The National Register. — 1811-04-28 (London, England)

AND CONFESSION.—The Mowing are interesting particulars of the case of Alin Griffith who was found guilty at the late Haverfo-dwest Assizes, upon the most sausf.ctory testimony, of th.! wilful murder of Mary Griffith, his late wife, and who lately suffered the sentence of the law : In a few minutes after the Learned Judge had passed sentence upon hint, on his return to the jail, he was visited by a Root. rend Clergyman, at his own request, to whom he dis:.losed the shocking fact, that he was not only guilty of the crime for which he was to suffer, but that he had also murdered his first wife, and had destroyed both by administering arsenic to !hem. He confessed that he had employed a fellow-servant to purchase the arsenic tor him with which he poisoned his first wife, pretend• ing that he wanted to destroy the rats and mice th t infested his house. He admitted further, that he purchased a shilLngis worth of arsenic himself, for the purpose of destroying his second wife, and that he gave her the first dose in some b3dsoot (oatmeal gruel), on the morning of the 9.5 th of February 17ist ; this not taking immediate effect, and his conscience upbraiding him,he went the next morning to Dr. I;reenvin for advice, but the same evening he gave his uni.,rtunate wife a second dose, in some treacle, which soon deprived her of life. He admitted she was a good woman, and of an exceilent temper; and declared he had no object in view in thus destroying his two wives, but that " the Devil persuaded hint to it." After condemnation the conduct of this unfortunate man manifested the deepest contrition for the horrible crimes of which lie confessed himself guilty. lie prayed constantly; expressed his fears that he should not be considered worthy of Divine Mercy, but praised God that his offences had been brought to light, as it was fit they should be punished. On Saturday morning, about eleven o'clock, he was conducted from orison to meet his fate; he appeared entirely resigned, and joined in prayer with the Clergyman. He next addressed the numerous spectators in English and Welsh, exhorting them to take warning by his miserable situation, and confessed thus publicly that he had poisoned both his wives, to which he had been tempted by the Devil. After bidding his numerous hearers an eternal farewell, he was turned off the ladder, and died without a struggle.  This wretched criminal was only 9.6 years of age, he was born in the parish of Mote, Penibr Ateshire • his parents being poor, he received no education, and could neither read nor write. About two years since he married his first wife, whom he destroyed in eight or nine weeks after ; his neighbours suspected something at the time, but no inqnity took place. He soon after married his second wife, by whom he had a fine boy. He went to reside at Cuckow, near Haverfordwest, last Au• tumn, where he accomplished his diabolical purpose of again destroying the partner of his ltd; but the very means he used to prevent suspicion and conceal his crime, produced the opposite result, and led to his detection ; he endeavoured to prepare the minds of his neighbours for hearing of his wife's decease, by saying that he had seen her bid out on a table, and a candle hopping upon her ; and, at other times that he had seen a woman's hand and arm carrying a candle about the hou'e, which he knew t.) be his wife's left arm by a mark thereon; that he was sure she would not live whit him long; and that she was swelling, and very unwell, which latter was proved to be without foundation. The-e assertions caused Lim to be suspected when his wife died ; she, however, was buried on the Ist of last month, but thf... t),.dy being taken up the following day and opened, a consi..!erable quantity of ax• senic was found in the stomach, upon which be was instantly apprehended and couimitted tor trial. It was impossible to ',axe that the prisoner had administered the poison ; the eviwas only circumstantial ; but his dence, therefore, against him, own conduct, as before described, furnished such strong presumptive proof tiainst him, th.•t uw a doubt Of his ruilt exited n;csdon. in the minds of the Court and Jury, all .of which waa cabsc, quently confirmed hi his own co  s~