The Sun. — 1834-05-15 (London, England)

CONFESSION OF NOBLE.  Immediately after sentence was pronounced against him, this unfortunate man confessed to his counsel that he was the murderer. Leaning over the dock, he whispered, " Mr. Macdougal, I am happy at this—l deserve it.' He says he never before mentioned the circumstance even to his parents. Next morning he made a confession to Mr. Sheriff Cameron and Mr. Forteath of Newton, as well as to the Rev. Mr. Clark and the Rev. Mr. Scott of this place. His statements are contradictory, and cannot be relied upon. Yesterday he distinctly avowed that he went to the scene of the murder in a desperate state of mind, under a feeling of degradation, because he was a deserter, that he could get no employment as a labourer, was in absolute want, and was accordingly prepared to wreak his vengeance and attempt robbery upon the first person that might come in his way. After striking down Ritchie, he searched one of his pockets and took out the tobacco spleuchan, but was overcome with a horror of his guilt, and without waiting to search the body any further, fled from the spot. The spleuchan he threw away in the hedge. This morning he makes a totally different statement. In our hearing he gave the following version of the story. He was in search of work on the fatal day, the 28th of De-. cember, but was not destitute as he had ss. in his pocket. After leaving Mr. Gray's, at Birnie, instead of taking the road to Elgin, he took the road above Linkwood, intending to apply to Mr. Warren. On reaching Coxton, it struck him that there was little chance of his being employed at Mr. Warren's, and, ashamed to go there on account of his former bad conduct, he resolved to walk to Elgin to his mother's for another night. He came down towards the public road, passing through Mr. W fields, and leaping the ditch immediately opposite Sheyiffstown. He was now on the public road. He first met a person dressed in a blue great coat ; he took the right hand side of the road to Elgin. When near the second milestone a glimpse of moonlight showed him the person of a man. He had on a light waistcoat, which he took to be the lace of a regimental coat, and concluded that he was a soldier in search of him. The man had a small switch in his hand, which lie took to be a bayonet. Thinking the man was approaching him, he put forth his hand and tore out the nearest piece of paling-bar from the hedge, crossed the road and before the man spoke to him, struck him a blow which felled him to the ground. The man, he says, was near the middle of the road .; he gave one step forward and fell upon his face. He cannot say whether he struck him when he was down, but he never spoke a word after the blow. He never touched the body, but threw away the stick, and ran on the public road to Elgin. The first person he saw was the witness Jesse Smith, and he slackened his pace to avoid exciting suspicion. He positively avers that he had no stick in his hand, as deponed by this witness, for it was not till after the murder that he met her. He never saw Helen Lee or the cart, but met several persons on the road, particularly near Elgin. He went directly to his mother's house, remained there in concealment till Monday morning, and never heard the murder talked of till he went to Muirside. m He never intended to commit urder. He had not the smallest suspicion who it was he had attacked till Mr. Sheriff Cameron told him in the Courthouse at Elgin that he was accused of the murder of William Ritchie. He says that he was very sorry to hear that it was William Ritchie, as he was " a real fine man," and had been very kind to him. When aboutthtewyowyeeraers ago,working together at Mr. Warren's Ritchie was the first to tell him that the soldiers were coming to apprehend him, and in consequence of this timely notice he made his escape. They never had any quarrel. To account for the discrepancy between his confessions, he says he was very confused yesterday. This afternoon he repeated the above statement to us, and solemnly averred that it was the true account. —lnverness Courier.