THE LONDON MURDER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13431, 23 March 1907, Page 4

THE LONDON MURDER.

RAYNBR SENTENCED TO DEATH.

(Received March 23; 9 a.jn.) LONDON, March 22. Rayner' was sentenced to death for the murder of Whitelay,

(William Whiteloy, "The Universal Provider/ was shot dead in his business premises, in, tho, presence of customers arid shop assistants, by Rayner, who then attempted suicide. There is , an 'element of romance in connection with \h& case. There were two sisters, by name TSmily Twrnor and Louie Turner, the one> Louie Turner, being an assistant at William Whiteley'.s. The other, Emily Turner, was visited by Mr George Rayner (a solicitor). About a year after Mr Rayner made the acquaintance of Miss Emily he was. informed that she had given birth ta a child, fend that the child was his. Mr Raynfer thereon assumed the duties and obligations thus thrust upon him, «»"1 proceeded with the upbringing antf education of his son. Aboirt two year* pfter Miss Emily Turner ; was again about £0 give birth to iv child. She then confessed to' Mr Rayner that the .child fee w^s'-bringing up *as his son ,was neither his eon' nor hers, that, in fact, she did not g^ve birth to it. After thi3 confession the child was relegated to its real parents. Miss Turner informed Mr llayner that thfe child site was about to give birth to was his .child* > <and, although Mr Rayxier had grave reasons to doubt this, he felt it incumbent upon him 1 , owing to tho position in which, .'ho found himself, to accept the. responsibilities,, and promised Mis| Turner that the 'child would be properly educated.Shortly after this Miss Turner left tyx Ray nor, and soon afterwards *sho. married. Mr Rayner has kept b,is. promise to Miss Turner, and has acted as fos-' ter^fatber to- this child, who, is the mannow lying in, St.' Mary's Hospital^ If qrIthor details have been given , by. Mrs Emma Turner, the mother 0$ the sisters - mentioned. Twonty-nvo years aga Louie Turner, was an assistant in Mr Wbiteloy's shop, and she left there to b<?coinG housekeeper at his farm near : Jf inchley. There, a. son was , born to her, who is now in tho Navy. Emily Turiier and Mr Rayner lived together at Toddington, and Mr Whiteley and Louie Turner wore frequent visitors there. 1 It was at'Tcddington that Hor-~ jico George Rayner was'born. "Whether . Mr l^ayrier was Horace's father I really cannot' say, 7 ' Mrs Turner continued, •'but I know that Emily and Rayner had a great row about- itf, and Emily always told mo that Mr Rayner was not the father. x Mr Whiteley and Louie had up to then 'been, frequent visitors , nt Teddington, but after the bir ; th of the hoy Mr W>ut*>le}r and Mr Rayner fell out. I, jbel^ve that Mr Rayner accused Mr Whiteley of being the father . pf the child.",. Some of the newspapers havo stated that in his endeavour to keep tho old scandal hushed up Mr Whiteley allowed b-imself to be yiciimised by a gang of .blackmailers . for many years, past. It js 1 declared tnat. gyeat. sums of money were paid by Mr., f Whiteley in this way. If this sensational story be true, the life of the brilliantly successful "universal provider" must for, the past twenty years or so har» been one long tragedy.)