Dec] 



CHRONICLE. 



187 



to preserve its life ; they, how- 

 ever, proved ineffectual, for in a 

 few minutes it expired. 



" These melancholy events 

 have plunged into the most pro- 

 found grief the King our master, 

 who loved the Queen with all the 

 tenderness due to her virtues 

 and her qualities. The calamity 

 has not less affected with con- 

 sternation the Most Serene the 

 Infants, and particularly the 

 Most' Serene Infanta Donna 

 Maria Frances d' Assise, who 

 has lost in the Queen a most 

 virtuous sister. All the Court, 

 on learning the afflicting intelli- 

 gence, testified the most profound 

 grief for the loss of a Sovereign 

 who constituted its charm. The 

 unhappy mourn an august and 

 benevolent mother, who with a 

 liberal hand administered to their 

 succour. The arts have lost an 

 illustrious protectress, who de- 

 lighted to support and encourage 

 them. In short, there is no class 

 of the people for whom this day 

 is not a day of sorrow and lament- 

 ation. 



" These afflicting circumstances 

 have induced the King our master 

 to order that the Court shall put 

 on mourning for six months, 

 counting from the 27th. During 

 the three first months, full mourn- 

 ing shall be worn; for the three 

 following, half mourning." — 

 Gazette Extraordinartj of Madrid. 



31. Edinburgh. — We have this 

 day to record one of the most 

 disgraceful scenes that ever took 

 place in this city. 



Tne unfortunate man, whose 

 name was Johnstone, was con- 

 victed and sentenced to die for 

 robbing Mr. Charles, candle- 



maker: his two accomplices, 

 Galloway and Lee, were sen- 

 tenced, the former to fourteen, 

 and the latter to seven years' 

 transportation. 



Day-light yesterday exhibited 

 the new apparatus for the melan- 

 choly catastrophe. The place 

 fixed upon was before the north- 

 most window on the west side of 

 the New North Church, a few 

 yards from the High-street. Nu- 

 merous groups of people conti- 

 nued to assemble about the fatal 

 spot to examine the dreadful 

 preparation, and as the hour 

 approached the crowd was very 

 great. 



The unhappy criminal walked 

 from the Lock-up-house to the 

 scaffold, which he ascended with 

 a firm step, at 20 minutes before 

 3 o'clock. After spending a 

 quarter of an hour in prayer, he 

 shook hands with the reverend 

 gentlemen who attended him, 

 and mounted the platform with 

 fortitude. 



The executioner occupying a 

 longer time in adjusting the rope 

 than appeared to a great part of 

 the spectators to be necessary, 

 much disapprobation was ex- 

 pressed: the platform sunk about 

 a minute before three. Unfortu- 

 nately the rope was too long, or 

 the height from the scaffold to 

 the beam from which the sufferer 

 was suspended insufficient; in 

 consequence of one or other of 

 these causes, or both, his toes 

 rested on the floor of the scaffold. 

 At that moment a policeman in 

 front, resisting the encroachment 

 of the crowd, pushed one with 

 his baton, who cried out " mur- 

 der!" It is probable those at a 



distance 



