Broadside entitled 'Murders!'

Transcription

Murders!

An Account of these two Murders, the one
committed, on Tuesday evening last,
the 5th September, 1826, on the Body
of Mrs ALEXANDER, residing at
the foot of Leith Wynd, Edinburgh,
by her own Husband; and the other,
last night, Monday the 11th September,
1826, on the Body of a young man of
the name of BAIN, a Hatter, in the
West Port, who was killed on the spot.

Edinburgh, 12th September, 1826.
Wa are sorry we have to record the following '
notice of two recent Murders, committed in this
city in the short space of a week, one of whom,
we are informed, is of a very aggravated nature.
We regret this the more, as, not withstanding re-
tent examples made, particularly that of William
Pollock, for the same crime, the murder of his
own wife, we find this dreadful, worst of all crimes,
on the increase in our native land.

We copy the following from the Edinburgh:
Observer of this day:

TUESDAY night, a man of the name ALEX-
ANDER, residing in Leith Wynd, in a fit;
of passion stabbed his wife in the neck with a;
knife. The woman was taken to the Infirmary,
rat the wound was of so serious a nature, that she
died in a few hours. We understand that the
parties had frequent jars, which arose from jea-
lousy on the part of the wife. Alexander is now.
in custody.                                                          ;

LAST NIGHT'S MURDER.

Last night, between nine and ten o'clock, an af-
fray took place at the West Port, which terminated
fataliy. From what we have been able to learn of
the affair, it would appear that as an old woman
and her son were going up the Port, a person of
the name of Bain, a hatter, accidentally came in
contact with the old woman, which caused her to
fall Her son was about to resent what he con-
sidered an insult offered to his mother. but she
was endeavouring to prevent him. when a flesher
came running out of an entry.exclaiming,..." Let
me to him, and I'll do his business;" and imme-
diately knocked' Bain down, and killed him on the
spot.

At the time our informant left the West Port,

the perpetrator of this horrid deed had eluded the

search of the police; but as he is well known, it

is hoped he will not long be able to conceal him-

self from justice....Edinburgh Observer of Tuesday

12thseptember.

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A full and Particular Account of the Trial
and Sentence of Wm. Alexander, and
Janet Blackwood, or Martin, who were-
tried before the High Court of Justici-
ary, on Monday 29th January 1827,
for Murder, and Assault, on the person,
of Catherine Smith, wife of the said
Wm. Alexander, on 6th September last,
who died in the Infirmary on the 8th.
September, in consequence.

YESTERDAY, at Edinburgh, the High Court
of Justiciary proceeded to the Trial of
William Alexander, mason, and Janet Blackwood,
alias Martin, accused of Murder, as also Assault, in
violently, wickedly, and feloniously attacking, on
the 6th September last, Catherine Smith, or Alex-
ander, wife of the said W. Alexander, then residing
in Leith Wynd, repeatedly striking her with clench-
ed fists, and with a pair of tongs, &c. on the head,
face, chest, and limbs, until she was knocked to the
ground, and reduced to a state of insensibility, and
severely and mortally wounded, to the great effusion
of her blood, and one of her ribs broken ; and she
continued to languish in the Royal Infirmary till.
the 8th September, when she died, in consequence
of the injuries thus received, and was thereby mur-
dered.    W. Alexander was accused of having pre-
viously evinced deadly malice and ill-will against
his late wife, by striking, maltreating, and harshly
using her, especially for 18 months preceding her
leath. There was also an alternate charge of assault
against both pannels.    They plead Not Guilty.

From the evidence it appeared that some children
observed the deceased through the window, sirting
on a stool before the fire, almost in a state of nudity.
The female prisoner was sitting at the fire supping
broth, and frequently struck the deceased on the
mouth with a spoon. Alexander was then sitting
at the back of the bed also supping broth. Ann
Balfour, a neighbour of Alexander's, was called to
look through the window between 5 and 6 in the
evening, when she saw the deceased sitting before
the fire, with nothing on but her shift, which was
marked with blood in the breast, her arms folded,
and hor head hanging back. Her husband came
from the bed, and struck her violently on the left
ear, which knocked her below the table, on the cross-
bar of which her head fell; she did not move.-
Alexander appeared looking for his cloths after strik-
ing his wife, (having nothing on but his shirt), and
as she lay, he placed either his foot or his knee on
her breast, not accidentally, but designedly and with
violence. The female prisoner was lying on the
bed Alexander came from when he struck the blow,
?John Balfour, aged, 12, and two little girls fully
corroborated Mrs Balfour's evidence?Mr W. Shep-
herd, a special constable, and Mr David Arthur,
junior, described the situation in which the deceased
was found : she was insensible, and the latter wit-
nes! got a woman to wash the blood from her face,
who also took a quantity of blood from her mouth.
Both said she appeared to be in liquor, as did Mr
Black, surgeon to the Police. Mr Black discovered
a sevre cotusion on the right side of the head, on
which he bled her, and in consequence of the dan-
gerous symtoms, next morning she was conveyed
to the Royal Infirmary, where she died on the se-
cond day. Dr Newbigging was then examined.

The Lord Advocate said he should give op the case against the
woman; and from the evidence of Dr Newbigging, he found he

could not bring home the charge of murder against the man,

therefore would only ask for a verdict of culpable homicide.

The Lord Justice Clerk made a very few observations to the
jury, who, without hesitation, returned a verdict of culpable ho-
micide against Alexander, and as to Blackwood the libel not pro-
ven; the former was sentenced to be transported for fourteen
years, and tho latter was dismissed from the bar, with a severe

admonition . The Court was immensely crowded.

Printed for Wm. Henry.Price One Penny.

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