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of the witnesses established such a connected train of circumstances, as to leave no doubt, whatever as to the guilt, of the prisoners. He recounted the evidence in the clearest manner, and concluded by craving a verdict of Guilty.
The Dean of Faculty, spoke at great length on behalf of Burke, and contended that there was no other evidence of the fact of murder than that of Hare and his wife, who were so utterly polluted and contaminated, that they could not be relied on.
Mr Cockburn addressed them on behalf of M'Dougal. He also impugned the evidence of these miscreants. What could the jury think of the evidence of the man who came forward and said, I have been guilty of one murder, but want to free myself from blame by impeaching another who was not probably so guilty? They had seen the squalid wretch—the very picture of his reolting traffic—a visible spectacle of penury and profgacy.
The Lord Justice Clerk the commenced his charge to the jury, which lasted two hours and a half. He seemed to consider the libel clearly proven against both.
At half-past eight the jury retired, had after an absence of fifty minutes returned a verdict finding William Burke Guilty of the charge; and the libel against Helen M'Dougal Not Proven.
The Lord Advocate having moved for the sentence of the Court,
Lord Meadowbank said, after a trial of unexampled length—protracted to nearly twenty-four hours—a trial in which the minds of your Lordships has been excited to the uttermost, it would be improper in me to detain the Court with commenting on the circumstances of this atrocious case; and I feel that it is quite impossible for any one who has attended to the proceedings in this trial, to think that are have any thing left to do but to go through with the distressing duty, which has now fallen
