it away, alleging that his father wanted it. George Wild.-I was convicted of horse-stealing at the last assizes. Before the assizes I was kept in the same ward with M'Cabe. I saw Reid in the messroom the morning after the last trial. I said to Reid, "I understand that M'Cabe can do you no harm?" He replied, No, he cannot. I said, "I understand he is giving evidence against you?" Reid said, "If I thought he was, I'd confess and tell all about it. I said to him, "Then you mean to say you're guilty of this murder?" He said, "Yes, we did the murder. About a month before we made up our minds to rob the house; but you'll see he'll never give any evidence to do me any harm.' This was before the trial. When I said it was after, I made a mistake. About the assizes I talked with Reid about the soldering iron in the mess-room. I do not remember when it was. I told Reid that M'Cabe said the soldering iron was his. He said that I might tell M'Cabe he was both the man that helped to use it, and put it in the well. John Noble, Governor of York Castle.-Mr. Watts was at one time the attorney for M'Cabe. Mr. Watts came to see M'Cabe in June. After Mr. Watts had gone, Reid sent to say he wished to see me, and when I saw him he said, "Do you know what M'Cabe has said to Mr. Watts?" Witness said, "No; attorneys see prisoners in private." Reid then said, What do you think of the case?" Witness replied, "You stand in a very awkward position, and whether you are guilty or not guilty, if the Jury find you guilty, you will be executed, and you had better prepare yourself for another world. It is thought that one man could not murder three persons in so short a time, and I understand that the police are after two other men." Reid replied, "There's no others in it. I then said, "It is reported that you had a quarrel with the murdered girl; and that you were heard to say you would be revenged on her or serve her out." Reid then said with emphasis, "It's all lies, I never had a quarrel with that girl." I communicated this conversation to the visiting magis trate. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr. Seymour addressed the Jury for the prisoner Reid, and contended that the evidence did not substantiate the case against him; that M'Cabe was really the murderer; and that the fresh evidence which had been adduced did not alter the position of Reid from that in which he was when tried and acquitted at the last assizes. Mr. Matthews then addressed the Jury for the prisoner M'Cabe, contending that, although M'Cabe was at the house at the time of the murder, yet that that was consistent with innocence. Dec. 24. The learned Judge commenced his summing up of the evidence on the third morning of the trial; his charge to the Jury occupied three hours. His lordship went through and explained all the evidence as it affected each of the prisoners, more especially with regard to the prisoner M'Cabe; showing that, if the witness John M'Kinnell and the little girl Hallas were both correct as to time, it would hardly be possible for M'Cabe to have been the man in company with Reid, as she described. There was nothing to show that the two prisoners had known each other; and it was a remarkable fact, that two strangers should be found committing a murder in concert. He urged that little reliance should be placed on the evidence of Mr. West with regard to the chymical experiments, and the evidence respect ing the garters was quite ridicu lous. The Jury retired for about two hours, and then returned a verdict of Guilty against both prisoners. His lordship then put on the black cap, and, after alluding to the horrid manner in which the murder had been perpetrated, urged the wretched men to make the best use of the time which yet remained to them in preparing themselves for another world. His lordship then pronounced sentence of death in the usual manner. Reid maintained his firmness till the last, but M'Cabe fainted * The evidence of this witness is whilst his lordship was pronounc omitted in the reports of the trial. ing the sentence. |