ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2343, 3 April 1866, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

(To theJEdit6roft?ie WeIiMNGTon Independent.) Sir, — Permit me through, the medium of your columns, to reply to a letter which appeared in. your issue of the 29th ult., signed " Taxpayer," finding grievous fault -with the two men employed by the Town Board in removing rubbish and earth on Lambton-quay. A considerable portion of " Taxpayer's" letter is too insignificant to merit consideration, being composed of slang phrases and hackneyed expressions, such as " G-overnment Stroke," "New Chum," "Blood Boiling," and although such slang might be calculated to call forth unbounded applause in the bar of a common " tap-room," is nevertheless, ill-adapted for the columns of a journal, and has only to be noticed to be despised. " A Taxpayer " observes, "as he lived near the scene of the two men's labor, he could not help seeing them now and then." And perhaps having little else to do, he may have considered that he could not bd more patriotically employed than in watching the proceedings of those two men and reporting accordingly. Now, if " A Taxpayer " had held to the truth, his zealous conduct would have been highly meritorious, and would have deserved a vote of thanks from the people of Wellington in general, and the Town Board Commissioners in particular. But truth in " A Taxpayer's " composition seems a secondary consideration, for he states to the effect, that when the men get tired talking , to one another and looking at the people passing and repassing, they calmly await the arrival of a "Chum," then compose themselves, sit down,, and have a gossip with him. Allow me, however, Mr. Editor, to state, that such is not a fact, and has no existence except in the imaginative brain of " A Taxpayer." There i», however, one remark made by "A Tax -payer," to which I give my full concurrence, he suggests the propriety of putting " Men into men's places," which is a highly politic idea, and likely to create a very beneficial change in society, and perhaps cause " Mr. Taxpayer " to go further and fare worse. In conclusion, allow me to state, that the work done by the two men, is, in my opinion, quite tantamount to the wages received, and "A Taxpayer" would do well to mind his own business, if he has any, and leave t working men to bo dealt with by their employers. By giving the above a place in your paper, you will very much obligo, A Taxpayeb, No. 2. Wellington, March 30th, 1866.

Had Him Thbrb. — A clerk in a New York mercantile establishment relates a colloquy from which a sprightly youth in the same store came out second best. A poor boy came along with his machine, inquiring . " Any knive3 or scissors to grind ?" " Don't think we have," replied the young gentleman, facetiously 5 " but can't you Bharpeu wits ?" " Yes, if you've got any," was the prompt response. — American Paper. A man having a -very stingy wife, she, on one occasion, received his friends in the drawing-room, with a single candle. "Be pleased, my dear, said he, " to lot ua have another candle, that we may see whore the other stands." The well-known " S. GK O." of the Times devoted himself to the salvation of a certain rustio, whose past life had been spent in an atmosphere of wickedness. The wretched sinner, took kindly to the reverend gentleman's teaching, and hw conversion was an apparently easy task. In a short time after receiving lessons from hia excellent teacher, the reformed sinner addressed his benefactor as follows :— M Before I knew you, Mr. * Osborne, I cared neither for God nor the devil : . now, I love 'em both."

