Glasgow Courier. — 1857-12-08 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MURDER IN TONTINE CLOSE.  This den of iniquity has again been the scene of a fatal and brutal assault committed on the person of a sawyer named James Johnston. From the particulars we have learned, it would appear that, on Saturday evening, Johnston was decoyed by an abandoned female, named Mary MiLachlan, into a disreputable house, situated at the head of the notorious Tontine Close, kept by a woman named Isabella Campbell. This occurred between the hours of nine and ten o'clock, at which time the only inmate of the house was the woman Campbell, who received some money from the man to procure liquor. During her absence Johnston, who was somewhat affected with liquor, quarrelled with Nl'Lachlan, as the neighbours say, and they heard a dispute about money. A scuffle ensued, in the course of which the unfortunate man appears to have defended himself as well as he could with a chair, as M.Lachlan received a wound on the brow, and a heavy blow was heard, as if she in return had kicked him. The neighbours next saw the door opened by MiLachlan, who came to the stair landing, and called to a female named Margaret 111• Kay, amost abandoned character, to come to her assistance. The neighbour who lives but and ben' with Campbell, being afraid of getting herself into trouble, rushed into her house from the stair head, where she was standing, and bolted the door—in her hurry, however, fortunately locking out her own daughter, who witnessed the whole after proceedings. MiKay obeyed the summons instantly, and the poor man, by the aid of both villains, was dashed down the stair, which is very steep, to the ground, where he fell with a heavy crash. The women were then observed to go down stairs, and turn the man, who had fallen on his face, over on his back, and Mil,achlan rifled his pockets of a few coppers, remarking to s.l`Kay when she saw the trifling amount of booty, It's riot worth ' riggin',' meaning by this remark that it was not worth dividing. MiKav then kicked Johnston several times on the sides and stomach, and a female named Margaret Cook, an associate of the °tiler women, came up and jumped upon the person of the prostrate Individual, sPLachlan, at the same time exclaiming, 'lf I had been a cruel girl I would never have let him out of the house until I had his throat cut.' The noise of the fall attracted several of the residenters to the spot, some of whom observed Miliay kicking Johnston, and interfered. She, however, ordered them about their business, Ifl•Lachlan remarking that he had got enough. They then retired to their dwelling as if nothing had happened, leaving the poor man at the stair-fooi. The police having been informed that a man was lying in Tontine Close, proceeded thither, and had the individual (who was insensible) conveyed to the Police Office. They were not, however, at this time informed that he had been thrown down stairs, and consequently concluded that he was labouring under an overdose of liquor. He was visited frequently by Peter Buchanan, the bar officer, who found that he was not recovering. Dr 11wIttiGs iblleywoansd t thieien rseeanet for, h hofrh human t hatne aid,uftu naonrdhneatgeramdaun. ally became worse, and expired about a quarter past two o'clock on Sunday morning. The night detectives, as a matter of course, on learning from the neighbours that the deceased had been thrown down the stair, immediatele apprehended the four women in question, and made a thorough investigation into , the case, the result of which is the facts already noted. The officers, on visiting Campbell's house, found everything in a state of confusion. Spots of blood were observable on the floor, and they found an apron saturated with blood and water. Deceased, when found, was bleeding from the nostrils; but until the body has been subjected to a post mortem examination, the cause of death, which may have resulted either from concussion of the brain or severe internal injury, will not be ascertained. Deceased was about 50 years of age, unmarried, and resided wills James Cassidy, a brother tradesman, at 38, Rose Street, Hutchesontown. Johnston returned from his work in the afternoon, left his lodgings about six o'clock in the evening, ard wards, b soily being in l e ing inveigledmo r e intothan t hteh oor emhpoaunr aft ys of the abandoned woman referred to, he received uoh injuries as proved fatal in a very brief period. The prisoners were brought op at the Polio, Court yes. tardily and remitted to the Sheriff,