THE WINDSOR MURDER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1903, 8 June 1892, Page 5

THE WINDSOR MURDER.

THE FINAL CHAPTER.

DEEMING'S EXECUTION.

Melbourne, May 25. The execution of the notorious criminal Deciming, whose atrocious murders at Rainhill, in England, and Windsor, near Melbourne, have occupied so much attention of late, took place at the Melbourne Gaol on Monday morning last. The event was remarkakie for being the most simple and effective piece of j adicial hanging which has been witnessed within the walls of that prison. The callous feeling whioh Deeming bad exhibited in regard to his crimes and the defiant attitude which he took up at the coroner's inquest and maintained throughout his trial in the Supreme Court gave rise to anticipating that something of a sensational character might be expected on the gallows— that at least a dying speech or confession would be made. But there was nothing of the kind, and the whole of the j proceedings occupied less than two minutes. It appears that Deeming's courage failed him at the last, and he saw wisdom in the advice of the gaol chaplain that he should not attempt to make any address on the drop, bufc commit to paper beforehand anything he wished to communicate to the public. In his last hours Deeming yielded to religious exercises, and in bis last prayer before he left his cell he uttered the significant sentence "God forgive me for haying despatched my poor wife and family without warning." In this was contained his first admission that he was actually the author of the Rainhill murders. When he was escorted to the drop be presented a most woe-begonc appearance, and he seemed to be almost in a state of collapse. In response to the inquiry of the sheriff whether he had anything to say, he simply gasped in a failing voice " Lord receive my spirit," and the next moment he was launched into eternity. A drop of 7ft 9in had been provided for, and he passed from life into death in an instant, and without a single movement from his body after it became suspended. THE CHAPLAIN'S IMPRESSIONS. The Rev. H- F. Scott, the gaol chaplain, who attended Deeming at the gaol from the time of his conviction until his execution, has furnished the following acconnt of his impressions cf the prisoner: — "Deeming's acknowledged act, his reputed crimes, and his known exploits stamp him as an extraordinary being, difficult to diagnose, and impossible to fathom. With tbe scientific aspect of Deeming I have nothing to do, for experts themselves are hopelessly divided in their opinions. Taking him as a man against whom was proved a deliberate and diabolical act, planned with great ingenuity, and executed with consummate skill, I am oither forced to conclude that he was a victim of brain disease or an atrocious villain. I confess that lam in a difficulty us to which is the correct view to take. There is much to favor the latter, and that will be the opinion of most people ; but to one who has been so closely associated .with him as I have, there is much to impress one with the former idea, and I own that I lean to it. In my opinion, he came into tbe world with a low or deficient moral organisation, and its debasement was complete when he gave way to vices. He was the most competent and senseless liar it has been my misfortune to meet, and in the coolest manner would tell one a string of incidents which were palpably ridiculous and absolutely contradictory. For instance, he told me with marked gusto that he swindled v, man out of L 4.000 in South Africa at a time when he was very hard up, and in a few moments he drew me a sketch of two tombstones, with epitaphs engrossed, between which, he said, he had planted LI 1,000, which he apportioned to certain persons Ido not care to name. Again, he would go into rhapsody anent the qualities of Emily Mather, and anon expatiate on the excellence of hi 3 latest love. Concerning her his whole speech and actions were base, contemptible, and contradictory, and the laat fiction that she is his sister is only an invention, the outcome of spleen, and for tbe purpose of casting odium on her name because she waß wise enough to refuse to see him. 