TRIAL OF DR. NORMAN MACLEOD FOR THE ALLEGED MURDER OF Mb. MOSES LAW. Manx of our readers have heard of Dr. Norman McLeod's celebrated sermon, and still more celebrated speech. The views therein expressed relative to the Mosaic law and the question of • Sabbath observance, created much excitement at the time, and brought down on the Rev. Dr. a perfect torrent of condemnation from what maybe termed the " ascetic" party in Scotland. It however appears that Dr. McLeod after all has had the best of a controversy, in which &n intelligent Christianity was in antagonism to intolerance I and bigotry. Those who have taken an interest in this controversy will appreciate the dry humor of the following burlesquo which appears in the Edinburgh Scotsman : — On the 16th November last, the usually tranquil city of Glasgow wjs thrown into a state of sudden and intense excitement by a report that Dr. Norman Macleod, of the Barony Church, had committed a murderous assault upon the person of Mr. Moses Law, whose name had long been ■before the public in connection with the Board of Public Morality. Tho report was -was at first discredited by many, on account of the high character and position of the person ac- j cused. All doubt, however, was dispelled next j morning by the detailed accounts of the assault ■which appeared in the newspapers. From these it appeared that Dr Macleod on going up to his pulpit on the Sunday had found Mr. Moses Law sitting there in the seat of honor — that the Doctor had ordered him off, and on his declining to move, had struct him with a logic-chopper that he kept an the pulpit, and then throw him down into tho passage, where Law hnd been picked up dead. The public excitement, on these details becoming known, was indescribable. Tho matter was , of course put at once into the hands of the police. | Heresy Sniffer, with his usual energy and promptness, telegraphed a description of Dr. Macleod to all the superintendents of police j throughout the country, and sent two experienced i detectives with all despatch to London, the general impression being that tho fugitive would attempt to escape first of nil to England and thence to Rome. The search was continued in all directions for nearly a week but without sue- I ■ cess. At length, in consequence of the receipt of an annonymous letter, the authorities wero induced to send an officer to Dr. Macleod' s dwelling house, where, strange to say, tho Doctor was ; actually found dining with his family in the most j audacious manner, and where, it was ascertained, he had been recklessly staying during the whole ■•time of the search. He was of course promptly : taken into custody. . Public feeling ran at first very strongly against I the prisoner, Mr. Moses Law having been held in j ■ the very highest esteem in Scotland on account, j of the many eminent services he was understood to have rendered as Guardian of the Public Morality. As the facts of the case began to ooze'out, | however, the feeling against the prisoner greatly I moderated, and a rumour was current that im- j portant facts of an extenuating character would ! •be adduced in the defence. Public curiosity increased from week to week, and when the day came on which the trial was to | commence, the Court-room was crowded to excess j almost as soon as the doors were opened. At I ten o'clock precisely, Lord ~Fogy entered the Court, and took his seat upon the bench. As the prisoner was now, every moment, expected to j : appear, the utmost excitement began to prevail j amongst the people who crowded the Court- i room, most of whom were standing on tiptoe, i with their eyes directed eagerly towards the j - dock. j At five minutes past ten, the prisoner, guarded by two policemen, emerged from tho enclosed staircase thai leads into the dock, and after glancing at the spectators with an easy and undisturbed expression of countenance, gathered up his coat tails and took his seat. There was nothing in the prisoner's aspect to indicate remorse j and agony of mind which he was supposed t i have undergone. He looked stout, " sonsy," an well. There appeared for the Crown — SolicitorGeneral Glibson, Mr. M.. P. Graham, and Mr. Fossel. For the prisoner — Mr. Principal Tulloch, and Dr. Organ Lee. Silence being called, the Clerk, in a slow and •emphatic manner, read the indictment against the prisoner, which was as follows : — THE INDICTirjENT. Norman Macleod now or lately minister of the Barony Church in Glasgow, and now or lately one of Her Majesty's Chaplains in Scotland, you are indicted and accused at the instanco of Obsta Principiis, Esq., Her Ecclesiastical Majesty's Advocate for Scotland. That albeit, by tho laws of this and every other well-governed realm, murder is a crime of an heinous nature, and severely punishable, yet true it is and of verity that you, tho said Norman Macleod, are guilty of ; the said crime, artor, or art and part : In so far •as (1.) On the fifth Sunday of October last, or on the Sunday following, in or near tho Barony j Church, in or near the City of Glasgow, you the I said Norman M;ielcod did wickedly and feloniously j attack and assault Moses Law, alias Decalogue, chief-guardian of public morality, and did with a logic-chopper, or other similar edged instrument j to the prosecutor unknown, strike the said Moses j Law alias Decalogue, one or more blows upon the ! head, whoroby his skull was fractm*ed, and he was otherwise seriously and mortally injured in his person, and did thereafter seize the said Moses Lav.