SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THE SECOND TIME.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1216, 19 June 1885, Page 3

SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THE SECOND TIME.

An inexpressibly sad scene was witnessed at the Central Criminal Court, Darlingburst, recently. In the dock there stood a prisoner over whom but twenty-three years had passed, of slight build, with intelligent countenance, marred with the traces of early and acute suffering. From a pain attenuated face gleamed eyes large and restless. The mouth and chin were feminine in their outline and power, and the face in tellectual but weak. He nervously clutebed the bars of the cage, or paced with measured tread up ami down the confined area, or thrilled the listeners with some passionate appeal. Whether acted or real the se ne was vivid and touching, The prisoner was Thomas Williams alias Prank Jones, on trial fur the attempted murder of a fellow prisoner. But what was peculiarly inter esting, morbidly so perhaps, was tne knowledge that Williams was one o f the two reprieved men of the noted Wamobadgei-y bushrangers—reprieve l from death, but condemned to spend the term of hi" natural life in confinement The events will ‘e fresh in the minds of everybody. In 1879 Captain Moonlight, a clever scoundrel, after undergoing three years in Pe .tridgu G-iol, travelled the country as a lecturer, giving exaggerated accounts of his prison life. Williams, the son of excellent parents in Bdlarit, fell under his spell, and from a Sunday schoolteacher became a bushranger, He was then seventeen There were six

of them, Captain Moonlight the lei dr. Crossing over into New South Wales they commenced their lawless career, but justice

soon overtook them, and at Wantabadgery, in the latter part of 1879, a haud-to-haud

tight took place bttweeu the hustiraugors sod the New South Wales police, Two of the bushrangers were shot (Rat, the nt iers taken prisoners ; but not without thesaurifice of the life of Constable Brown a brave and respected member of the police force, They were brought to Sydney, and, after an exciting trial, found guilty and sentenced to death, Moonlight and one of his com a es being buna, Williams and another, on ao count of their youth, being sub equent.y teprieved to imprisonment for life. This was in December, 1879. Five yews an I two months passed away, and Wi liams, after enduring part of his time in irons was removed to tne Parramatta Gaol on March 27, 1884 His conduct was examphuy—quiet, studious, and willing, the waiders state. I theaftei noon of ternary 19 last one of the table knives was missed, and strict search was everywhere male for it, but wi hout success. About four o’clock two prisoners named Watkins and Roberts were talking together when Williams came up to Roberts and said “ What was Watkins telling you about me?" “ Nothing,” replied the unsuspecting man. *• You lie,” hissed Williams, revealing a large table knife sharpened to a point, and plunging it to the handle in the other’s breast. Drawing out the streaming blade he made another lunge at his victim, hut missed his aim. and then the cries if tbe several prisoners caused the frantic man to iuu for shelter. He struck at prisoners and warders here and there, but they e-caped some as if by a miraoe After an exciting chase the knife was knocked from the mau’s baud, and he was overpowered and secured. Roberts hovered for several days between life and death, hat a further lease of life was given him, and he recovered, When charged at the Darlinghurat coorthouse on Wednesday with the crime of wounding with intent to murder, Williams set up the plea of temporary insanity. He tefuaed counsel, conducting the case for himself, judge Windeyer tried Williams in 1879, and passed sentence of death, Judge Wiu 'eyer tried the same man yesterday, and pronounced the death sentence a second time. The prisoner's def nee was an extraordinary one. He had he said, he come attached to a lady visitor at the Parramatta Gaol The discovery of her deception caused an aberration of intelbct, and he resolved to put an abrupt end to his life. He coucealed the knife, sharpened it, and

went into the yard with the object of carrying out the suicidal intention Passing Roberts and Watkins talking together, he overheard, as he stated, “a par >enable remark from Roberts with reference to his love." In his mad state be turned and plunged the knife intended for himself into Roberts’ breast. To support tins defence a whole host of fellow-confinees v«re brought to hear wit iess to his peculiar and excitable conduct in gaol. To counteract this evidence, Drs Brown and O'Connor (visi ieg surgeons to Parramatta and Oarlinghursi. gaols) and several warders were called, and witnessed to prisoner’s periect sanity. Williams occupied forty minutes iu his address to the jury, marching up and down the bax as he did so with an action very similar to that of his former head Captain Mo.mlig t The language used abounded in high flown phrases. Alluding to the treachery of the lady referred to pi isoner said : '‘Gentlemen, when I love, my passionate nature compels me to do so in such a degree that, if it is not reciprocated, earth audits enjoyments no longer present attractions to my spirit. The only desire of my heart is to sink to rest in death’s oblivion.” “ I was led astray,” he said, when referring to his earlier career, ‘■by the oily tongue of a scoundrel who meretriciously pourtrayed the romantic life we were to lead. I was deceived ; 1 have suffered, and am now suffering, a bitter punishment.” Throughout the address, which bore indications of careful prepara tion, language similar to this was used. The jury retired to consider their verdict at tweuty-five minutes past one o’clock, and returned at about twenty minutes to four to ask a question, retiring again, and coming back at four o’clock with a verdict, of “ Guilty” and a recommendation to mercy. In passing sentence His Honor referred to the fact of prisoner being before him on tbe previous occasion, and stated that he had no hand in the commutation of the sentence then passed. He considered the verdict agreeable to the evi lence, the defence set up being devoid of foundation in fact. He ennld not hold out any hope of a second commutation. Sentence of death was then , solemnly passed. Prisoner, before being removed, expressed in strong terms his disgust at what he termed an unfair trial.— Sydney Telegraph.