The Sun. — 1848-03-03 (London, England)

CLIRKSON—She resided at 20, Northumberland-street, in the Strand. She was not examined before the magistrate. She was in the habit of going to the barracks. She believed that the prisoner and the deceased were keeping coospany together. She never heard that the deceased wished the prisoner to pawn her clothes and go upon the streets to obtain money for him.  James Beattie, gun-maker, of Regent street, proved that the prisoner came to his shop and purchased the pistol produced, upon a representation that she wanted to shoot a large Newfoundland dog. Alice Vernon stated that the letter produced was found in the desk of the deceased. The letter which was addressed to her mistress was then put in and read. It was to the effect that the act she was about to commit was the consequence of her love, stating " that revenge was sweet when it could be obtained, and that she hoped her case would be a warning to other young men nut to deceive young women."  This closed the case on behalf of the prosecution. Mr. CLARKSON then proceeded to address the jury on behalf of the prisoner. He said that it would be idle in him to attempt to deny the effect of the evidence given against the prisoner. He quite agreed with some of the opening remarks of the Learned Counsel, and that unbridled licentiousness invariably led to disastrous results. But he denied that these observations were in the least degree applicable to the case of the infatuated prisoner at the bar. It was clear that she had been betrayed and deceived by the deceased. No person could doubt, from the manner in which the soldiers who had been examined had given their evidence, that the deceased was a bad character. He had obtained possession of her person, he had robbed her of her property, even to her last quarter's wages, with the exception of a petty nine shillings. She was driven to desperation and distraction by the cruel and heartless conduct of her seducer. She was seduced, deceived, betrayed, and abandoned, and under the influence of these feelings she had forgotten her position and the duty which she owed to herself and to society. That she loved the deceased there could be no doubt, that she had no long settled determination of causing his death was equally clear, for she had written to him but on the Monday before the fatal transaction, requesting to have a last meeting in order that they might part friends. She saw him on the Thursday previous to the murder, and he could well conceive that his heartless conduct upon that occasion might have finally determined her to commit the act for which she was then upon her trial. Suffering under the effects of a loathsome disease communicated to her by the deceased, requested by him to submit herself to general prostitution, and to pawn her clothes for the purpose of obtaining money for him, this was surely enough to drive the unfortunate prisoner to desperation. (The Learned Counsel then proceeded to read several letters addressed by the prisoner to the deceased, breathing the fondest attachment to him, calling upon him honourably to fulfil his engagements towards her, and anticipating with delight the arrival of the time when, in a home of their own, she would be able to nurse and cheer him in his illness, he being at that time confined to the hospital by illness.) He made these remarks not with a view of persuading the jury to do other than their full duty in this unfortunate case, but with a view of letting the whole of the case be fully known, and perhaps inducing them to accompany their ♦erdict of strict justice with a strong recommendation to mercy. The LORD CXIEF BARoN,having summed up, The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of Guilty, accompanying their verdict with a strong recommendatioa to mercy on the ground of the extraordinary provocation she had received from the deceased.  The Learned Judges haying put on their black cape, the Lord CHIEF BARON, iv ho appeared much affected, proceeded to pass sentence upon the prisoner in the usual form.