weighing 14lbs., was round at one end, and of a long wedge-like form on the other. It was fitted to a wooden handle, only six inches long.

George Cooke.-Lives at Loughborough, and assists his father, who drives the Express coach between that place and Manchester. On Friday morning, about half past five o'clock, on entering the Black Horse yard, he saw a person talking to one of the stable-keepers. Witness learnt from the stable-keeper that he had been there some time; that he came in tired, and with dirty shoes, but had wiped his shoes with hay, and also oiled them, and then rested himself in the hay. He had on a blue coat with lappels, brown trousers, a black stock, and over them a blue and white silk neckerchief not hemmed. He had largish whiskers, coming down nearly to his chin, and a rather long face. Witness entered into conversation with him, and, after some time, he produced a shirt pin, saying, "See what I found yesterday, I have no occasion for it, and don't mind selling it." He then pulled his neckkerchief aside to show he had a brooch, Witness finally bought it of him for 2s. They stopped talking for some time, and the man pulled out a gold watch, with curb chain, and two gold seals and a key, and said, "See what my father has purchased for me; he gave forty guineas for them, and I would not take as much back for them again." He afterwards asked witness, if he could change a 10l. or a 51, note of the Bank of England for him, and at the same time pulled out a long green silk purse, and from a roll of paper at one end took out and opened one note of each of

these values. Witness observed, that at the other end of the purse there was gold of some sort, but how much he could not say.

Mr. W. Mancell, bookseller, of Claremont-place, Pentonville, examined.-Mr. John Paas, of 44, High Holborn, married his sister. Mr. Paas left London about two months back. Mr. Paas was an engraver's tool maker, and was in the habit of making long commer cial journies. The snuff-box, the pencil-case, and the shirt-pin produced he can swear were the property of Mr. John Paas. The shirt pin he can swear to most positively, as it was one of five made as mourning memorials of Mr.George Mancell, who died in August, 1818. Mr. Paas had one given him, and was in the habit of wearing it.

Mr. Dixon, also a relation of Mr. Paas, identified the snuff-box, the pin, and some other articles, as having been the property of that gentleman.

Mr. R. Tibbut, a bookseller in the Haymarket, Leicester, was acquainted with Mr. Paas. On Wednesday morning, about half-past nine o'clock, Mr. Paas called on him, and made inquiries about the solvency of several tradesmen in the town, and, among others, about Cook. Witness told him he knew nothing about him, and asked if he had any account against him? Mr. Paas said he had, and asked where he lived, and witness told him, Mr. Paas then gave witness a small account he had against him, and said he should go round among the trade, and call in again. He then went away, and called again about two o'clock. Witness, after settling his account, asked him if he had done his business to his satisfaction; and he replied, "Pretty well; but Cook

has not settled with me and has asked me to call again in the evening." After this conversation, Mr. Paas left.

Mr. William Hester, landlord of the Stag and Pheasant Inn, said, that he saw Mr. Paas for the last time about six o'clock on the evening of Wednesday. He left the inn, saying, "Now I will go and finish my business." He went in the direction of Cook's shop.

A verdict of wilful murder was returned against Cook.

He was traced to Liverpool, and arrested on the morning of the 5th of June, as he was making off in a boat near the Black Rock. The officers succeeded in running it ashore. Cook leaped overboard, and attempted to drown himself. When they secured him, he took out a bottle, and tried to swallow something from it; but it was knocked out of his hand. They found on him 44 sovereigns, and a half guinea, and 7s. 5d., (but no notes), a silver watch, a gold chain and seals, and a brooch. He was conveyed to Leicester; and, when brought before the magistrates there, spoke nearly as follows:-"I am innocent of wilful murder, and my conscience is not burdened in the manner that you gentlemen seem to suppose. Mr. Paas called on me in the morning, but what morning I cannot exactly say, my agitation of mind has been so great ever since. I paid him a bill of 12s. There were two bills due. The other was for a larger sum. Mr. Paas wrote settled on the 12s. bill, and I told him I would strive to pay part of the other, if he called again in the evening. Mr. Paas did call in the evening; but I was not able to give him any thing. He was angry and I was angry, and disagreeable words took place,

and a scuffle ensued, and in this manner I was brought to this shameful and disgraceful end." The prisoner had previously told the constables, that, during the scuffle, Mr. Paas had thrown the great hammer at his head, and that it struck his shoulder, and that in the heat of the moment he snatched up the press pin (a strong iron bar) and hit him with it on the back of the neck, and he fell dead instantly.