-, a^'asDecalogue, and throw him to the ground ' in consequence whereof, or in consequence of the blows, or of one or both of theso causes, the said Moses Law alias Decalogue, immediately or soon thereafter died, and was murdered by you tho said Norman Macleod. Therefore you, the said Norman Macleod, ought to be punished with the pains of the law, to deter others from committing the like crimes in all time coming. After the indictment had been read, the prisoner was ordered to stand up, which, when he had done Lord T?ogy said in a solemn voice — Norman Macleod, you are charged under this indictment with the crime of rnurdor. Uow say you ? Are you guilty or not guilty ? Prisoner (firmly) — Not guilty, my Lord. A jury being empanncllcd, the evidence of tho prosecution commenced. After the declai'ations emitted by the .prisoner had been sworn to by tho Sheriff and Sheriffclerk. Superintendent Orthodoxy was called and sworn, deposed — My name is Orthodoxy. I know • the prisoner at tho bar. I remember being in the Barony Church on the sth Sabbath of October last. Moses Law was sitting in the seat of honour when I went in. Ho had on his Sunday hat. I s;iw Dr. Macleod come in and ascend the pulpit stairs. When he saw Moses Law there, ho seemed indignant, and said — " Take off your hat, Sir." As Law made no sign' of doing so, tho prisoner snatched up a lodgic- chopper, struck Law several blows on the head with it, then seized him and flung him over tho pulpit. I ran forward with several others to pick him up. He was lying motionless in the passnge fronting the precentor's desk. I helped to carry him into tho vestry, where we applied restoratives. I mean whiskey ; we found it in tho pocket of the deceased. It had UQ effect. A cab was go(, and I drove with the body to the Presbytery -Uouso, and got it examined by Dr. Mactnggart and other medical gentlemen ; but Law never breathed nor stirred again. Cross-examined by Dr. Organ Lee — I think you said that when you went into the church 4toaes Law was already in the pulpit? — Yes. You

did not see him go there ?— No. You cannot say on your own knowledge, how ho got there ? — No. For all you know he might havo been carried there ? — Witness — after a pause— Yes. Did you see him more at all while in the pulpit ? — No. Did you hear him speak at all ? — No. Dr. Lee — Now, Superintendent, I will put a question to you which I desire youtoanswer with extreme care. (A pause.) Are you prepared to take oath that Moses Law was alive when you first saw Lira in the pulpit ? Alive ! Certainly. Think for a moment, Sir. You did not see him go up ; for all you know he might have been carried there. You did not see him once open his lips or stir all the time he was there. How do you know then that he was alive ? — No answer. I will put the question in this way — Did you see the prisoner do anything that indicated life ? Witness (after a pause) — No, I cannot say that I did. Then, for all you saw that day, Moses Law might have been dead all the time? Witness— Yes, for all I saw, he might . (Superintendent Orthodox}' was then allowed to leave the box.) Mr. Begg The question was next called, and deponed — I am related' to Dr. Begg of Edinburgh. I am employed in the tfchool of Art — the art of reasoning. T do job work there. We have | executed a good number of orders of late for the Church Courts. I have known Moses Law for years. I have known him as Guardian of Public | Morality. You have seen him discharging his duties in j i that capacity ? — Yc9, ofton. i What was the last time ?