The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1873-08-30 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

HIS CAREET.  At • comparatively early age Montgomery was samitte t a Conner into the employment of the Belfast Banking Company, and was advanced through the usual stages up to the post of accountant. It will be remembered thst in all the : trials the Crown laid great stress upon the fact, as proved in evidence, that • few minutes before the closiog hour of the bank Mr. (Hass took Cod's Amencsn draft into the hater , office to Consult some one, and that whispering took place, I allowing, as the learned counsel argued, that the ceshler was I conferring with& persyn having more experience in banking I affairs than himself. It was the knowledge acquired daring Montgomery's seven years' service as clerk in the Helsel Bank that Glans wished ty avail himself of In determining I whether, under the circumstauces, any charge ought to be , made for culling the order. Montgomery, it seems, was Hot satisfied with his prospects in the honking business; or else he had a prediteat n for the profession so long and honourably foltowed by his father ; or perhaps he had an aspiration for • higher weld status which he dreamt the rank of sub-inspector would give him. At all events, he studied for the isual cadet examination, and havisii creditably passed it in the year 1856, he rerigned his clerkship and was appointed third-clase sub-Inspector in charge of the Newtorinards district in the county Down. In his new sphere he I !banned his dales efficiently, and In due time was advanced to second class rank. Suortly afterwards he married, end In accordance with she regulations of the force he was removed--unhappily for Wm. Glass. The district of which erewtonstewert is the headquarter. was placed Tinder his charge. Montgomery's rather was an officer in the R•iyal Irish conotabulai y He ear first on th, list for a county Inepectorshlp when death mercifully saved hi la from the awful Ignominy of seeing his *sly son a cloriemed felon. His decease took place a few months before the fatal 29th of Jane. Montgomery was a man of splendid physique. Hewn over six feet in height, with broad shoulders, fob cheat and an altogethea rtrong and mounter frame, constabulary drill baying given him a soldierly bearing. file large moustache did not entirely conceal his firmly-compressed lip', which denoted a determined wIIL His face was naturally pain, his forehead narrow aod elightly receding. His eyes were u..doubtedly peculiar ; the pupils were of • very dark blue colour, and at time, rolled about with quick furtive glances A more daring, atryclous, and extraordinary murder never challenged prec,dence in the alma, of crime. In all its tragic incidents it stand. uniqut. The pudic are already rttonsinted with every link In that wonder,ul chain of circumstantial evidence by which the legal triumph of c inaction was ultimately achieved. Nearly two months were spent by the coroner in the preliminary investigation. Immediately after the more., In June, 1011, on time application of counsel for the Crown, the trial was postponed, and the accused was not called on to plead until the summer assizes of 1872, be ore Mr. Jostles Lawson. The prosecution was conducted by the ablest Crown lawyer,, and the eefence of the unhappy prisoner was entrusted to a distinguished counseL After a protracted hearing of,the case the jury were discharged without • verdict. The se. Calld trial took place at the spring assizes of the present year, before Mr. Justice Barry, and had a similar result, one or two of the jurymen having crotchety notions of their own to eccount for the murder without iniViceting Montgomery, they would not convict. He was, however, finally convicted on purely circumstantial testimony.