The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-13 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF CATHERINE DAVIDSON,

(Abridged from the Aberdeen Chronicle of Saturday.)
Catherine Davidson, or Humphrey, was, it is said,
horn in the parish of Keith-hall, but while yet a
child was, along with her fither't family, removed
to Aberdeen. At an early age she married James
Humphrey, the unhappy partner of her woes, then a
private in the Windsor Forest Fencible Light Cavalry,
stationed at that time in this place, accompaning
him with the regiment; as also in the .Iberdeen-
shire Militia, into which he afterwards enlisted, and
in Which he served for five or six years, or until they
were disbanded. In the course of her following the
army with her husband, through the United King-
dom, for a period of 16 years, she lived in a state of
connubial happiness with him, but from suspicions
of his fidelity their domestic peace was destroyed
during the remaining 17 years they were together,
and they led an unhappy life. Her unfortunate
husband, at the conclusion of the late war, when
discharged from the Militia, settled in this place as a
butcher, to which it is probable he had originally been
bred in his native country—England. This occupation,
joined to that of a publican, exposed both parties to
the temptation of drinking, which, it would appear,
neither of them had been able wholly to resist. For
many years the woman was addicted to a baneful pro-
pensity for liquor, and the husband yielding latterly to
the vicious practice, although it is generally allowed he
was du mild inoffensive disposition,no good agreement
snbsisted between the parties. Frequent broils and
quarrels took place, attended with such exaspera-
tion as to produce and strengthen those malignant
passions against her husband which seemed to posh
seas her miud, and to fix the desperate resolution of
depriving him of life. With this deadly enmity
treasured in her bosom, she was so far prepared to
carry into effect the dire resolution she had formed.
Hardened at last, and throwing down every moral
or religious restraint, the wretched woman proceeds
after deliberate preparation, to the consummation of
her guilt, and some sulphuric acid (vitriol), which
had, by her desire, been purchased about six weeks
previous, for the alleged purpose of taking off a
wart, offers the ready means of carrying it into
effect. As her unconscious victim lay buried in
sleep, with open mouth, on that bed which she had
filtered with hint for thirty-three years, site ap-
proaches softly near the midnight hour, with the
instrument of death in her hand, and, steeled to pity
or remorse, administers the fatal draught whiCh was to
burn up the source of life. The agony which immedi.
ately succeeded aroused the unfortunate man from his
sleep; he exclaims, that he is in torture, and burn-
ing within; and after enduring the most excruciat-
ing torment, which no medical aid, though promptly
and skilfully afforded, could relieve, death put an
end to his sufferings about 48 hours afterwards.

On her trial, the proof of guilt was brought home
to the prisoner by such a strong chain of circinn-
stantial evidence as carried conviction to the minds
of an intelligent Jury, who returned an unanimous
verdict against the unhappy woman accordingly.
The dying woman listened with great interest to
the admonitions of the Ministers of the Gospel,
On Wednesday she took an affecting leave of her
friends. During Thursday night she slept but little
..fint more than 20 minutes; at the same time pre-
served an astonishing degwreiele,oifecrnopmiopylurien;enreocrtdinigd
the sound of. the workmen's hammer, though dis•
ti
seem to shake her firmness.
ieetailY)iha
yesterday,er:rid': tuolliftalif•leciactelisli trio clock, the Lord Pro-
vost and Magistrates took their seats on the bench
at the Old Court-house; soon after which the ed.-
milliaLssß'alsvi.ipspior.rt6eld,ciiraoonitbhiee Coffouerrctdbytipthae
ygearoylerim.
ilooroeirivatdseeuiddvcettepyfdor
rat:lyre:
directly
ynvad.rti
ordt.)hr et
thehKme
die(
usodtipil
and Mr.
por
iaoaslyrt,te,

the Edinburgh executioner, then proceeded to• do
his duty ; when the unfortunate woman, addressing
a few words to the Rev. Dr. Kidd, and taking leave
of him and Charles Dawson, the town-serjeant,—
the last words the uttered being Oh !my God !"
—dropped her handkerchief, and, at five minutes
before three O'clock, was launched into eternity.
The prisoner was genteelly dressed in black, and
was about 51 years of age, a stout woman, and
teemed to have been rather good looking.

MARKET IN FELLIGENCE.