The Sun. — 1827-09-15 (London, England)

MARY WITTENBACK.  This miserable woman was removed from the Court to the condemned cell, and her hysteric screams resounded throughout that part of the prison. Mr. Baker of the Tower, who devotes much of his time in preparing the condemned persons in Newgata for death, was in the cell with her, and tendered his humane advice, which, however, the unhappy woman appeared altogether to disregard, being so completely bewildered, that she appeared unconscious of any thing, and clung in an agitated manner to the matron and one or two female attendants.  The Rev. Ordinary, Mr. Cotton, in about half an hour after, gent to her, and pointed out the utter absence of the least chance of escape. . _  Mrs. Wittenback, upon recovering from the hysterics, because more composed, but was so excessively feeble, that the attendant placed her upon the bed which the apartment afforded. She then declared she deserved to die, and was anxious to employ the remainder of time in prayer, and requested some of the persons present would occasionally read prayers to her. The Ordinary last night upon taking his leave, pressed her as to the motive she could have for destroying her husband. She shook her head, and bursting into tears, assigned as a motive, that it was jealousy—and said she would make a full confession in the morning. At a very early hour, the Ordinary and Mr. Baker were in her cell, and she joined fervently in prayers, after which else made a confession the purport of which was, that she had lived very unhappily with her husband for some time before his death, suspecting him of intriguing with other women. This preyed upon her mind, until she fancied that her suspicions were fully grounded. :She then, maddened with jealous rage, resolved upon revenge. The thought occupied her mind for two months before she hit upon the method ; and, at length, prompted by the devil, she resolved to infuse poison in the flour with which she composed the dumpling. She purchased this poison designedly above two miles from her home, saying to the chemist she wished to destroy rats ; she bought three-pence worth, and kept it concealed for a week in her room before she so fatally put it into use. On that day she made a dumpling of suet and flour, and mixed the deadly mineral with the ingredients. Her husband came home to his dinner; he was in unusually good spirits, and addressed her very affectionately. She then says, she for a moment relented : but the horrid thought that he was only dissembling flashed across her mind, and steeled her purpose.— She placed the poisoned food upon the table, and her husband partook very heartily, consuming nearly two-thirds of the dumpling-. lie was suddenly seized with a violent anausea, and fell back in Isis chair, the perspiration bursting from every pore. He exclaimed " Oh, my God, what a cramp I have got in my stomach !" Ile then got up and became sick. The rest of his dreadful sufferings are already known. She says she ate the remainder of the pudding, with the hope that it would prove fatal to herself, 80 horror-stricken was she at the excruciating pains the poison hail brought upon her hapless husband. She declares she was not sensible of any thing until the day after, when she felt all the pangs of remorse—" That juggling fiend which cries, I warn'd thee, when the deed is o'er." She is .now reconciled to her fate, and is fully sensible of the great enormity of her crime, declaring she has expected It is not determined whether she will be drawn on nothing else since her confinement in Newgate. hurdle to the place of execution, the crime of murdering a husband being Petit Treason, but it is heliess;l that the practice will be dispensed with.