CRIMES AND CRIMINALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1915, Page 3

CRIMES AND CRIMINALS.

EXGLISII "BLUEBEARD" EXECCI'IID. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, August ];!. Smitli. who murdered several o f his wives bv drowning them in uaM.-. has been executed. A Wesloyan mini-toi- tlirlee daily visited Smith, who 'was g.nWnl for spiritual help. Ho had aged remark. ably and was sulfuring from nc.Tous prostration. He was unable to walk to the scaffold and had to bo supported by warders. For the first time for many years reporters «'erc .lot adm.Uod A croud of khaki-clad men and wvll-dicss-cd women wore at tli.i gaol •j.-.iU'.. In his last letter Co MvS Pvler, Smith states that he fail-'L <o cbUiin justice from his earthly plug.)* nr.;l proferred death to iniprisuiiiiui'.t. He concluded: "An innocent hiiv.i goes to a,i uiitiineh' end, the vieti'ii of a cmo fate. Cod aione is my Jua-e. 1 shah have perfecc peace."

SORDID SVDXF.Y i.i: \ ■";!■;;;v. Syduov. August it. There has i'ecn a. double tragedy in a flat in Margaret street, in (lie .-il.y. Sophia Y.UH-.'nle/r was iive.'i apart from her husband who was a iiiis-.i.i'i daiiur at the Tholi. He asked her to return, but she refused, whereupon her husband shot her tatalii with a revolver, and then committed suicide. As a sequel to the tragedy, Monsieur Beandown. who was livii:.; with Madame Vakavolclf, when iiiforimd lh.it (he woman was dead, return.' I imi e demented. He was taken ::o th? poue station and charged wti. being nf unsound mind, and removed to tV> recip t.iou house. Yakavo'e!!".' eight -yearold sou witnessed to: tr.igejy.