'He received my ministrations with courtesy and attention. Indeed, he was invariably gentle and confidential to me, and only once, when I had to chide him sharply for an unmanly remark concerning one he professed to esteem, did I observe anything like resentment ; and then his face, and especially his eyes, was not pleasant to look at. One day I thought he was trying what sort of nerve I had. I asked him how he felt, He replied ' Not at all well, Mr Scott. ' ' What is the matter?' I asked. 'Ob,' he said, ' I have to-day a great difficulty in keeping my hands from injuring someone.' ' That is all right,' I said ; *I am not afraid of you.' • But,' he said, ' I asked the governor to put the handcuffs on me. I feel so dangerous.' 'All right,' I replied, looking him straight in the face ; ' I'm not afraid. Let us change the subject.' At the same time I candidly confess that he was not a nice man to be alone with, as he took a delight in informing one that he was the subject of sudden and uncontrollable impulses. However, he never gave me the slightest cause for uneasiness, so far as violence on his part was concerned. I did think he might make a demonstration after he was informed (and falsely) that it was owing to me that the appeal to the Privy Council was abandoned. I think his solicitor visited him too often at the condemned cell, and have never disguised my sentiments on the subj ect. This handicapped me greatly in my ministrations to him, as he could not settle his mind upon spiritual things while harassed about property and papers. I have read all of his so-called biography, and the impression it left on my mind was that it is a tissue of falsehoods. As he wrote it it could never appear in print, and if ever it sees the light of day it will have to be rehashed to such an extent that all its originality will have to be abandoned. It is a combination of immoral filth and extravagant allegations. Had I ever any hope of doing him good spiritually or obtaining a full confession from his lips 1 With regard to doing him good, I never lost hope, for experience has taught me that the unexpected might happen." Regarding a confession, I was never sanguine ; hut I thought, from my knowledge of the man's innate vanity, that he might, from no moral compulsion, but with the desire to create a sensation after death, as he loved to bo notorious in life, make a statement of a startling nature. On the other band, I waß impressed with the conviction that his selfesteem would keep him from saying what was true, in order to prevent certain persons from viewing him as an execrable, cruel man. I think, however, had he been leas informed of what was said in the outaide world, and been left more with the heavy burden of his misdeeds, he might have been forced, as a matter of relief, to have thrown off his mind what I felt, and often perceived, was almost intolerable to bear. The vigorous determination of his character, however, assisted him to -retain what would have been a relief to have cast off. He showed signs of feeling twice only — once when describing how he killed Emily Mather, and once when he aroso from his knees after prayer. On both occasions I tried to turn what appeared to be a favorable occasion to advantage, but immediately his lips were compressed, and that tigerish look in his restlesß eyes appeared which chased away all the temporary softening. He treated religion

