Glasgow Courier. — 1844-01-06 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

FELID•Y.  The Court resumed to-day at nine o'clock, and proceeded with closed doors to the trial of . _  _ Thomas Downs, lately farm-overseer at Third Part, pariah et East Kilpatrick, county of Dumbarton, accused of having, on the ,Irvening of the Ilth November last, on or near the Third Part Road, attacked and assaulted a girl of fourteen year' of age, with Intent to ravish. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. After • long trial, he was found guilty of the assault, without the aggravation. Sentence delayed. Robert APLachlan was next placed at the bar, accused of having, on the night of the 17th or morning of the 18th of November last, stolen from the ridges of the barn and stable of the farmsteading of Burnside, parish of Mearns, Renfrewshire, forty-six feet of sheet-lead. He was farther accused of having, on the morning of the 18th November, assaulted Robert Wardrop, gardener, at or near the village of Cathcart, with a knife cutting him near the right eye, and with his fist striking him on the face, to the effusion of his blood, and severe injury of his person. The charge of theft was aggravated by a previous conviction. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. He was found guilty as libelled, aud sentenced to 10 years transportation. Thomas Downs, found guilty of assault, was here brought up again, and sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment in Dumbarton jail,  Archibald Blacklaw, lately shoemaker, Gallowgate, Glasgow, Wea accused of culpable homicide, in so far on, upon the 13th day of May, 1843, upon or near the public road leading between Glasgow and Paisley, and at that part of the way which is at or near to Nursery Cottage, then occupied by Rachel Grundy, or Jaffrey, he did wickedly and feloniously attack and assault Francis Colley, then clerk, residing in South Portland Street, Gorbals, Glasgow, and did with his fists, and with a stick or some other weapon, repeatedly strike the said Francis Colley on the head and other parts of the body, and did fell him to the ground one or more times, by all which, or part thereof, he was cut, bruised, and wounded on the heed and other parts of the body, and mortally injured, and in consequence thereof languished until the 17th day of May, 1843, when he died, and was thus culpably killed by the said Archibald Blacklaw. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. From the evidence for the prosecution it appeared that Mrs. Jaffrey and her brother-in-law both claimed certain property about the Nursery Cottage—that Blacklaw had been appointed to watch the cottage garden—that the dispute which led to the fatal result arose about a flow er which had been purchased from Mrs. Jaffrey for a penny, and that a quarrel having ensued, on the watchman demanding the flower from Colley, the latter was struck, knocked down, and mortally injured. The witnesses for the defence deponed, on the contrary, that Colley first struck Blacklaw, and that Colley fell off the pavement, but was not knocked down. The evidence on both sides having been completed, on the suggestion of Lord Cockburn, the Advocate-Depute abandoned the case, the Jury returned • verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was dismissed from the bar.  George Campbell was accused of having, on the 25th of November last, feloniously entered the dwelling-house of a wine and spirit merchant, Argyll Street, by means of a false key, and of having stolen therefrom a great-coat. He was farther charged with the usual aggravations. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty as libelled, and sentenced to ten years' transportation. Sastsiel MTeirielt or 21PFeterick wee aocused of manufacturing base coin. He pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty as libelled, and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. Thomas Dollar' and Marian King were accused of assaulting and robbing a brick and tile-maker, in Paisley. From the evi' dense, it appeared that the assault took place near Nether Common brickwork, and that the party assaulted had been severely beadle& The prisoners pleaded not guilty, but were found guilty libelled, and sentenced each to seven years' transportation. The Court then adjourned at half-past nine o'clock, till ninn next morning.