The Sun. — 1837-03-23 (London, England)

CONVICTION OF A MURDERER.  At the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, on Saturday, Alexander Miller was tried on a charge of having murdered 'William Jarvie, on the li).th of November last, in the parish of Stirling. On the day in question deceased-, who was an old man, had been left safe in the house by William Laing and his wife, who lived under the same roof with him, when they-went out in the morning to work in a potato field. When they returned in the afternoon they culled to him, but received no answer, upon which Laing's wife said, could the old man be murdered ? In her evidence she stated that on missing deceased her husband had said to her, " Can Scatters have murdered him Scatters ,vas a nielin‘rne by which the prisoner went in the neighbourhood. She afterwards went in -company With a man named Eadie to seek deceased. They examitied-a barn, but did not find him there. On going to the byre they found his body lying under the hedge, murdered. His head was completely smashed, and one of his arms broken. Some clothes and his watch had been taken 'away from his dwelling. A stick was found near the body. with. grey hairs upon it. The prisoner had confessed voluntarily to an acquaintance that he killed the deceased ; and subsequently attempted suicide. The evidence was very conelusive against him. The Jury, after nearly an hour's deliberation, returned a verdict of Guilty, and the Judge sentenced him to be executed at Stirling on the Bth of April. The prisoner is only nineteen years of age, but of so bad a character and reckless disposition that when the murder was committed it was remarkable that everybody agreed in pointing lu im out as the most likely to be the guilty party. The culprit is about the middle size, of a fair complexion, and possessing a slender though athletic frame. He was an excellent shot, and displayed uncommon address and activity. A wall is shown in the village of Denny of nearly seven feet in height, which he has been seen to clear: several times ; and, indeed, had he not been endowed with morothan ordinary agility and physical energy he would never have baffled the pursuit for such a length of time. It commenced at ten o'clock in the morning, and about forty people joined in it, but he still manned to distance them all ; and although at intervals fresh parties joined in the hue and cry he held out until two o'clock, being literally beset and chased on all sides during the long period of four hours, and a run of fifteen miles. His father was a person of the same idle habits and like activity. On one urgent occasion he accomplished, on foot, a journey from a part of Stirlingshire to Greenock, being a distance of forty-seven miles, in the marvellous short space of eight hours, or about six miles an hour. He was known by the by-name of " Scatters," arising, as the story goes, from his loading his gun in such a particular manner that he could scatter the shot and kill an unusual quantity of game with one charge. This name or title descended to his son, the present unfortunate youth, to whom it is too well suited.  At a public meeting of the electors of Kendal a very numerous Committee was formed for the purpose of inviting a proper person to succeed Mr. Barham in the representation of that borough. No fewer than seven candidates responded to the invitation of the Committee, but the favourites were Mr. Wood, of Manchester, and Mr. Moorsom, of Airy Hill, near Whitby, both gentlemen of the highest character and respectability, but the latter, judging from the declaration of their principles, a more decided Reformer. On a division of the Committee the votes were very nearly equal. Mr. Wood obtained a small majority, though from his declared opposition to the ballot and other questions which are at present considered a sine qua non with most liberal constituencies, this result was by no means generally expected. Of course Mr. Wood will receive the united exertions of the Committee to promote his success. His return may be considered certain.  The topography of watch-making at home and alircad would present a vast number of curious and interesting facts. In consequence of the minute subdivision of labour in this trade, it is said that there are only three places in the United Kingdom where a complete watch can be manufactured--,London, Liverpool,-and Coventry. The business has been introduced at the latter place entirely since the year 1800, and the number of persons employed in it there is now supposed to equal the number in the metropolis. There are innumerable places besides these where some part of the ma. nufacture is carried on ; the town of Whitchurch, in Hampshire, for instance, is employed entirely in the making of hands.—Mechanics' Magazine.  The Learned Judges arrived here yesterday, and after having opened the Commission of Assize for the county of Sussex, went to church. At ten o'clock this morning Sir N. C. TINDAL took his scat in the Crown Court, and delivered the charge to the grand jury. Mr. Justice VAUGHAN preSided in the Civil Court, Eleven causes are entered, one of which is a special Jury. The businesS on the Crown side is not heavy, either as regards the number of the prisoners (there are thirty-six) or the character of the offences.