The Sun. — 1847-04-09 (London, England)

THE ACTON MURDER. CONFESSION OF CATHERINE FOSTER.  Since her conviction and sentence, and return to gaol. the unhappy prisoner, Catherine Foster, has displayed less ap tthy than she evinced both before and during the trial, but has been move by none of those vehement symptoms of grief and remorse that a sense of her dreadful situation would infallibly produce in a mind less able to bear the pangs of compunction. She has, however, hitherto maintained a mild, calm, patient demeanour, and receives kindnesses from those who attend her with marked expressions of gratitude. The constant and assiduous attendance of the Rev. Mr. West, chaplain to the gaol, of the Rev. Mr. Ottley, rector of Acton, and of the Rev. C. J. P. Eyre, incumbent of St. Mary's, has contributed greatly to remove that coldness from her manner which attracted the observation of all spectators during the progress of her trial. She made a full confession of her guilt in writing on Thursday last, both to Mr. M'lntyre and the Rev. Mr. Ottley, accompanying it with an earnest request that neither of these gentlemen would permit it to be seen by any other person until she had passed away. Before making her confession she imparted some very contradictory statements to some of the f- male prisoners, we understand, which, coming to the ears. of the authorities, she was kindly advised not to deceive herself by indulging in such representations, but if she felt disposed, after addressing herself to God, to disburden her mind, to do so truly. She subsequently, we hear, took the opportunity of the governor's presence to tell him some part of the circumstances detailed in her written confession, and then, requesting some ink and paper, wrote out an acknowledgment of her guilt, and an admission of the justice of the sentence passed upon her. We have been unable, of course, to ascertain anything of the contents of the written paper, which is, at present, a sealed document; but from what has transpired of her verbal confession to those attending her (and we believe our information may be so far relied on), she abscribed her guilty conduct to being urged into a marriage with the unfortunate victim, Foster, against her will—that her mother urged her into the watch, and that she disliked her husband from the beguniieg• She added, we understand, that her husband was most kind and most tender to her at all times, and had never d. ne or said any thing that could give her uneasine-ss; but she had been form d into a marriage she loathed, oi woidsAti that effect. Ever since h r confession, and her mind has been disburdened, she has .appeared easter, and i. penitent. We believe the above particulars, as f:r. as they g.), 1114 Y bo relied. on; and we are satisfied' to be euanli d to close this b. rt. t account by stating that, at the present time, th.e i!ntoriunate,pris,int r is in a good and proper frame ot.orted b% mind gr,tetul b.r igiou-, solace, and manifestly comforted icanings of the rev, gentlemen and others who titt,l:4 her unremittingly. She expresses contrition, and appears prepared fur the result.  Prayers were off red up for her at S. Mary's arid St. James's Churches on Good Friday and Sunday last. Tne exeeu ion wall take place, we believe, by ihe ord, r of ihe High Sheriff, on Saturday week. On reading over the above, we find we have omitted one pirticulur, which much anxiety has been exhibited to ascertain, namely, as to the poison. We believe we  can ,Late, with perfect truth, that the arsenic WAS purchased at Sudbury by Cathetine Foster herself, but of whom it is not our province to divulge. The loose and most rep”ehensiblo manner in wbick deadly pisons are permitted to 1),-• sold by apothecaries to persons applying singly, and frequently too young or too ignorant to know its fatal properties, demands immediate remedy. It i. not to one caie of poisoning only to which the public attention is now directed, but to o oa •n ; and these will mit be the lust unless the law step iht and make provision for the more careful dispensing of such dangerous articles.—Sntroth Herald.  A FEW THINGS THAT OUGHT TO lir: KNOWN ABOUT' filE