EXECUTION OF MARGARET WATERS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 761, 10 January 1871, Page 3

EXECUTION OF MARGARET WATERS.

The last scene of the tragedy which has for three months past been under public notice ■by the name of the " Brixton Babyi-Farming Case," was enacted on Oct. 11th within-the walls of Horseinonger-lane gaol. Margaret Waters, thirty-five, wi'dew, who, alter a trial lasting three days at I the Central Criminal Court, was found guilty and sentenced : to | i ddath for the ' wilful murder'of a child named John Walter Cowan (being also indicted for the murder! of four other infant children •unknown), Was changed within 1 the precincts of the gaol. Since the sentence of'death was pronounced, Dr Edmunds and the prisoner's friends have made representations to the Home Secretary, and have been unremitting in their exertions to get the sentence commuted, but without avail. Two of her brothers visited the convict the previous day, and stayed about an hour and a half. One of them had had an- interview with the Lord Chief Baron and laid before him some corroboration of her statement with respect to : having employed a wet-nurse for the child Cowan, Ho stated that the Chief Baron had said that if the evidence had been produced at the trial it would have had a vcrv great effect Upon the verdict of the jury. Ore-at exertions had been made to obtain a commutation of the sentence by Mr Gilpin, M.P„ Mr Morley, M.P, and Mr E. Baines, The brother forwarded to the Home Office a memorial for furthertime to be given, in order that the statement which Waters had made might be investigated, but it had no avail.. Mrs Waters steadily persevered in her statement that she never meant to murder any of the children confided to her care, and that she always showed them great care and had medical assistance when it was required. She several times repeated that so far as her intentions- were concerned she was aiot a murderess. Throughout her imprisonment, the chaplain states that her conduct has been most exemplary in every respect, and on Oct. 8 she received the Holy Communion in her cell, in company with one of her brothers. She expressed her affection • for the members of her family who had seen or written to her. They all spoke of her in terms of the greatest endearment, and expressed their belief that she was innocent of any. intention to murder the children. Since her conviction, Waters had been too much prostrated to attend the chapel services. A Baptist minister visited her once, but although she herself was a Baptist, she expressed a v/ish that the chaplain would attend her. She was not in a condition to eat substantial food : during her imprisonment. :. She : .gave a written statement to Mr, Jossop, thq prison chaplain, in. winch she pleaded guilty to obtaining money .by false pretences, to a course of deceit and falsehood; and to placing 1 in'the'roads five bodies of children who had died of thrush and convulsions since the- 2Gth of March. In the first case the child died suddenly of convulsions, and fearing the exposure of an inquest she Said down ■the body. She . thought it hard to have to suffer for the death of those children who died in the workhouse, one of whom had heen with her onlytwo days, and ojf ;tho child Cowan; and she solemnly , denied having f ever administered laudanum. She denied that the, children were in the neglected dirty state of which some of the and expressed her forgiveness, of those who had sworn falsely. She believed the case was got up to exppse the system of getting rid of,illegitimate children—a system which she; denounced ; iu ,strong terms. The statement concluded with many expressions of.gratitude; to.Mr Jessop for his unwearied attention to her. At the execution the, only persons present were the officials of the gaol and the representatives', of the press. I Waters ascended, the scaffold firmly, and, after, the concluding portion of the service, prayed earnestly and in well-chosen; language: for the forgiveness of all .her sins. ,The unhappywoman was still praying earnestly when the cap...was drawn over her face, the drop died instantaneously. At ten, o/clock the body was cut down, and the' usual formalities of an inqnest having been gone through, it was buried in the evening "within the prison We are informed that, in reply to the various communications which were addressed to the Home Secretary in regard to the case of the convict Margaret Waters, letters have hfcen. received to the T effect that, .after careful consideration of all the cifcuinsrfmces, and reference to the foamed judge before whom the convict' was tried, ■Mr Bruce was unable to .discover any grouA&Sxwlii'ch woujd justify him, .consistently with his public duty, iu advising.,her.. Majesty, to interfere with the v flue course of law.' IKU f J '