Glasgow Courier. — 1857-07-11 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LORD JUSTICE-CLERK—She waited ORO night after the first, sod then said in her next letter, that she would wait next night, same hour end arrangement. It I was very natural that be should see her. Bat, gentle- 1 men as I said to you, this an inference only. If you ' think it is such a just and satisfactory inference as you can rest your verdict on, it is perfectly competent to draw such an inference from letters such as these. But I then, gentlemen, in drawing an inference, you must look to the character of the inference you are asked to draw. : If this had been an appointment about business you would probably scout the notion of a man saying he had not seen the party he was to meet, if you knew that he came from such a distance and at such inconvenience as the deceased to meet him. But what you are asked to drew is this—the inference that they met that night, and the fact of their meeting, the foundation of the charge of murder. Therefore the drawing an inference in ordinary civil matters is one thing, and the inference from a letter that a man was coming from Stirling to Glasgow to meet the panel, that they did meet, and that the poison was administered by her to him, is another 'and a most enormous jump in the category of inference. ,ape question for you to put to yourselvee is this—ostis .00 now, with satisfaction to your own minde, owe , to the conclusion that they did meet upon that odea- I lion, the result being—the object for coming te- that : , conclusion being— to fix down upon the prisonet the I 1 administration of the arsenic, by which he died? His 1 Lordship then referred to the three charges in the Indictment. The first, that the panel administered arsenic on 19th or 20t1t February. He had no hesitation whatever in saying that it WAS his opinion that the charge on this point was a failure. There was no proof that he was ill at that data from arsenic. In regard to the second count, the evidence wan much the same as on the first, with the excepiion that she had arsenic in her possession before this date. It is not known, medically, that he died of arsenic on this occasion either. He had been ill both at Roberts' and de Mean's. If you could find proof for the first charge, and too much doubt about the second, the foundation of the whole theory is entirely shaken, and the charge for the third count weakened. Are you prepared to find an interview proved against her on the 22d March? She had arsenic before the illness of the 22d February; and I will leave you to consider whether the alleged use of arsenic as a cosmetic is likely to be true. After sonte farther remarks on this part of the defence, bin Lordship proceeded to repeat and enforce on the jury the necessity or their being perfectly satisfied, if they did draw any inference, that it was really sound. Probably (he said) none of you think for a moment that he did go out that night, and from not seeing her, swallowed upwards of 200 giains of arsenic In the streets. You will probably discard that theory. Though you may come, no doubt, to the conclusion that he did not commit suicide by arsenic; on the other hand, keep ia view, gentlemen, that that does not affect the prisoner. The murder may remain unexplained. You may not be able to account for it on any Other supposition. Still that supposition may not be a ground on which you cau satisfactorily and safely rest a verdict. Now, then, I leave you to consider the case with reference to the various views of the matter. Many ideas may suggest themselves as to the probability of their meetiug on the Sunday night, but these are mere suppositions—nothing but conjectures. The great and valuable use of a jury, after having paid close attention to the whole case, is to separate, firmly and clearly in their minds, suspicion front (widen se. Ido not say that it niav not be competent to draw inferences, but I have already warned you of the difference between this and ordinaly civil oases. And, therefore, if you cannot say that you have thoroughly satisfactory evidence of their meeting, and the poison being neces.arily administered by her to the deceased at this meeting, whatever may be you . suspicions, however heavy the load and weight of suspicion against her, and however much you may have to struegle against to get rid of that, you perform sour best and bounden duty iii separating suspicion from truth, and judging precisely upon nothing but what you find sufficiently established upon evidence. I am confident, whatever your verdict may be, after the attention you have bestowed on the case,l,that that verdict will be the best approximation at which' men can arrive. But let me say also, on the other band, that of the evidence you are the best judges, notonly in point of law, but in point of fact; and you may be personally confident that, if yen return a verdict satisfactory to yourselves against the prisoner, you need not rear any consequences from any future imagined discovery. You will have done your duty under your oath to God and to your country, and you may feel satisfied that remorse you never can have. The jury then (at five minutes past one o'clock) retired to consider their verdict. At half-past one they returned to their box, and the judges immediately resumed their seats on the bench.  The CLERK of the Court asked the jury for their verdict.  The FOREMAN then said—My Lords, in respect of the first count, the jury find by a majority the panel ' Not Guilty.' In respect of the second count, the jury by a majority find the charge against the prisoner 'Not Proven;' and in respect of the third count, the.inryfind by a majority the charge against the prisoner 'Not Proven.' As this verdict was being recorded there was an enthusiastic and general burst of applause, which was vainly attempted to be suppressed by the macers and other officials of the Court; and a person in the gallery was apprehended, by order of the Lord Justice Clerk, for haying given too vociferous an expression to the gratulatory feelings that at the moment pervaded his heart. The Loan