ENEMIES OF SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20292, 28 December 1927, Page 7

ENEMIES OF SOCIETY.

MEANEST MAN ON EARTH,

SCOTLAND YARD’S TRYING

TASKS

KILLING NO MURDER,

Is it legally murder to kill a murderer? This question arose in the village of Oddingley, Worcestershire, where six Inhabitants hired a man called Hemmings to murder the village parson who was also the landlord and universally hated. The parson had made his life a misery for years; so when the six ■‘enemies” offered him £SO to put the Rev. Mr Parker where he would trouble them no more, Hemmings was only too glad to agree. He awaited his opportunity, and shot the rector as he was starting out for the village. It then occurred to the six men that if Hemmings should be captured before he could leave the country he would probably tell all he knew and, to save their own skins, they pounced upon him_ in an old barn where he was waiting for his money, and murdered him. Everyone thought Hemmings had escaped, and it was not until a quarter of a century had elapsed that the skeleton was found. A CRACKSMAN’S REVENGE.

The six men who had murdered him were still alive. Three were arrested and charged with murder, but 25 years is a long time and the six had become respectable citizens. Their characters were good, according to the judge who tried them, and Hammings had been a murderer who deserved hie fate. A verdict of not guilty was brought in. Velvet Ned was an expert cracksman who was outwitted by a jeweller and, for revenge, betrayed him to an insurance company. There was a trader in Birmingham wdiose window display made Velvet Ned’s mouth water. After a tremendous amount of expense and trouble Ned forced an entry into the shop, only to find that the magnificent “ diamonds he had coveted were paste. Ned was furious. He took steps to discover that the jeweller had filled his shop with faked goods and had insured them for a large sum, hoping to be burgled. When Velvet Nod was quite sure the insurance money had been paid he neatly packed the “swag” and sent it to the company with an accurate description. The jeweller was arretsed and sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude. The cutest scoundrel could never escape from the hands of the famous Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Glasso. When a man named Orrock murdered a policeman on his beat he thought of a clever ruse to escape the law. He allowed himself to be immediately arrested for a minor offence, and was sentenced to 12 months’ hard labour, hoping thereby to remain hidden while the hue and cry was in full swing. HIDING IN GAOL.

But Glasse was too clever for him. He. made a round of likely prisons and,, taking a witness of the murder with him, watched the men exercising in the yards. As Orrock filed past, the witness pointed him out, and the man who was so confident he could never be traced was tried and condemned to death. The meanest scoundrel on record was George Smith, the “ brides-in-the-bath ” murderer. While one of his victims lay in her coffin Smith asked to be left alone with her that he might weep in solitude. The moment he was left he the gold wedding ring from the finger of the Woman he had bigamously married and drowned. The last action of a despicable cad was that of Frederick Henry Seddon, who murdered Eliza Barrow for her small fortune. When the judge had sentenced him to death he took advantage of the fact that he and the judge were Freemasons and made the Masonic sign. Mr Justice Bucknill was deeply affected by the incident, but did not allow it to influence him. Seddon’s only fear was that the public might believe that he had confessed at the last.

“ If anyone says I confessed, he lies/’ Seddon shouted as he marched to the gallows. UNCANNY DETECTION.

A Paris medium was the means of bringing two murderers, father and son, to justice. Eugene Dupont, whose brother Paul had been murdered, sought the advice of a medium, when all other means of finding out the truth of his brother's death seemed to have failed. “ I see your brother,” said the medium. “ I see him leaving the house. He thinks he is alone, but behind him are the shadows of two men.” With a quick movement she pressed her hands against her forehead and uttered a cry of terror. “They’re on him!” she cried. “Their long thin fingers are around his throat.” She shuddered convulsively. “ They’re throwing him into the Seine.” Eugene Dupont and a friend persuaded the police to accompany them to the Seine, where the body of Paul had just been recovered. The wounds were as described by the medium and, on following the directions she had given concerning the house Paul had visited, Eugene discovered the father and son gloating over the money Paul had been taking to the bank.

One of the most interesting relics in the Black Museum at Scotland Yard is a pill case belonging to Dr Neil Cream, a murderer who put the rope around his neck by his innate vanity. Neil Cream had murdered four women by giving them poisoned pills for no other reason than a desire for murder. In each case the crime was not traced to him, and he gloated in secret over his success until he reached such a pitch of mental exaltation that he could no longer keep his thoughts to himself.

lie paid a visit to Scotland'Yard, and complained that some villainous persons were dogging _ his footsteps. There was no truth in his statement, but for some reason ho could not keep away from Scotland Yard, and having placed himself in the hands of the police he found the net closing around him until, on Yoi'ember 15, 1892, ho was finally executed.