The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-04-14 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

CONFESSION OF CATHERINE FOSTER.  Since the condemnation of this unhappy young woman for the murder of her husband, she has been unremittingly visited by the chaplain of the gaol (the Rev. T, West) and the Rev. C. J. P. Eyre, who kindly tendered his assistance to the chaplain, on account of his age and Infirmities, and whose ministrations have, it is believed, been of great service to her. She has also been visited several times by the Rev. L. Ottley, the vicar of Acton. The exhortations of these reverend gentlemen and of the governor of the gaol. Mr idacintyre, have had the desired effect of drawing from the culprit a full acknowledgment of her guilt. At first she endeavoured to palliate the offence, by stating that she had been tempted by an offer from some person who had given her a powder the nature of which she did not know; but on being admonished of the folly and wickedness of rrsisting in falsehood, she declared her readiness to write the whole truth, and we understand that a confession has been made or taken in writing, which she begged might not be published until after her decease; but the purport of which we consider it only due to the public to make known at the earliest possible opportunity, as far as we have been able to collect it. She stated that she alone bad committed the deed; that the statement which she had previously made of a person having tempted her to do away with him, was utterly unfoanded; and the rumours of her having been provoked by her husband giving her any cause of jealousy were equally so—on the contrary, he had been uniformly kind to her; but that ehe had never had any love for him, and had only married him at the wish of her mother, whom Foster was constantly urging to persuade her; and that after their marriage the feeling of dislike was stronger than ever. She declared, however, that the idea of destroying him did not enter her head until the day on which she committed the deed, when she purchased the poison at a shop in Sudbury, without any difficulty. ft was "white arsenic" and not a dark powder, as stated by the boy before the magistrates, and it was not true that the boy ate any of that dumpling. The wretched woman appears to be anxious to be read to, thankful for the religmus instruction afforded her, and apparently sincerely penitent; hoping for mercy in another world, but acknowledging that her punishment is justly deserved, and having no expectation or desire that her life shouldbe spared. Her apparent apathy on the occasion of her sentence was, in fact, a complete prostration or stupor of her faculties; before she was taken to the court to receive sentence, she had declared her resolution to go down on her knees and beg for mercy, but she afterwards declared that she was unable either to open her mouth or to move. Her health has suffired considerably [ since her conviction, and evinces signs of great mental suffering, although she sheds no tears. Catherine Foster was always considered a girl of morose and obstinate disposition, and phlegmatic temperament, but was apt in learning at school, and gave eatisfaction during the greater part of the time she was in ser' vice . John Foster, the victim of her crime, was a man of exemplary character and remarkable piety. Since their marriage he had kept up the practice of family prayer. and in his dying hour be invited his murderer to join him In devotion' which she did—with what sort of feelings it is not easy to imagine. The execution will probably take place on Saturday the 17th inst., as we understand the High Sheriff humanely desires to give her the utmost time that the law will allow, We understand that there are three memorials—two to the Secretary of State, one of which urges the, youth and sex of the culprit, and the other the general ground of opposition to capital punishments; and one from the females to her Majesty—in course of signature in this town praying that the extreme penalty of the-law may net be carried out in the case of this criminal.—Bury Poet.  T E