The Sun. — 1803-03-09 (London, England)

EDINBURGII, MARCH 3.  HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.  MONDAY, came on before the Court, the trial of Robert Wilsom, lately residing in Rose-street, accused of the murder of Janet Moodie, his wife, on Thursday the 27th of January, last. The Prisoner pleaded Not Guilty. No objet ion was made to the rele. vancy of the libel.  I. appeared from the proof,- that on the night libelled, a little after ten o'clock, the cry of murder was repeatedly heard in the tenement where Wilson resided, which alarmed the neighbours, and some of the Witnesses proved it came froM the Pannel's house. A number of people assembled in the vas. sage, chiefly women, but none of them went into the house. A Gentleman. who resided in the house as a lodger,. came home before eleven.o'clock, but saw nothing remarkable, and the Pannel dressed his supper before he went to bed.' " Next morning, be.. tween seven and eight o'clock, Wilson knocked up his next neighbour, saying his wife was dead. The neighbour rose, and found IVlrs. Wilson dead and quite sail'. 'She got the assistance of some other women, and the corpse was dressed.. While this was doing, some marks of violence were observed about Mrs. Wilson's face and neck, which were more visible next day. One of the persons asked the Pannel when Mrs. Wilson died ? He said he did not know. Was it before or after the cries of murder were heard? He answered, there were no cries in his house. Two Witnesses, one of whom livetlyabove, and the other below the. Pannel, swore they heard a noise in the Pannel's house during the night, as if ranging the fire. . The Pannel did not call up his lndger till nine o'clock, when he inforMed him. his wife svas dead. When .this Gentleman left his lodgings at ten o'clock, lie was met by several people, who. wished him to make some investigation into the affair but this he declined,. as Wilton had wrote for his .wife's brother to. come up from Leith, who came that . night; and, on account of the clamour raised about his sister having died .a violent death; called on the -Sheriff; and .was desired to return next morning. He mentioned this circumstance torWil. son, who said he was willing to go to the Sheriff, and accordingly next morning be went in company with Moodse and two other men, first to Mr. Clerk, who was confined by indisposition, then to Mr. Davidson, to whom Wilson said he wished that Surgeons should inspect his wife's corpse, on account of the clamour of the neighbours. Mr.. Davidson referred him to, Mr. Score anti Surgeons  were accordingly sent on the Sur.day, who:inspetaed the body, and gave in a rept•rt, from which it geared,fipthat from the marks on different parts of the bJdy, and from the state of the lungs, she had died a violent death, by strangulation ; and to this report the two Surgeons (Dr. Farquharson and Mr. Bryce) swore. Wilson was not taken up till the Saturday afternoon.  It also appeared from the evidence, that Mrs. Wilson was a weakly woman,. often complaining, and very frequently bed-,That her husband and she lived happily together, till lately, when she thought. he paid, too much. attention to another woman who lived on the same floor. - This she comma. nicated to her lodger and a woman her neigh. hour, which last swore, that Mrs. Wilson informed her, that between that and Martinmas last her husband had mtice attempted to administer poison to her, first in a glass of toddy, and then in some water gruel. For the Prisoner, it was proved, that he was always respetted by his neighbours, and was a person of an honest charader,' and decent in his be. haviour—That, after he was accused by the neigh. bouri, he did not abscond; on the contrary, he took every means in his power to get the matter investigated, and went for that purpose to the Sheriff, Dr. Monro was called for the Pannel as to the report of the Surgeons, from whom he differed in several particulars, respecting the cause of Mrs. WilsOn's death.  The .evidence was closed on both sides a little after seven o'clock, when the 'LORD ADVOCATE for the CroWn, and Mr. CAittnELL for the Pannel, severally addressed the Jury in very able speeches. Coe Loan JUSTICE CLERK summed up the whole in his usual candid manner. At eleven o'clock the Jury. were incloied, and on Tuesday at two o'clock returned a verdid, fin'dini by .a plurality of voices the libel Not Proven; on which the Pannel was clitmisied frOm the Bar.