Glasgow Courier. — 1863-03-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE ROMANCE OF CRIME.  Truth is stranger than fiction. There is nothing in the " sensation " novels to exceed a real case of romantic crime that came before the police magistrates at the head office in Dublin. Joseph Harcourt, a respectably dressed person, about 30 years of age, described as a tutor, was brought up in the custody of Inspectors Daly and Smith, charged with having incited two men to murder a gentleman of property residing near Newry, in the county Down, William Smith, one of the men, deponed that he lived at 4, Fownes Street, Dublin; that he knew the prisoner about 10 years ago, when he lived at Mr Graham's, of Erne Street; that since then he only saw him about twice a year, when they used to drink together. About midnight on the 14th of February the prisoner called at witness's lodgings in company with a man named English. They went out to have some drink. and Harcourt asked him to breakfast with him next day. While at breakfast the prisoner said he came to Dublin to get a job done, and he thought he might as well put it in the witness's way, as he knew he was "bard up." There was a person near Newry who did not live amicably with his wife, and the wonder of the country was that he was not "popped' long ago, because he was in the habit of acting improperly with his servant-maid. He had a fine estate, and "no money would stop the job," and after it was done they could go to America. The lady in question, when the prisoner was living in Newry, according to his own statement to witness, took out her purse, and desired him to take as much money as he wished out of it. She had £lBOO in her own right. The prisoner offered to go with him on the following Saturday to practice shooting at a mark, and is was proposed that he should go down to Newry to learn the topography of the place. He was to be concealed in a shrubbery opposite a window where his intended victim was to be playing chess with the prisoner. The conversation was resumed at Graham's house in presence of witness, when Graham said—" Young man, you had better be very cautious what you are at. It strikes me very forcibly that you only want to get the man oat of the way in order to have the widow and get the estate." The prisoner then offered 6mith the sum of £5O for doing the "job," and offered him a revolver for the purpose. Both Smith and Graham had sworn informatiGns, stating that they had never the least intention of entertaining the question, but merely wished to draw Harcourt out, and let him develope his scheme. They also stated in their informations that the prisoner told them he had got prussic acid from a person named Donnelly. When the police went down to Newry to arrest him they found prussic acid in Ins possession, and a six-barrelled revolver, with a letter from Mr Donnelly acknowledging the receipt of one, in which he had asked for a revolver. These discoveries seemed to corroborate the evidence of Smith and Graham, and Mr Harcourt was accordingly arrested. The result of the investigation in the police court was that the prisoner was committed for trial, reserving his defence.  trates  I and after