On Friday morning the prisoner was visited in his cell by Mr. Burbidge the town clerk. Mr. Burbidge asked him how he felt himself? The prisoner replied that he was more comfortable in mind than he had been since the commission of the crime, and that he knew he must suffer for it; but he believed in a just God, and hoped for his mercy. Mr. Burbidge asked him whether he was then willing to tell what he had done with the trunk of the body. The prisoner replied, "I know I shall suffer, and as there is a just God, I burnt the whole of it. It is the truth. I am sure to suffer, and it is no use telling stories. I have entirely destroyed the body, but how I did it I can hardly tell. It was all burnt." Mr. Burbidge asked when he burnt it. He replied, in the course of the Wednesday night. Mr. Burbidge then asked how he did it, and he replied that he cut it up into fragments, and so placed them on the fire. Mr. Burbidge told him that he had been informed by surgeons that it would be impossible for him to destroy the lungs by an ordinary fire. The prisoner, in a composed but melancholy tone, replied, "Ah, Sir, they never tried the experiment!" Mr. Burbidge next observed that he was given to under

stand that it was impossible to destroy the intestines by fire without their causing a stench that would be smelt all round the neighbourhood. The prisoner, in answer, said, "I know nothing about that, Sir; it was a very stormy night, and a great deal of rain fell; perhaps these may account for it." Mr. Burbidge asked how he could explain the circumstance of no remains of the bones of the skull or trunk being found? The prisoner replied that they were all burnt so that he could crush them with his foot easily. He added, placing the fingers of his right hand upon the palm of the left, "I could smash them thus." Mr. Burbidge asked how he could think of such a horrible mode of disposing of the body? The prisoner answered, "What was I to do with it, Sir? The dreadful deed had been committed, I must get rid of the body some way, and I had no other mode of disposing of it." Mr. Burbidge observed to him, that if he cut up the body as he had stated, a great flow of blood must have taken place, and yet there were very few marks of blood on the floor-how did he account for that? In answer the prisoner said he had first strewn the floor thickly with hay and straw, which he afterwards collected together and burnt.

whether he was apprehended or not.

He was brought to trial on the 8th of August; having in the mean time been converted into a saint, and become an object of warmly cherished interest to the religious sisterhood. After the officer had got through about two counts of the indictment, the prisoner, whose mind appeared to be wholly abstracted from what was passing around him, drew forth a small, neatly bound volume of religious exercises, from his left hand waistcoat pocket, and very deliberately commenced reading it, which he continued to do until the officer had finished reading the indictment. When asked the usual question-" How say you, are you guilty, or not guilty, of this murder?"-He replied in a subdued but firm voice-Guilty.

Judge.-Prisoner, are you aware of the consequence of what you are doing? Do you plead guilty advisedly?

Prisoner.-I do, my lord.

The learned judge paused for a few minutes, and then said, " Prisoner, I ask you again, do you still persist in your plea ?"

Prisoner.--I do.

The plea was then recorded; sentence of death was passed; and the murderer died the death of infamy, as cool and unappalled, as if he had been a martyr sacrificing himself for his country or the human race.

STIRLING.

ing her own daughter, was put to the bar. The prisoner, a poor wan-looking creature, upwards of fifty, continued, throughout the trial, to notice the proceedings, without betraying much interest. The indictment charged her with having, within the house of her husband, Duncan M'Ansh, or Thomson, situated in the village of St. Ninian's, and on the night of the 16th or morning of the 17th of July, inflicted a mortal wound on her daughter's throat with a razor or other lethal weapon, so as to cause her daughter's death. The prisoner, in a firm voice, pleaded not guilty.

Margaret M'Ewen, or Welsh, resides in the village of St. Ninian's, and lives in the flat below the prisoner. Was intimate with Janet M'Ansh, the prisoner's daughter. On Tuesday morning, the 17th of July, she heard of Janet's death. Had heard nothing in the prisoner's house, during the night. The flooring was so thin, that she would have heard any one walking above her, if she had not been sleeping. Prisoner came down and rapped at her door, and at the door of a Mrs. M'Donald, who lives on the same floor with witness. The prisoner said nothing, but rapped, when witness said to her husband, "Sandy, she'll be gone." She said this, because Janet was very weakly, the night before. Witness rose, and took her petticoat and threw it over her arm, and ran up stairs. Heard the footstep of the prisoner going up before her. When witness went in, the prisoner was going through the house, wringing her hands, and crying. She was the only person in the house, except witness. Witness went to Janet's bedside, and took her by the hand and said,

