The Court was crowded at half-past 10 o'clock, evidently in anticipation uf sentence being ui&sed on John Pratbou, who wa« on Thursday niglit found builcy ol the wilful murder of Andrew Wilson, at the Molyneux, ou the 30th May.

Otago Witness, Issue 568, 18 October 1862, Page 5

SENTENCE ON FfUTSON. A few minute-! before II o'clock, Fratson was brought jut.) Co i- 1 and placed in tlu lock He walked totterii'u'ly aud sMtln^ hinrelf. he wopfc bitterly. In this att'tu le he ie:iriin?.i until !i : s ' lo: o '. M> Justice Gi'p^sjii. e-ittnvd tl.e <'ourt, at ten minute" after 11. Inreplv to the He i.ir.ir, fie p-i^ner siid that lih a°-e was 27 ; but he gave no answer to the further question— " Have you anything to say why sentence should not be passed upon you 1" HU Honor (who whs much affected) saidJohn lu-a'son, after a paHent trial, by an intelligent _ and conscientious jury, and afoer an able and judicious defence by your counsel, you have been found guilty of murder -a foul and barbarous murder — the inurdfr of a yonnar mm with whom you were In fneudly liif^reour.se, wi"h whom you Ind no qmrrel, who was about f> siHle in your neighborhood, and who, from the character he r.-ceived duriuff the promts of this triil, vould have been an ornament and an a- ivanUtjo t:> tint neighborhood, for he was respected and esteemed by all those who were acquainted with him. You sent tint yount; man without any wnrmn? before his Maker. 'The law of your country, founded ns it is upon Divine lav/, iequiiTs tha' a person who commits such a crime sln.l forfi it hi* own life for that wi ish he has taken. Ilowevi r, the hw is more merciful to you than you wereti tint unfortun >te youns man. The law gives you some time for repentance'; and though I c-innofc h"M out to yo,i tlm slightest hope that your sentence will bo reprieved, I do implore you— tfiis Honor's emotion choked his utterance for nearly .a minute)— I d-> implnro you, ;i3 you value the interests of your 'inimitd soul, that you will u=e the time ',h:xt h piveu you, _ti mak- your peace with an offe-iclcd G kI ; tu.it you will cons! ler the crerae'idous le-ponsihilitios undtr which you are p'.iceJ— the awfulness oflnving to meefc your Gfod under such circumstances ; and that you will us", with the assistance of your clergyman, tlie short time that is app.nntel to you on earth to nial^, if possible, your pea"c with ilim I need nut tell you, John I'r.itson— if I omitted to tell you. you would, at ad events, be told by your clergyman— that so Ion" as your life is spared, the door of repentance is open to you ; that Goi's hand i-s not shortened that it cannot sa\c, nor is Ili-s ear hexvy that it ca.mob hear ; that 111 the way lie him^lf has provi>d, through His blessed Son, He is will'nsr to heiran-I to receive all t'mt conn unto Him, and therefore He has said, • Gome unto me. all yo that are weary and heavy 1.1/te'i, and I will give you rost '' This, howrver, is rather for joar clergyman than fir me to dwell upon. I will oily entreat you, as my l.vst exhort vi hi, to shut out the woi-1 1 completely from your mind— to look upon yourself as standing on the brink of an o.iPii urave; to set in oider your worldly affairs as quickly as you possibly can, an I than to close your eyes to fh<s w->i Id fr> j.liat it out from your thoughts, and fix your mind, as constantly and permanently as you cm, on the eWr.iiy thH lifs before you. It only remains for me (continued his Honor, putting on the Mack c.p) to pass u?on yo.i the awful s»ntence of the Court, which is, that you, John Fr.itMM, be removed hence to tlu place from wlii-li you c.ime, aud thence en some day to be hrveafter appointed, to the place of execution, and that thure, in ' manner and torm by law appointed, you be han 'ed by the nojk until you bo dead ; aad that your body be burip'l wit'iin the preempts of the pi-Koii in which you .shall have been confined after conviction. And in iv G )d have meicv upon your soul. The pr's-mer was removed, sobbing deeply as he was led n-om the court.

OMINOUS INTERVIEW

OUGHTON.

(prom the 'daily tihe^.)

The further excavation on the westerly side of the Princes-street cutting was commenced on Saturday. The work has been arrange I for by Mr H. Parley; the Town Board, and Mr. Reynolds, as the holders of sections, agrceii- to pay Is. per cubic yard. The whole, as stated at the Town Board meeting, is to be completed in two mouths.