The Windsor-Ramhill Tragedies

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 126, 21 April 1892, Page 2

The Windsor-Ramhill Tragedies

MORE OF DEE MING'S ANTECEDENTS. THREE MURDERS IN ONE NIGHT. According to the Melbourne Leader Superintendent Kennedy, of the Criminal Investigation Department, has now in his possession information of such an astound!U£, but at the same time authentic, character as to confirm beyond al possible doubt the belief which has been very general throughout these colonies that in Deeming or Williams the police have secured one of the most systematic audacious assassins that the world has seen. Williams made his first appearance in South Africa in the year 1876, passing popularly under the alias of Albert Williams. His career, however, was almost brought to a sudden termination when he found himself charged before the Supreme Court with a mail coach robbery which he is believed to have consummated with the assistance of a confederate named Cook, who also accompanied him to the dock. There was a lack of direct evidence of an incriminating character, however, and after a trial which lasted some time, and created a great sensation during the course of its proceedings, Williams and Cook were liberated. Throughout the whole country side he was suspected by the police authorities of being a diamond thief and when a specific case was got up, Williams adopted a discreet course, and disappeared. Several years passed until at length in 18SS there came the great boom which called the town of Johannesberg into existence on the face of a parched plain, which for centuries had concealed beneath its forbidding surface rich and extensive veins of gold. Among the hundreds of miners and others who found their way to the spot, was Williams, this time passing under the name by which he had been discreditably known in Sydney, Deeming, his own name, as it is now believed. Williams had not been long in Johannesberg before he rented a pretentious office in Green's Chambers whence he announced himself by advertisement in the newspaper as a mining expert and engineer. Williams had not been in Johannesberg very long when the little community was shocked by the discovery, in an out of the way thoroughfare, one night in September, cf the dead bodies of a white man named Graham, a Kaffir, and a Hottentot boy. In each case the scull presented the appearance of haying been battered in with some blunt instrument, and the throat was severed almost from ear to ear. The whole town was in a state of uproar. The excitement augmented from day to day, and the murderer, if he could have been found, would have undoubtedly been lynched. At the magisterial enquiry which followed two Hottentot boys tendered evidence of a very important character, as it contained clues by which it was possible to identify the criminal. These boys happened to be standing under a verandah on the night in question, when they saw a man, wearing a long, dark overcoat and a silk cap, approach the unfortunate Graham. There was some little conversation, and then the first-named individual raised a knobkerry which he carried, struck Graham a violent blow on the head, aud then, drawing a knife from one of his pockets, cut bis throat. Turning round after he had finished his ghastly, work he found that a Kaffir and a Hottentot boy had been silent witnesses of the occurrence, and, rushing madly towards them, he dealt them terrible blows with the 'kerry, subsequently cutting their throats as he had done that of the man Graham. The two boys under the verandah, paralysed by fear, macte no sign, but saw sufficient of the assassin to enable them to furnish a more or less satifactory description of him at the enquiry. The only verdict under the circumstances was that at which the jury arrived, viz., one of wilful murder, but it was no easy matter to give effect to it, find the perpetrator of the crimes, and bring him to justice. The Transvaal Government stimulated the police, and oflered a reward for his apprehension, and a number of the principal inhabitants of Johannesberg formed themselves into a vigilance committee, and subscribed a sum of L6OO for the purpose of the search. Detective Brant was entrusted with the task of identifying the man wanted by the newly constituted vigilance COinmitteei The result of his enquiries was to con. vince him that Frederick Deeming wag the assassin, but when he had sufficient information before him to warrant this assumption it was found that Deeming's office was closed, and that he himself had levanted the day after the crime, an occurrence which was not noted as signifi - cant at the time, owing to the influx and eflux of people continually going on. It was proved beyond doubt that Deeming wore the silk cap and overcoat which had been noted by the boys, at the Trocadero Music Hall, which he had visited on the night of the murder, and that he also was the last person seen in Graham's company. Particulars of a quarrel which had taken place between Deeming and Graham some time previously also reached the detectives. Deeming had, on that occasion, threatened Graham's life. On the night of the murder, it was further ascertained Deeming had visited one of the women's tents, wearing the silk cap to which allusion has been made. Some person in the tent exclaimed, "Why, that is blood that you have on your cap," and Deeming immediately took it from his head, and in a paroxysm of pascion threw it upon the ground aud stamped upon it. Deeming had also been in the habit of carrying just such a knobkerry as the boys saw used, and as the medical evidence showed had been employed. The case was one which rested chiefly, of course, on circumstantial evidence, but it was strong enough to have hnng the man if he could have been found. Detective Brant identifies the police photograph of Deeming as that of the man wanted for the Johannesburg murders. At Johannesburg from the early part of March to the commencement of September, ISBB, Williams was connected with othet\s, and among them one Carl Ausyitz, in a banking swindle of £1(52,000 on the Natal Bank at Johannesberg. He was also connected with a swindle known as the Great Krujjer (iold Mining Company at Johannesberg, which was floated in London for £110,000. Detective Brant says ho recognised the photograph of Frederick Bay ley Deeming as that of the Deeming he knew. The swindle on the bank was a large one, aud so successful that when the principals considered it wise to clear out of the country they gave a splendid banquet to the members of tho Theatre Royal Company and a few private friends. Later on, Deeming was reported to be dead and buried at Durban, but while his dupes were regretting him it was learned that he had acquired the dead body of a miner who had died in the midst of strangers and had buried this body with due ceremony as his own, not even omitting to have the grave surmounted with a stono which set forth the name, age, and virtues of Frederick Deeming, mining export and engineer.