder of Isabella Bankes is concerned :  "Whitehall, Nov. 15, 1859. "My Lord—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship'sfurther report, of the ISth ult. on the case of Thomas Smethurst, who was convicted at the Central Criminal CaUrt in August last of murder, and sentenced to death.  "As your Lordship suggests in that report that reference should be made to the judgment of medical and scientific persons selected by the Secretary of State, for the purpose of considering the symptoms and appearances of the deceased Isabella Bankes, and the result of the analysis, I have sent the evidence, your Lordship's reports, and all the papers bearing upon the medical points of the case, to Sir Benjamin Brodie, from whom I have received a letter, of which I enclose you a copy, and who is of opinion that, although the facts are full of suspicion against Smethurst, there is not absolute and complete evidence Of his guilt, "After a very careful and anxious consideration of all the facts of this very peculiar cage, I have come to the i conclusion that there s sufficient doubt of the prisoner's guilt to render it my duty to advise the grant to him of a free pardon, which will be restricted to the particular offence of which he stands convicted; it being myintentention to institute a prosecution againsthim for bigamy.  'The necessity which I have felt for advising he Majesty to grant a free pardon in this case has not, as it appears to me, arisen from any defect in the constitution or proceedings of our criminal tribunals. It has arisen from the imperfection of medical science, and from the fallibility of judgment, in an obscure malady, even of skilful and experienced medical practitioners.— I have, &c., "The Lord Chief Baron, &e."  " G. C. Lswis.  Accfnawr—Yesterday evening James M'Dowall, a dresser, employed in the Lord Provost's works, GarugaAl Road, while engaged wheeling a beam along a passage accidentally caused another beam to fall upon him, and he suffered a dislocation of the haunch. He was attended to by a medical man, and afterwards sent to the Royal Infirmary.