SCRET POISONING.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 16, 2 January 1863, Page 3

SCRET POISONING.

(From the ILr.no iV. w.-i Oct. 27,h.)

The history of Catherine Wil>on, who lias lately i>epn convicted of minder by poisoning 1 at the Central Criminal Court, reveals a long career oi' crime so secret and appallin?, that it is almost impossible to think of it wiihoufc a shudder. The judge who presided at her t: ial, Mr. Justico Bvies, enumerated, in passing sentence, no fewer than five instances in which this Borgia had heen fatally successful nnd one in which she had failed. Though several times suspected, and more tlian once actually arrested on a charge of secret poisoning, Catherine Wilson had successfully evaded the sword of justice. She has, however, hecn nt length overtaken by the strong arm of the law. The particular crime for which she has heen condemned was committed no less than six years ago. And considering the long interval that lias elapsed, and the great diib'cully in obtaiuing definite proof in such cases, the evidence produced at the recent trial must be regarded as remarkably satisfactory and conclusive It was of couvs-3 purely circumstantial, but the circumstances proved were so decisive that the conviction of guilt amounts to a moral certainty. About Christmas in the year 18.55, the prisoner went to lodge with Mrs. Sonmes, a widow lady, residing with her two daughters in Alfred-street, Bedford-square. She occupied the first floor unfurnished, and a young man, named Dixon, afterwards one of her victims, but who she said was her brother, came with her, and for a time occupied one of the rooms on that floor. Her first object in taking up her residence in the hou. j was to establish herself in her landlady's confidence and secure her good opinion, and in this she appears to have succeeded. The eldest daughter, in giving her evidence, states, " The prisoner became on very intimate terms wiih my mother soon after she came, and my mother frequently went to her room. " The prisoner, Mrs. "\Vilson continued to live in the houseon terms of growing intimacy with the family till the month of October. On Wednesday, the 15th of that month, Mrs. Soames went to soe her brother, who resided at Holloway, wi'h the view or obtaining some money from him, and he let her have £9 in gold. A legacy of £100 had been left her by her father a little while before, which she appears to have received from her brother by instalments, so that she liad been in the habit of going to him from time to time for money. Her brothel- deposes that when with him on the afternoon of this day his sister was in her usual good health and spirits. On returning, she had tea with her daughters as usual. "While we were at tea," deposes the eldest^ daughter, "the prisoner came in and told my mother she wanted to

to speak to her, and she went up to her room." During the rrg-ht Mrs. Soame3 was attacked with violent sickness and I great pain in the chest. The pains and sickness appeared to increase rather than climinis'i, and during (he whole of Thursday the poor woman was very ill. A medical man, Dr. Whidborne, was sent for, and lie, taking the symptoms to indicate Engli. :'.\ cholera, administered the usual soothing draught to arrest the progress of the disorder and relieve the pain. The prisoner was constant in her attendance on the sick woman, and insisted on giving- her the medicine. After taking it, however, the terrible pain in the chest and the sickness came on with greater violence than before. On his second visit the docior, being surprised aud puzzled at this unexpected result, prescribed a stronger opiale, in the hope of affording relief. This too was administered by the prisoner, and and with the same result of aggravated symptoms as before. Both daughters depose that during the day the prisoner several times gave their mother something to drink in a tumbler, while the younger adds that she expressly told her that it was a mixture of brandy and egg. The poor woman continued to get worse, and, after suffering dreadful tortures, died during the Friday night. Dr. Whidborne was so dissatisfied and suspicious thai he refused a certificate as to the cause of death, and made a post-mortem examination, with the view of ascertaining whether p'.ison had been administered. No traces of it were, however, discovered. Both he and Dr. Taylor agree, however, that the symptoms were not those of English cholera, and could only be accounted for on the supposition that some vegetable poison had been administered and rapidly absorbed into the system. What thispoison really was, another part of Dr. Whidborne's evidence may serve to explain. IJe says: — " A person named Dixon lodged in Mrs. Soames's house, and he died there in June, four months before the death of the deceased. During his illness I had a conversation with the prisoner, and she told ma 1 1 Kit Dixon had been in the habit of taking colchicum for rheumatism, and I toid her that it was a very dangerous medicine, and that it should not be administered except under medical supervision; and the prisoner replied that she knew this, and was well acquainted with it. An overdose of colchicum would produce all the symptoms that were exhibited by the deceased — namely., vomiting, purging.sickness, and pain in the chest and bowels. No such results could have followed the administration of the medicine that I prescribed." Dr. Taylor's evidence as to the influence of colchicum was to the same effect, and there can hardly be a doubt that the poor woman died from this poison. A. number of decisive circumstances connect the prisoner with the administration of the poison. She not only gave the medicine, as we have seen, and another mixture with her own hands, but she kept the bottles containing the medicine carefuly locked up in her own room, and on being asked by Miss Rose, one of the lodgers, why she did so explained that " it was particular stuff and she must administer itherself, and give it to the deceased with her own hand." It comes out in evidence, moreover, llial the prisoner, with a \\c\v prob-ibly to her own protection, circulated in confidence the report that the deceased had poisoned herself, that slio was privy to the fact, but did not wish to reveal it for sake of her family. It was proved, however that the poor woman was perfectly cheeiful, and in good health and spirits, with no motive whatever for committing sucli a desperate act, and had, in fact, made arrangements during her short illness on the expectation of her speedy recovery. If she died l>y poison, as the prisoner confidently asserted, there could be no doubt as to who had administered it. The only point remaining to be noticed is the motive for the minder, and this, as in every previous case of poisoning by the same hand, appears to have been money. The prisoner knew that Mis. Suames had gone to her brother for money, and probably did not know how much she had actually received; but whatever it might be she evidently resolved to possess herself of it, and accordingly no trace of the L 9 in gold was found after Mrs. Soames's death. It appears uncertain whether she had not obtained other sums from the murdered woman. After her death she certainly obtained LlO from the daughters, on the faith of a document said to be in their mother's handwriting. But it is perfectly clear that this wretched woman had become so terribly familiar with the appalling crime of secret poisoning-, that the certain prospect of even a comparatively small prize would be quite sufficient to incite her to another attempt. [The execution of Catherine Wilson took place on the morning of October 20, in front of Newgate. There has been no female executed Tor many years past — none we believe since Mrs. Manning ; but from the peculiar nature of this womnn's crime, there was Jess effort made to save her from the gallows than is usually shown for the most brutal murderers of the other sex. The culprit herself maintained a stern reserve to the last, asserted her innocence, and died almost with the words on her lips. It is fair to say that those who watched her most closely were the least, d'sposed to credit her assertions. The crowd was vei/ great, and somo took up their position in the street from an early hour, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather ; but the behaviour of the mob was more orderly and decorous than it usually is at executions ]