News extracts: Dec. 20, 1828: John Stewart and Catherine Smith alias Wright, held for murder of Robert Lamond
Alison Kilpatrick
Transcribed from the 26 December 1828 edition of The Newry Commercial
Telegraph newspaper, by permission of The British Library:
Poisoning and Robbery.
Glasgow, Dec. 20.--On Monday, the Toward Castle left Loghgilphead
for Glasgow, having on board, among other passengers, two Highland-
men, Robert and John Lamond, said to have been cousins; and, at
Tarbert, an Irishman and two Irishwomen, came on board. On the way,
these Irish passengers asked the two Lamonds to drink with them, and
they had a considerable quantity of ale, and a little spirits; and
about the time the boat reached Paisley Water foot, John Lamond came
upon deck, and informed Captain Stewart that Robert was much the worse
of liquor, and had been robbed. Capt. S. went below, and found Robert
stretched upon the floor, insensible, with his pocket-book lying
beside him open, and
containing a number of letters, on the outside of which were marked
certain sums of money, but no money was in the book. Capt. S. seized
the Irishman, and evinced his determination to search him, upon which
he surrendered a pocket-book containing £19 7s.; and, on the arrival
of the vessel at the Broomielaw, Captain S. committed the whole party
into the
custody of the Police, and also the pocket-book with its contents. The
prisoners were searched, when two bottles, both empty, but which had
been filled--the one with whiskey, the other with laudanum--were found
upon the Irishman. Captain S. sent for medical assistance for Lamond,
when four Surgeons attended, and used every possible means for his
recovery, but he expired on Tuesday morning.--The deceased was a
merchant in the Isle of Mull, and was in the habit of visiting Glasgow
in the way of business. From the matter ejected from the stomach, the
smell of laudanum is easily perceptible. The officers allege that the
prisoners are the same persons who were suspected of having poisoned a
man in Trongate, about nine months ago, and another individual in
Bridgegate about six months back.
The two prisoners, at their examination, contradicted each other in
the most material points.--The woman says her name is Catherine
Wright, that she was married to the prisoner six years ago, but during
all that period she could not mention any place where they had a fixed
abode for a longer period than three weeks, when they stopped at
Lymington, where her husband got the Scotch notes found in his
possession. The man calls
himself John Stewart, says that he is a blacksmith, and that his
wife's name is Smith. Stewart has been positively sworn to by the
publican in Bridgegate as being the same fellow who was along with the
man who died in his shop in Oct. last; and that the name of the woman
who was in custody in May last, charged with being act and part in
committing the murder in Trongate, was Smith. The Edinburgh spirit
dealer has been sent for in order to see whether he can identify any
of the suspected
delinquents.--Glasgow C.
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