— On the fifth Sabbath of October last. That was the day on which lie was murdered i — on which he was picked up dead iv the Barony I Church ? — Yes. What did you see him doing on ; that day ? — describe the circumstances. Witness j — Mrs. Begg Thequestion wanted mo to send for a cab to take her to church, as she had a new dress on, and she thought there was going to be a shower. I was just going to send, when Moses Law came and forbade me. What time of tho day was that ? — Half-past one. You are prepared, then, to testify that Mosos Law was alive up till half-past one on that day ? — Yes. You can swear to that ? — I can. Cross-examined by Dr. Organ Leo — You say that when you were about to send for a cab on the fifth Sabbath of October last, Moses Law came and forbade you ? — Yes. Do you mean that Moses Law came in person and forbade 3'ou ? — Oh, no, not in person ; lie has never come round himsolf that I know of. . Who was it then that actually came nnd forbade you to take tho > cab ? — lt was his regular agent, Christian Principle. Cross-examination resumed — You said that Christian Principle who really came to prevent you from taking the Sunday cab was Moses Law's agent. What do you mean by that ? — I mean that it is lie that Moses Law has been in tho habit of sending about to look after the duties of morality. How do you know that Mr. Law sent him ?' Did lie say so himself? Witness (after a pause) — No, I dont't think he over mentioned it. Did Mr. Law ever como to say so ? — No never. Then how do you know that Christian Priucihas not been acting all the time on his own authority ? — lt was always understood that ho was acting ns Law's agent. But so far as your own knowledge goes, that ji my really have been acting on his own authority ? Witness (reluctantly) — It may. After the examination of several other witnesses, Mr. Chartcris was called. Deponed — I am a spiritual physician in Glasgow. I have a good practice in the West End. I remember being called one day in November lust to examine the body of Moses Law. I found the head severely cut and bruised. The wounds were in my opinion sufficient to cause death. By the Court — I made a post-mortem examination of the stomnch and kidneys, along with Dr. Jameson and Dr. Mactaggurt. These organs were in the state in which I should expect toflud them in a healthy person. There were no symp- ! Toms of disease or decay. Is it your- opinion that Moses Luw was alive when these wounds were inflicted ? — lt is my strong conviction that he was. After the examination of several other medical witnesses, including Dr. Cairns, of Berwick, and Dr. Mactaggart, Mr. Thimothy Trail, Inspector of Unseen Realities in Glasgow, deponed that he had seen Mose3 Law on the morning of the very day on which the prisoner threw him over the pulpit, and it was his opinion that the deceased was at that time not only alive but well. This closed the case for the prosecution. EVIDENCE VQU THE DEFENCE. The first witness called for the defenco was Mr, Elder. Examined by My. Principal Tulloch — I am on oflice-bearcr in tho Barony Church. I know the prisoner well. He has always, so far as I am aware, conducted himself with the utmost propriety. He has done a greal deal of good in his parish and beyond it. I have heard him speak of Moses Law. He always spoke of him with respect. I have hoard him say that Moses Law, when he lived, was one of the best and most useful of men. I was in fho Barony Church on tho fifth Sabbath of October lust. I saw the prisoner throw Moses Law over tho pulpit. 1 believed Law to bo dead at the time. The prisoner lias told us again and again that Law had boon dead for ISOO years, j The next witness called was Dr. Endie, who j deponed — I avn a Doctor of Divinity and Laws in G-lasgow. I am well acquainted with the prisoner. I consider him a first-rate fellow. I have examined the body of Moses Law. Ihave examined the wounds I upon the head. It is my opinion that Moses Law | was dead at the time, and before tho time, when these were administered. Cross-examined by Solicitor-General Glibson — You arc Minister of the new Lansdowne Church? — I am. You uso a hymn-book in the worship of God ? — I do. You have introduced stained windows into that Church ? — I have. And you once delivered a speech in your Synod in favor of 1 Church-organs ? — I did. Tho learned counsel, as this evidence was being taken, glanced significantly at the Jury. He then proceeded — On examining the body of Moses Law you found several severe wounds? — I did. Were they sufficient to have caused death ?— There was one on the head that would have killed any man. Erom your examination of the wound, what would you expect it to have been produced by ? — By somo edged weapon. Mr. Glibson (handing up tho logic-chopper that had been used by tho prisoner) — Would an instrument like that havo produced it ? — lt would, exactly. It is just such a wound as would have been produced by a blow from a weapon like this? — Yes. Did it seem to havo been administered with great force ? — Yes, with great force. It was t\ wound so deep — Mr. Glibson, encouragingly — Speak up, Doctor. Let tho Court hear you distinctly. You say a wound so deep. Witness — Yes, so deep, my Lord, that it was distinctly traceable from end to end, although it was a very old wound, having been, inflicted 1800 years ago'by the Apostle Paul. , Mr. Glibson stared ferociously at tho witness, and dropped into his seat. Tho depositions of tho Rev. George Gilfillan, of Dundee j Dr. J. B. Johnstone, of Glasgow ; and Mr. Story, of Rosencath 5 were thep takou.

