Page:West-Port murders.pdf/3



O trial in the memory of any man now living ever excited so deep, universal, and appalling an interest as that of William Burke and his female associate, which took place on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1828. By the statements which had from time to time appeared in the newspapers, public feeling had been worked up to the highest pitch of excitement, and the case, in so far as the miserable pannels were concerned, prejudiced by the natural abhorrence which the account of a new and unparalleled crime was calculated to excite. This is an evil inseperable from the freedom, activity, and enterprise of the press, which was necessarily compelled to lay hold of the events of the passing hour, more especially when these are of an extraordinary or unprecedented kind; but it was more than atoned for by many countervailing advantages of the greatest moment to the interests of the community: and we are moreover satisfied that any prejudice or possession thus created, was anxi-