The Express. — 1863-09-23 (London, England)

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.  Ws doubt whether the seelotui  Temperance have ever been in possession of a case which set forth the countless and deadly evils of drunkenness more eloquently than that vhio4 the columns of the Scotch journals have "resulted in a report of the trial of Witattm Straw Gsairr before the Perth Circuit Court, for the murder of his wife. GILLN'T was a merchant's clerk at Dundee, at a salary of 1001. a year. He was thirty-five years of age, and with his wife and four young children had for several years occupied a set of rooms in a house in Small's Wynd, divided, according to the Scottish system, into " lands," and accommodating several , families. The Gsairrs appear to have lived on very friendly terms with their neighbours, who were the principal witnesses on the trial. MARION Guts; the wife of the prisoner, was last seen alive on Saturday, the 20th of June lest. At two o'clock in the afternoon the eldest daughter, a girl air years of age, in a state of nervous distress, brought her little brother into Mrs. SCOTT'S room. This was not an uncommon occurrence.  The poor forlorn children often fled in this way from the spectacle of their mother's degradation. Mrs. Soon knew at once what their presence signified, and going into the next apartment found Mrs. Gasrr much intoxicated. Between five and six o'clock the effects of the drink had so fargone off that Mrs. GILLNT, although muddled, was trying to do her household work, having been brought up in tidy and industrious habits. In this state Mrs. Scant saw her for the last time, conversed with her, and rendered her some assistance in her household matters. After this Mrs. GRANT sent the little girl out for more drink. About eight o'clock Gamer returned from businesa, and meeting his little boy, three years old, took him into his arms, and entered the house, laughing and playing with the child. The evidence as to his condition at this time is contradictory. Two of the witnesses said that he was drunk, but their reasons for thinking so did not satisfy the court. He was not a man addicted to excess. In his " declaration," however, he admitted that be " had been drinking," but " knew what he was about." Soon after GRANT bad gone within doors, the eldest children having gone out to play, the neighbours heard a noise in his rooms. They were accustomed to hear Mrs. Gen NT tumbling on the floor and overturning the chairs, but this noise was " out of the common." Mrs. HOVKLL, whose room was immediately under that of the GRAND; called Mn. Scorn to hear the noise with her,and they heard something like sharp strokes as if made with a cane on a table, and then a bumping noise on the floor. Then all was stilL About ten o'clock the father's voice was heard callipg his eldest daughter. Mrs. Sever took her to him, when he spoke kindly to the child, ;and told her to bid Mrs. Scorr good night. His manner at this time was perfectly calm and collected. The children were in the habit of sleeping in a bad concealed in a recess of the parlour, the parents occupying the bedroom. It appears from the evidence of the eldest boy, eight years of age, that when he came in from play, about ten, his sister MARION and his little brother were already in this bed, and their mother was lying on her back on the parlour floor. The father, who was walking about the kitchen when his son returned, soon took off his clothes and lay down on the children's bed. This, the eldest child said, be always diii when the mother was drunk. About four o'clock on the Sunday morning one of the