THIS WATERLOO OUTRAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7243, 9 December 1886, Page 4

THIS WATERLOO OUTRAGE.

NINE MEN SB^nSS'JfiD TO DEATH IN SYDNEY. At the Central Criminal Court, Sydney, on Saturday, November 26th, before his Honor Mr. Justice Windeyer, the trial of the prisoners concerned in the Waterloo outmge was concluded. William Hill, Geor^o Duffy, William Newman, Michael Donuallun, TliQinaa Oacroft, Joseph Martiu, Williyn Boice, Hugh Miller, Robert George Head, George Keogan, aud Michael JMuu^iiu were churgod that they did, od the 9lh of September, at Waterloo, ravish Mary Jane Hicks a^ainet her consent, rl'ho case is oi: too disgusting a nature to publish auy of the evidence. The jury retired at 821 p.m. on Saturday ni^ht, and rotiiiiieil into Court at five minutes to 11 o'clock with a verdict of guilty u^ujimt the prisoners Willi-im Hill, tlu^h Miller, George Kt-t'«an, Georgts Duffy, Wilh'am Newman, Mich lei Donnellan, Josoph Martiu. Willnm-JBoyce. an<l George lieufl. The accused peisous Michael Maugnn jiud Thomnß-OBfroft wore found uot guilty, and wero diauhar^ed. The jury rocominended the prisoners to mercy ou account of their j outh. In reply to the usual questions, the prisoners all denied being guilty of the crimd laid to their charge. In passing sentence of death upon the nine founl guilty, His Honor, said ho solemnly believed that this horrible crime was the outcome of former leniency shown to such offenders. Ho added: "I hold in my hand n list of crimes similar to this which have been perpetrated during the past few years. The hrst is an outrage thcit was committed by a number; of young men in the neighbourhood of Para-matta-street; but by some mischance a gross miscarriage of justice, as I believe, took place in the acquittal of thefmeu. Tjhe difficulty of proving auch cases r js oft|en ' great, and false evidence is nlwa)B read}, too read}', at hand too throw its protecting shield around criminals of your class. This outrage was followed by an outrage upon a young woman ac North Shore, abd the perpetrators escaped the death penalty on account of their }outh. After this iin outrage tooK place upon an old woman in the neighborhood of Ultimo, and I have not lha slightest hesitation in saj'ins that a aiiscarriage of justice took place there iv the acquittal of tne prisoners, young men like yourselves — an acquittal which ainaz?d me, us the evidence was of the clearest bind. This was followed by another, where the wretched woman was done to death somewhere in the neighborhood of the locality now made infamous by this crime ; and, aguin, as 1 believe, a miscarriage of justice took place in the entire acquittal of all concerned. This was followed up by another frightful outiage at Woolloomooloo, where the wretched creature was found lyiug dead, like a dog, naked in the street, under circumstances of outiage too horrible to mention. Only one of tha ruffians who outraged her was brought to justice, bat escaped with his life. Again, last year I tried tight men for a concerted outrage of this kind upon an old woman under circumstances too disgusting to refer to. They escaped the death penalty, too, and the outcome of all this mistaken leniency, and failure to convict, is this culminating horror. You cannot expect that those who are charged with the execution of the law will hesitate onder all these circumstances in handing you over to the death which jou most righteously deserve. Be Bure no pity will be extended to you ; our pity must be reserved ior the homes that are desolated and the victims who are wrecked for life by outrages &uch as these. I warn you not to waste 'your time in idle protestations of your innocence. I advise you to prepare to meet your Maker; and if you are capable of understanding the position in which you stand, remember that your" time is bhort. The dme has come when v tuiiible example must be made of thoßO who seem to oe restrained by no pity ior their victims, no sense of shame, no dread of the loathing of their fellows. Crimes such as yours it is too clear can only be restrained by the fear of death, the fate which awaits you. I have now but one duty to discharge, and that is to paBB upon you the last dread sentence of the law. Sentence of death having been pronounced, the prisoners, who appeared unmoveJ, were conducted from the Court to Diirliughurst gaol. The following are additional particulars with reference to the nine prisoners :—: — All but one of the condemned are natives of Hew South Wales, aud the one who is not is a native of Victoria, Five of the nine are Roman Catholics, three ure Presbyterians, aud the religion of one ia that of the Chuivh of England. Only one of the nine is over 20 years of age.' Four of them are 19, one 18, and three 17"William Hill was born at Redforu, is 22 years of age, a Presbyterian, an engine cieauer. George Duffy is a native of Dcipto, 17 venrd of age, a Roman Catholic, and hio .ivojatioa that of a wojlwaaher. William Nuwmaa was born in Sydney, is 18 yeais old, belongs to the Church of JLUgiiiUiJ, ax-d is a dealer. Michael Donneiiun, id a native of Woolloomooloo, 17 years of age, a Roman Catholic, and having no occupation. Joseph Martin was born at Waterloo, is 17 years old, a Roman Catholic, and a woolwaeher. William Bojee is a native of Redfem, 19 years of age. a R^r.ouii Catholic,' and a bootmaker. Hugh Miller was born in Sydney, is 19 years old, a Presbyterian, and an engine cleaner. Robert George Reid ia a native of Victoria, 19 years of age, a Presby teriaii, aud v Inoourer. George Keegan was born at Mitta^oug, is 19 years old, v Roman Catholic and alto a labourer.

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