The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-24 00:00:00

CATHERINE WILSON, THE POISONER.

It will be remembered that Catherine Wilson "ao
some years ago housekeeper to a person named Peter blaster,
at Boston, who died under most simpiciom circumstances,
shortly after he bad made a will, leaving his property,
which was worth about 50/. a year, to Wilson, thus set.
ting aside the will be bad previously made in favour of
his brother. John Newer, • bricklayer. It was suspected
that he had been poisoned by Wilson. end immediately
after his death John Hewer consulted a solicitor. with
reference to taking steps to set aside the will ; bat as it
was properly drawn up and attested, the matter was
allowed to drop. After the conviction of Wilms, how.
ever, John Hewer stated these facts to his employer (Mr.
Ward), and the bitter, thinking it possible to obtain as
admiasion from the condemned murderess that coercion
and undue influence was used to indoor Peter Mawer to
sign the last will, endeavoured to obtain an interview
with her. He accordingly wrote to the sheriff for permis-
sion to visit the condemned, at the same time stating his
object. In reply he received a letter stating that Catherine
Wilson refused to see him. Mr. Ward then advised John
Hewer to write to Wilson with reference to the will. A
letter was accordingly written by Hawer's wife, and the
following reply, in the handwriting of the prisoner, was

"Gad of Nei/gate, 13th day of October, 1862.
" Sir,—l received your letter this morning. I must de-
cline your visit, with thanks. You say you sincerely forgive
the peat. You never had anything to forgive me of. I al.
ways treated you well, sod should hive treated you the same
bad you of come to my house II years the 17th of this
mouth. Then your visit might have been beneficial to us
both. Yon know the advice of a friend in need is a
friend indeed seldom to be found. I never had any malice
towards you, and now I have none towards those that
has falsely aware my life sway, for I most solemnly declare
lam innocent of those dreadful charges. There has not
been any poison ever traced to my posesioii, or satisfactory
proved that anyone bad died by poisoo. At the same time
how much better to die innocent than guilty. I have
been in prison 6 month, my time has been spent in
seeking that Saviour who alone can save my soul.
It matters little what way the poor body is de-
posed of, as long as the soul is all Wright with
its Maker. Next Monday by this time I shall be in
eternity there to give account of deeds done. lam not
afraid to die. Inn not what man say of me or what they
think, I will only ask mercy of a offended God, and there sue
for pardon. I shall die in peace with all. I have had a few
lines from George Kent re young man who resides in Lincolni
but I was too ill to write and of course I declined to see him if
he came. I will not see any of my own relations who have
beged for a interview. I saw all the friends that wisd to see
me before my trial, then I never asked any to come to speak
for me, and since my trial I have refused to see any. I have
been very kindly treated by all since I havebeeo in prison.
I have plenty of sympytbea from Ladays who visit the
prison, and all my wants rupplyed here. I know this letter
I received is not written by you. I hope you have these
sentiments that I read in it is my earnest prayer, and believe
me to be your wel-wisher.
Written by " CATIZARINE WILSON."
Enclosed in the letter was a copy of verses, headed "The
Question of Questions," and "What think ye of Christy'
on which the following words were writteu by the on.
damned :—" To the writer of the letter, from Catharine
Wilson, 1862." It will be seen from the letter that Wilson
entirely shirked the question put to her.

DR. LANEEsTER ON INFANTICIDE.—At an inquest
held is the Marytabooe workhouse yesterday, touching the
death of • newly-born infant, Dr. Laukester, the coroner,
took occasion to explain some observations made by him on
a former occasion with reference to infanticide in the metro.
polio. He said it seemed to be supposed be had intended
to convey the impression that the average number of ia•
quests held in the central division of Middlesex concerning
whets found dead was nearly one a day for the whole
year. Now, he was not prepared to say that it
was even as high as one every other day, from year's
end to year's end ; though there were times when he
held an inquest of this kind nearly every day. He Lad held
• very large number of them within a period of three
months, and he feared that the return for the year raid
be very high. He was informed that no lea than tof
those cases had been brought under the notice of the roe&
cal officers of the Marylebooe workhouse alone within a
period of 27 months. He did not mean to say that there
was • greater disposition towards the crime of infanticide
io Looda than was to be found in other capitals, but
it had been stated to him, by persons who had made
some inquiry into the subject, that this crime was of
proportionately more frequent occurrence in Loudon the
in continental cities. A deputation of working men who
had waited upon him expressed their opinion that this state
of things was owing to our bastardy laws ' • which, in their
opinion, enabled the father of illegitimate children to maps
from much of that respounhihty which ought to attach to
them. If the mothers of these children were of that 9pici..n
some of them might think that, as the fathers were allowed
to shrink from the performance of their duty, the getting
rid of the burden placed upon them was not so great a crime
as it otherwise would be. Such reasoning was false of
course, acid could afford no justification of crime ; but it
was desirable to remove all incentives to infanticide and
concealing the birth as far as that object could with justice
to the community be accomplished. It must be borne
mind that the crime of infanticide was likely to be attended
with even a worse result than the death of the infant. It
could not be doubted that after a woman killed her infant
she would be less likely to look with abhorrence upon the
crime of murder, and the blunting of her eensibility co th3t
point was dangerous to society at large. In the particular
PM before Dr. Lankester the dead body of the infant had
been found, but there was no evidence to show that it had
died from violent*. A verdict in accordance with that state
of fate was returned by the jury.
Two STRANGE CASES OF CONCEALMENT Or BUHR
NEAR SALTON.—The Malton magistrates were engaged
upon a long investigation of eircumstaces coocerniog two
strange cases of concealment of birth, on Weduesday. The
first was the case of Mary Golding. the daughter of a hichl -
respectable farmer, residing at Swinton Field, near Shaw°.
Miss Golding was confined some weeks since, and secreted
the body of the child between • bed and matters in so
unused bedroom. She stated she killed the child by What;
upon it, and, on finding it dead, placed it as stated till
opportunity offered of confiding in a married sister: Ike
Cause of secrecy being the fear of arousing her fathers
anger. The child was fouod in • state of putrescence some
days after birth. A coroner's jury returned • verdict '4
" Accidental death," and the magistrates remanded the
case till Saturday. The next case woo • more serious oar.
The mother, • young girl owned Sarah Barker, seventee
years of age, hart resided in a cottage at Whited!, with so
old man named Hayes and his wife. The cirl wr'' 1";
portal of having been in the funilyway, but all knowledge'.
a childbirth was denied by the mother nod the old people.
The girl underwent medical examination (at her ow°
request) by • surgeon, and anhecinently by a
The police some days after found the body of a child
secreted io • field in the parish, and the mother stated ie
confession that she had got up during the night and
ch ild
into the fields, and was there confined. and that the
was dead. The body showed marks of violeoca, serool'alY
about the head, and • coronets jury in this case retuned
an open verdict. The bench committed the girl for trial id
the next York assizes.
DEATH OF • COUNTY COURT JUI-lg.—We I'll4'
to state that J. G. Stapylton South. Esq.. judge, °'..'—
liw'olfrobiro county courts, was attacked with parslYri!':i
Wednesday sight, and died peatarday afternoon.—Sto".l"
)(cream.