Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1879-08-02 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

THE RICHMOND MURDER. EXECUTION OF CATHERINE WEBSTER.  CONFE6BION OF THE CRIME.  Catherine Webster was executed on Tuesday morning at nine o'clock within the walls of the Wauusworth House of Correction. The excution was carried out with strict privacy. So long as the convict entertained the least hope that her life might possibly be spared, she persisted in the truth of the statements which she had made since her trial ; but when she was informed at the close of last week that she must abandon all hope of a respite and that the sentence of the law would certainly be carried out, she seems to have felt that it was useless to persist in making false statements, and she, in the first instance, made a confession to her confessor, Father M'Euery, and subsequently to Capt. Colvtlle, the governor of the prison, that she alone committed the murder, and that all the other persons whom she has from time to time implicated in the affair were entirely innocent. The statement has been taken down in detail, and has been sent to the Secretary of State. It was stated at the trial that Mrs Thomas, when she was last seen at the chapel, on the evening of the 2nd of March, appeared to be greatly excited. The prisoner is understood to have stated that she and her mistress had had some words before the latter went out on that evening, and on her return the altercation was resumed. Webster had been drinking, and was much excited, and struck the deceased, who fell, and upon looking at her the prisoner found she was dead. Webster states that the act was quite unpremeditated, but on seeing that her mistress was dead, the thought occurred to her to endeavour to get rid of the body and to possess herself of the property of the deceased. The rest of the statement is substantially in accordance with the evidence that was given at the trial, and the prisoner admits that she alone is the person who is guilty. She expressed a hope that those persons whom she had in former statements implicated in the crime would forgive her the injury she had done them by &cousin them falsely. No one visited her after her conviction except her solicitor, Mr O'Brien, and the Rev Father M'Enery. A memorial was sent to the Home Secretary praying for a commutation of the sentence, and on Thursday Mr Justice Denman, who tried the case, had an interview with Mr Cross.  Lord Beaconsfield has advised the Qieen to con. for the honour of an earldom on Lord Lytton in return for his services in the Afghan War, and 111 recognition of his surmounting many diffioultiea and bringing the war to • suooessful end. THE Dwava-B•v•.—Portemouth again, daring lac week, of the 20 lane towns, showed the lowest annual rate of mortality-10 3 per 1,000. The rate in the other towns, ranged in order from the lowest, were as. follows :—Norwioh, 12 2; Bristol, 14.2 ; Nottingham, 142; Hall, 15 3; Birmingham, 165; Salford, 17.3; London, 174; Sheffield, 17 6 ; Newosetle-on•Tylus, 185; Liverpool, 186; Bradford, 186; Leeds, 192; Wolverhampton. 19 5 ; Leicester, 19 6 ; Plymouth, 191; Oldham, 206, Manchester, 208; Brighton, 20.8; and the highest rate during the week, 21.4, in the borough of Sanderland.  RECILITefiI