The Sun. — 1832-01-24 (London, England)

EXF,( UTION AT EDINBURGH.  (From the Scotsman of Saturday.)  This morning, John Howison, who was lately convicted in the Justiciary Court of the murder of Widow Geddes, at Cra. mond, underwent the last punishment of the law, at the usual place of execution, head of Libberton's Wynd. Since his con. viction, Howison has evinced but few symptoms of conscioushems of the awful situation in which he was placed; but at the same time he indulged in none of the usual vagaries of imagination common to persons who are not held morally account. able for their actions. Last night he slept but little, and when he awoke, made the following startling confession to Mr. Fisher and other individuals who remained with him during the night. He had all along protested his innocence of the Cra_ Mond murder, anti denied having been in the village on the day it was committed. On being farther questioned, he refused to sa?' more, but stated that in the morning he would tell some. thing that would surprise them all. After the lapse of some time, he was pressed to fulfil his promise, upon which he solemnly declared he had been guilty of six murders. He afterwards said the number he deprived of life amounted to eight. He was then asked when and where these crimes were perpetuated. He replied, the first murder he committed was about four years ago, and the last one about twelve months ago, In the harvest of 1820 he murdered a labourer of the name or Jameson, with whom he had quarrelled in a house near Lauder. and followed some distance on the road. He had a grudge at this person ; and being afraid of detection, left that part of the country. About two years ago, in a wood, near Whittingham, between Morpeth and Wooler, he quarrelled with a labourer and murdered him with a stick. The other six murders took place in Edinburgh, namely, two boys and a girl in the West Port, two boys in the Cowgate, and one boy at the Head of the Canongate. When asked what induced him to commit these barbarous. crimes, he replied that he had been the worse of liquor, at a time when he had about two pounds on his person, of harvest wages, and that he fell asleep, and was robbed of the money. When he awoke from his 4. drunken sleep" he Missed the money, and having shortly after seen his young victims, bethought they were the persons who had stolen his cash, and " marked them out" in consequence, that he might murder them to satisfy his revenge. He knew there were others connected with the robbery, and he "does not know what he Would have done with them had he fallen in with them." After he killed the children "he took no more thought of fern." He thought his sentence unjust as related to the Cramond murder, as he had no connection with that ; but he deserved to die for the other crimes. The culprit also con_ (cued, that during his travels as a pedlar and common beggar, he had stolen four gold watches and several silver ones. He had also stolen a great number of rings and brooches. such are the confessions which the wretched man made during the tight, in presence of a clergyman and several respectable Individuals. It is needless to remark, that they appear scarcely credible, although they were made with composure, and with," any apparent indications of a disordered mind. He had, "°wever a decidedly vacant stare previous to his execution, but scarcely more so than we have noticed in some others, while remarkable 14eParing for their ign anominious end. It is that n , relation, or friend of y description, requested to see Howisono Previous to his execution.  A Cabinet Council was held this day at two °'elock, which was attended by the LORD CHANCELLOR, Earl GREY, the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, Lord ALl'Hoitr, Lord MELBOURNE, Lord DURHAM, Lord PAL141k1TON, Lord GODERICH, the Earl of CARLISLE, Lord HOLLAND, Lord JoHN RUSSELL, the Duke of RICHMOND, iSir Jams, G 11.4.11.1.34 the Right Hon. CHARLES GRANT, -u" Mr.