r

"O! my lassie, are you gone.” Thought the deceased's lip quivered, after witness took her by the hand. There was a little moderate heat in her hand, but not much. This was between four and five o'clock, and there was light in the room. The deceased was lying on her left side edged up a little, with the clothes up about her head, and her right hand down by her side. The bedclothes were drawn up about her throat, which was covered. Observed blood on the floor, before the bed, and ashes covering it, but, at that time, there was no appearance of blood about the bedclothes. Afterwards saw blood on the clothes when the deceased was taken out of bed. Saw no marks of blood about the top of the bed; but, on seeing the blood, witness said to the prisoner, "Margaret, what blood is this?-surely some blood vessel has burst within her." Prisoner answered, "I dinna ken, I dinna ken; she asked a razor to pair her nails; did you no hear any noise-did you no hear her in the night time?" Prisoner said nothing else, to witness's recollection. Cannot recollect whether the prisoner said that she had given the deceased the razor or not. Witness was only about a minute or two alone with the prisoner before Mrs. M'Donald, who had stopped to put her clothes on, came in. Had no other conversation with the prisoner at that time. Mrs. McDonald, and James Forsyth, who live on the same flat with the prisoner, then came in; and it was arranged that James Forsyth should go to tell the deceased's father, and get some assistance to straight the corpse. Mrs. M'Donald went for Mrs. Dick, to dress the corpse, and witness was left alone for a

minute or two with the prisoner, but had no conversation with her. Witness then went to Mrs. Dick's; and, when Mrs. M'Donald and Mrs. Dick went to Mr. Knox's to get some clothes to wrap the body in, witness said, "she'll be wearying, puir body, beside the corpse," and went back. Witness might be five minutes with the prisoner before Mrs. M'Donald and Mrs. Dick returned. Had no conversation with the prisoner, but the prisoner said, that she had gone to bed and fallen asleep, and that she awoke in amaze, because her daughter, who had a troublesome cough, was not coughing. Mrs. Dick and Mrs. M'Donald came back with an old shirt and some cloth to sweel the body in, which they laid down upon a chest. Mrs. Dick then said, "we'll no be the waur of a glass o'whisky before we begin;" when the prisoner went out for some whisky. They each had a glass. Mrs. Dick who had her child with her, then gave the glass to the prisoner, and they proceeded to uncover the corpse. Mrs. McDonald took the feet, Mrs. Dick the shoulders, and witness stood by the head, but did not touch the body. They then lifted the body, and laid it on the bedcover, which they had previously spread out on the floor. Mrs. Dick asked for a pillow, and witness brought the only pillow which was in the bed, and it was all bloody. At this time the head had fallen back, and Mrs. Dick said, "You stupid blockhead take hold of the head." The body then rested on the floor, and Mrs. Dick keeked in below to untie the knot of the deceased's cap to get on a clean one, and then called out, "ye auld highland limmer or bitch, ye've cut your daughter's throat." When

witness saw the black hole in the deceased's throat, she became feeble and insensible. It was not like a cut, but as if a piece had been pulled out of it. Witness was helped down stairs by her husband. Witness had supposed that the deceased had died a natural death till she saw the wound in the girl's throat. The last time she had seen the deceased alive, was between ten and eleven o'clock the night before, when she had whispered to witness to get a little spirits laid at her head in the night time, so that she might take a drop of it. She was then in bed and very weakly. Witness had carried her in her arms to bed about eight o'clock. She had been sitting at the fire on a chair. Witness took her as if she had been a child, and laid her down. She had desired witness to help her to bed. The deceased was still in bed between ten and eleven o'clock; but the prisoner was up, and had come and met witness at the door. Witness had taken a tankard of milk with her for Janet, and said to the prisoner, "Margaret, try and get something for that poor dying girl," to which the mother answered, "I have nothing, and can get nothing for her." The deceased was from twenty to twenty-five years of age. She used to knock on the floor for witness to come up, when she wanted food, or milk, or assistance. She was in a heavy and heartless state of mind, and had sore trouble. The deceased's body was lying in the same way in the morning, as witness had left her the night before. As witness paid great attention to the deceased, the girl said, "I'm always happy when you're in my sight." She said so that night. Witness was not sur