Broadside entitled 'Execution'

Transcription

EXECUTION

Account of the Execution of Elizabeth Nicklson, or Shafto, or Jeffrey, when
was Executed in front of the Jail, this morning, for a Double Murder, 1st,
with administering, on the 4th October last, to Ann Newal or Carl, resid-
ing in Carluke, a quantity of arsenic, which she mixed with meal and
water and whisky, in consequence of which she died; 2d, with having ad-
minis ered to Hugh Munro, then labourer or miner at' carluke, a quantity '
of ar senic, which she mixed with porridge; and Hugh Munro died in conse-
quence of having partaken of the same.

IT will be recollected that the unhappy woman who
has this day justly forfeited her. life to the offended
laws of God, and of man,was tried at our last As-
sizes. The indictment against the prisoner ran has-
'You the said Elizabeth Nicklson or Shafto or Jef-
frey . lately resding at Carluke, are charged with ad-
minist ing on the 4th of Octeber, last, to Ann Newal
or Carl residing in Carluke, a quant ty. of arsenic.
which you mixed up with,meal and water and whisky,
and which you pretended was a medicine for her be-
nefit and the said Ann Newalor Carl having drank
there of, became.violently ill, and.died next day in
consequence of having swallowed the said mixture.?
You are also charged with having on the 28th of Oc-
tomber last , admin stered to to Hugh Munro,then labour
er or miner at Carluke,and lodging with you,a quan-
tity of arsenic which you had mixed up.,with, po -
ridge and the said Hugh Munro having pa taken of
the porridge became ill ' and , continued so-the two
following days. You are likewise accused,of having
on the 30th, October last, administered to the said
Hugh Monro a quantity ,of arsenic which you had
mixed up with rhubarb and the said Hugh Munro
died in consequence of having partaken of the same
The pris ner pleaded Not Guilty, and the trial pro.
ceeded-    Never before was there so connected and
convincing a chain of circumstancial evidence deve-
loped in a Court of Justice.    The following is a sort
of summing up of the facts of the case , as they were
sworn to on the trial.    It appeared the no suspicion
had been excited against the prisoner amongst the
villagers of Carluke, on the death of the old woman,
Carl, who resided next door to the prisoner-but that
when her lodger Munro died in excruciating agony
about four weeks after, and was buried by request of
the prisoner, (as indeed Carl was also) in a great,
hurry, reports not favourable, to her began to be o-
penly made, and to such a, length did the matter go,
that both bodies were raised from their graves, and
certain portions of the stomachs extracted for medi-
cal examination.    It afterwards appeared from the
evidence of the two surgeons's at Carluke   as well as
from that of two highly experienced chemists in Ed-
inburgh, to whom portions of the matter found in
the stomach s has been transmitted, that minute quan-
tities of arsenic, but quite sufficient to cause death,
had been discovered in each of the stomachs. It was
also proven that the prisoner had purchased arsenic
at two different times,by the, hands of another per-
son, for the ostensible purpose, as was alleged, of
killing rats , by which she said her house was infested,
although none of the witnesses on that spot had ever
seen a,rat about the premises. These purchases, be
it observed, were made immediately preceding the

death of Carl and Munro Add to this it was pro-
ven that the prisoner mixed up the dose for the sick
woman Carl hersel ?and also made the porridge by
which her l dger Munro was poisoned . With regard
to this poor highlander,it appeared that he came
home on a Saturday, in as good health and high glee
as ever he was in his life, looking forward ,no doubt
to a happy meeting he was soon expecting to have
with 'his friends in Skye, and that having partaken of
some porridge.made by the prisoner, he was soon
after seized with dreadful thirst and -pain,    in this   
state the continued for two days when she again ten
dered him mixture of rhubarb as she alleged; soon.   
after which she expired in great agony. The priso-
ner owed    Munro five pounds, which she could not
pay, and this seemed to be the only caus- she had for   '
commit ing to diabolical a crime.   ,About the-period
of the murder, jeffray used many inefectual tricks'
o make-the friends of the deceared believe that she
had accounted on the money to the deceased, but it   
Came clearly out that she had not paid a farthing of
it.   With regard, to the murder of the old woman,
Carl, the Depute-Advocate's theo y was, that the
prisoner had tried her hand on her to discover how
much poison it would take to kill the young man,
Munro but the villagers say the houses were very
Scarce at Carluke, and that the prisoner wished to
make room for a more productive lodger.There were
many other facts came out in d tail, all tending to
criminate the prisoner, who after a trial of 18 hours,
was found Guilty, and sentenced to be Executed this
day, but recommended to mercy by the Jury?for
what reason, or on what grounds, was not mentioned.
On this recommendation the prisoner had-great hopes
until Thursday, when an answer to an application to
Lord John Russell,from a few Quakers and other
eccentric individuals in this City, was refused; These -
characters say it was a mighty piece of unheard-of
cruelty to execute BURKE!    .

But we have no patience with them?their maukish
ravings are an outrage on nature and common sense,
how humane, and kind, and charitable 'they are to
the cold blooded murdere.?while not a sigh is given
tor the innocent butchered victims!

When the prisoner understood there was no hope,
(Which had been so unproperly raised) she betook
herself to her devotions, and has continued almost
since,engaged in prayer.    The crowd ,this morning,
around the, scaffold was   large.    After some tim e
spent in earnest prayer with the clergymen who as-
sisted her; sh gave the signal, when the drop fell,
and in a minote she ceased to exist. The crowd then-
left the ground in good order.

Muir, Pr inter, Glasgow.   

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