j At this stage of the proceedings there took place one of the most startling scenes evor witnessed in a Court of Justice. Mr. Story, of Roseneath, was just leaving tho witness-box, when loud rapping noises became suddenly audiblo in' every part of the Court. Many of the people rose in alarm, and the Court was rapidly falling into a state of confusion, when a man rose in tho body of the Court, and, addressing himself to the Bench, said that there were some spirits wishing to make a communication, and that if the communication was received, he had reason to believe that the spirits would retire in peace. The noises instantly ceased, as if in corroboration of his state- j ' nient. I | In answer to a question from the presiding ! , Judge, the person who had spoke said that his j name was M'Brain, that he had once been a Town j Councillor in Glasgow, and that he had the power . Jof communicating with disembodied spirits. Ho ! ' said that ho had just been communicating with the | spirit of a deceased cabman, who informed him ! that he had brought several well-known persona i from another sphero in the ghoat of his cab, and that these spirit 3 were now in Court, and were desirous to give evidence in this trial, j This announcement produced a deep impression ' lof awe upon the whole audience. The Judges J j consulted for several minutes, and then announced j ', that if Mr. M'Brain would go into the witness ( I box and take oath, the evidence of the spirits | would be received. Mr. M'Brain at once went forwai'd and entered the witness box, which ho had no sooner done than a loud knocking was heard immediately underneath, and Mi*. M'Brain announced the j spirit of Martin Luther, who was prepared to answer any questions that might be put to him. Examined by Dr. Lee — You were head of the college of Ecclesiastical Anatomy and First Coni suiting Physician for Europe ? Answer — I was. Were you familiar with the. name of Moses Law ? ;— I was. Was he alive in your day ? — No ; he died at the commencement of the Christian era. I Most people thought him alive, because he had been embalmed and was kept seated on the ecclesiastical throne, on audience days, where he had quite the look of life. But he was dead ? — Yes ; 1 examined the body carefully, and found that i the life had long been out of it. I Cross-examined by Dr. GHibson — You once | stayed at Eisenach, and said that you were tormented there by the Devil? — Yes ; and so I was. You mean to say that you saw him? — I did, and once fchro.v an ink-bottle at him. The stains, I believe, are still to be seen on the walls. The Keformcr, by way of adieu, gave 'a trei mendous rap that shook the whole building. j Communications were then received from several other spirits, including those of Baxter, Isaac Barrow, Archbishop Whatcly, tho late Dr. John Brown of Edinburgh, and others, who all testified more or less emphatically their belief that Moses Law had been dead in their time and long before. Some of them, however, desired it to be understood that their evidence referred exclusively to | this point, and was not to be understood as im- ! plying either general or particular occurrence with the views of any party or parties who might make this fact one of their tenets. jN t o further questions being put, and no more raps being heard, Mr. M'Brain was allowed to leave tho box ; and Mr. Principal Tulloch announced that the evidence for the defendant was closed. Tho Court then adjourned till next morning, wlion Solicitor-General Grlibson commenced his address to the Jury. The Jury had not been gone above half an-hour when intelligence was brought into Court that a serious disturbance was breaking out amongst them — that Mr. Henry Caldorwood had with one blow knocked Mr. M'QuisLen under the table, that he was now squaring in a menacing manner at several of the others, and that; Mr. Shaky had scrambled up the chimney. Lord Fogy immediately sent in to warn tho jurymen that if the disturbance did not instantly cease, he would sentence the whole of them to fifteen days' imprisonment, and that Mr. Henry Calderwood, in particular, if found assaulting any one else, would be sentenced for the period of three calendar months to travol in the Sunday trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh. In about twenty minutes after the messnge had been sent, the jury re-appeared into Court, when the foreman rose and announced that they had, by a majority, found tho prisoner NOT GUILTI". The announcement of the verdict was received with mingled cheers and groans. Lord Fogy then declared the prisoner fully acquitted of the grave charge brought against him, and said he (Lord Fogy) would go and hear him some day in the Barony. The prisoner then shook hands I with several friends who came forward to congratulate him ; invited them all to dinner ; and told I Mr. M'Brain that he would order a free copy of Goods Words to bo sent to him and his children for over. He then left the Court.