MRS KNORR'S CAREER.

Thames Star, Volume XXV, Issue 4635, 16 January 1894, Page 2

MRS KNORR'S CAREER.

HER EARLY LIFE IN ENGLAND

When Mrs Knorr's case was being considered by the Victorian Executive Council, details of her career, prepared by Detective Sergeant Nixon, of the Criminal Investigation Department, were laid before it. Most of the facts in the report, which have been very accurately compiled, have already been made public, the main feature being to show that the woman had long been known as a criminal in Sydney and elsewhere, having been frequently convicted of larceny and other offences; but the following details of her early life, obtained '' from her parents, will be read with interest. These particulars were sent out by the London correspondent of the Melbourne Age some months ago, but it was deemed improper to publish them at that time, because the case was subjudice. There can be no harm in publishing them now.

The Age representative, in a further interview with the lady superintendent of the home to which Frances Thwaites was sent, learnt farther particulars. This lady speaks highly of the Thwaites family, whom she has known for many years. They are a musical family, and the girl Frances formerly sang in the church choir. Seven or eight years ago Frances became enamored of a soldier, and eventually she became engaged to this man wifh her parents' consent. Suddenly she disappeared from home and remained absent for some days, returning in a very dirty and neglected state. It was discovered that she had been staying with the soldier, who subsequently left the neighborhood. Mr Thwaites, after keeping his daughter $t home for some time, feared the effect of her evil example on the younger children and applied to the lady superintendent of the home referred to, This lady took the girl in as a paying inmate, and she speaks of her in kindly terms, and indeed all who knew her consider her a kindhearted girl, and refuse to entertain the belief that she is guilty of. the crime laid to her ch^ge. The wife of the local Church of England clergyman, who, was a visitor to the home, got; the. girl, it appears, to <wnfess to other departures froua the paths, of virtue than th.ose in which she ask@i the father to take her back-. This he djd, and some time later it was decided to send the girl abro id. From letters received after her arrival in Melbourne, where she went to service, it was believed that she was leading a very respectable life; and wh,e,a paws ot her marriage arrived, the parents sent o,ut presets, a,nd gave her material assistance, One fact, however, upon which stress is laid is that they could never receive a satisfactory account of who or what Knorr was, though one or two letters which he wrote rather prepossessed thejn, $v his favor. The father fe^va thai he will have to give u,p business if his connection with the ease gains publicity in the neighborhood, which it has not up to the present."