LIFE TRAGEDY OF WILLIAM WHITELEY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 16 April 1907, Page 4

LIFE TRAGEDY OF WILLIAM WHITELEY.

Much that Was dark and mys- . tct'iouß in connection with t>ho muiv der of Mr .William Whitelpy hae been made clear by the facts which have come to light during the past week. A life-tragedy ha§ been revealed of ;whdch the dead mail's violent end is but the culmination ' From an offence against the moral ! code in years gone by— a quarter 1 of a century ago is to be traced a long train of unhappy consequence 'of tragic and far-reaching effect. Statements have been mad<j by Mr George Rayner, the ostensible 1 father of Mr Whiteley's assailant; ' . and by a Mrs Emma Turner, which ffb a long way tdwards cleariritj tip tfao mystery &f Horace Bayiier's parentage and the (motive underlying, the criruej ( The following} statement has!' -been 'issued by !Mr George Rayner's solicitors: — j There were two sisters, by name : Emily Turner and. 'Louie Turner, J the one, Louie Turner, beiTig" an .assistant at William Whiteley's. The other, (Emily Turner,, was visited by Mr George Turner. Abo"t a year after Mr Itaynor made the acquaintance of Miss Emrily .he was informed that she had given birth to a child, and that the child was his. Mf Rayner thefon assumed the ■duties and obligations thrust upon him, and proceeded with tho upbringing and education of itis so n . About two years after Miss Emily the child she was about to give | birth to a child. Shcj then con--flcssed to Mr Rayner that the) child ho was bringing up as his son was neither his son nc-r hers, •that, in fact, she did not give birth to it. After this confession- tho child was relegated to its real parents. Miss . Turner informed Mr Kayner that th? child she w a e aljout to #l-vo birth to was his child, aiid; at- [ though Mr Rayiuff had grave red- ' sons to doubt this, he felt it incumbent upon him, owing to tho position in which ho found' himself, to accept tho responsibilities, i ' and promised Miss Turner that tho , child would be properly educated, i Shortly after this Miss Turner left I Mr Rayner, and Boon afterwards • she married. 'Mr Rayner has: kept ' promise to Miss Turner, and has ' acted as foster-father toi this ohild 1 who is the man mow lying la the [ St Mary's Hospital. Further details have been given J 'by Mrs Emma, the? mother of the . sisters mentioned 'in Mr Rayner's [ etatarrteht. Tweniy-fivo years ago i Louie Turner was an assistant in, i Mr Whitelßy's shop, arid she ieft • there to. become housekeeper at his 1 farm at Finchley. There a son was born to her, who is now in the Navy. Emily Turner and Mr Rayner lived together at Teddington, ■ and Mr Whiteley and Louie Turner ' were frequent visitors there. It . was at Teddington that Horace : Georgia Rayner was born. "Whether j Mr Rayner was Horace's father I really cannot say," Mrs Turner. , continued, "but I know that Emily ' and Rayner had ai great row aibout it, and Emily always told mo that . Mr Raynor was not tho father. Mr , Whifceley and Louie had up to then been froquont visitors at Tedding" '■ ton, but after the birth of the boy Mf Whiteley and Mr Rayner fell ' out. I believe that Mr Rayfter accused Mr, Whiteley of beinK tho ' father of the chikl." •■ Some of the newspapers now ' state ithat in his endeavors t>o keep • the old scandal hushed up Mr Whiteley Allowed himself tt> be ■ victimised !by a gamgi of blackmailers for many years past. It is '. declared that great sums of money wtTj paid by Mr, Whiteley in this ■ way. If this sensational story, be 1 truo, the life of the brilliantly successful provider" must for the past twenty years or so have been one long tragedy.