always with outward respect and attention. He told me his mother was a good woman, A id had done her best for him, and taught him many excellent things, bat that he had always been a bad lot and sown wild oats, and that they had been very wild. I often oanght him reading the Bible and repeating some of his favorite hymns, bat this made no impression upon me, and alone gave no expectation that he was sincere. On the whole I oan .candidly affirm that Deeming was the most complex human problem I ever attempted to solve, and, as the result proves, the most hopeless and unsatisfactory. To cay that he was a ' human tiger' does not by any means cover the whole groand, but those who knew him best affirm that up to the year 1888 he was a sterling friend, an affectionate father, and a good husband. From that period, and from causes he freely stated, the animal in its most ferocious character held sway over him," DEEMING'S PAPERS. The papers which Deeming has left behind him include two wills, notes in regard to his life's adventures, and statements intended for publication in 'The Times,' the 'Liverpool Mercury,' the ' Pall Mall Gazette,' and the 'Argus.' In the first will Deeming made Mr Marshall Lyle his principal legatee. There was but one reservation— that in favor of Miss Rounsefell, who was to reoeive 10 per cent, of the proceeds of the sale of his j goods and chattels and manuscripts, or L3OO in cash. In the second will Miss Rounaefell, who annoyed the prisoner by refusing to see him, was " disinherited " ; but Mr Lyle was directed to send to England to Mrs Mather all the clothing and property of Miss Mather. The following letter was addressed to the gaol chaplain : — H.M. Gaol, Melbourne, 22 ' 5 | 92. Rev. H. Scott. My dear sir,— l beg to tendor my sincere thanks for all your past kindness to mo. "Sou havo been moat kind in this respeot, and it would be impossible for any man to do more to help his fellow oreature to a happy end than you have done to help me. I hope I have in every way shown myself attentive to your teaching. I die a fully penitent sinner and a Christian, and I still tell you, as I always have, that I did not intend to kill my poor Emily, nor did I know myself at the time I did it, and I oan only look on my execution as a murder. Still, death will be a relief to me, and with all your kindness and consideration for my soul. I should havo died happy, j. . . Again thanking you with all my heart— l remain, sincerely yours, F. B. Deeming, (Personal references in the above are omitted, as they are abusive and palpably false.) The last piece of writing done by the prisoner was the following hymn, entitled •To God I Call,' and subscribed " composed by F. B. Deeming on the day of his death. May 22, 1892." A scornful word, how soon 'tis said, How soon our grief for what is given, How swift the heart recalls what's sped, When we turn and think of Iloavon, Then anger in torror fled. How tired I was ; my besom hoaved Inspecting that and hinting this ; The fearful Taunts which my heart believed, I thought, I launched, no point to miss, At last I found with God I lived. Oh, come, my Bible, faithful thou, While faithless friends, who gives me proves Soo'biog in all my grief my brow, I marvel, my heart in fancy moves, To me repentant now. Oh, now, those hasty thoughts, how I regret, I'd fain recall each haughty thought; Patient. His wish I might have met Had I known the good our dear Lord taught, But hope has not vanished yet My heart's love comes— my spirit parts, With sins my heart was beguiled, But now God looks with tenderness And claims me as His child. Oh, Heaven, thy joyous hopes ! The door opes— up, perplexed, I start, Timid, yet confident, I stand. Begone distrust, no more apart Should lovers dwell— l seize His hand And nestle next His heart. ANOTHER CONFESSION. An account of the Windsor murder which Deeming is stated to have commnnicated to an official who came in contact with him in gaol is to the effect that Miss Mather married him not because she loved him, but from mercenary motives, and having discovered on their arrival in this colony that he was not the man of substance she had expected to find him, went out of her way deliberately and continually to create quarrels. This confession, whatever may be its value, is notable as furnishing the only detailed description of the way in which the crime was committed that is extant. In the course of one of these quarrels, which took place during the night at 57 Andrew street, DeemiDg, according to hiß own story, rose from the temporary bed he and his wife occupied, went to the mantelpiece, upon which was lying the ornamental battle axe, seized the weapon, and in a paroxysm of rage struck the unfortunate woman three times upon the head with it, producing instant death. He did not know what to do with the corpse ; but in his extremity conceived a plan of disposing of it. He had ordered some cement, with which he intended to repair the back yard. This he now proposed to himself should provide a ghastly cerement for the victim of his fury ; and gradually in his mind developed the scheme of interring the body beneath the hearth in the adjoining room. According to his own statement the fiend, realising that the presence of the normal quantity of blood, if allowed to remain in the corpse, would hasten decomposition and so possibly detection, carried the body out of doors, and inflicted the hideous wounds in the throat, allowing the blood to flow into the granular and receptive soil of the garden. Subsequently he conveyed his horrible burden to the room on the floor of which the blood stains were afterwards found, and then, " with the strength of seven men," took up the hearthstone in the other room, hastily excavated the loose earth beneath, and completed the work of sepulture before the advent of the first grey shaft of dawn. For the half of that day, he says, he wandered about the empty house like a maniac, and drank brandy until at length he sucoumbed to nervous exhaustion, and fell into a trance like sleep, which lasted until two o'clock on the following morning, when he awoke, and was horrified to find that he was alone in the house with the corpse, and that he had not the means of producing a light. He dressed as well as he could in the dark, and [ rushed out of the villa into the street, which be paced feverishly until day broke. The only occasions on which he visited the house after this were when he went there to pack up the luggage, and when, in the company of the laborer, he proceeded to remove it to the auction room in the spring cart.