Nine-day Wonders

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 42, 13 January 1894, Page 7

Nine-day Wonders

FaliL eights reserved-] WAS IT A CHIME ? A Horrible Crime.— The trial of Frederick Norris has resulted in a verdict ot i-TUilty and sentence of death, hut in deference to the wishes of the jury, who believed he had suffered a. great wrong at the hands ot the murdered man, Norris’ punishment has been reduced to penal servitude for life It will be recollected that his victim, John Fordycc, fell from the top of a ladder -which had been purposely weakened to bring about the disaster. The evidence clearly showed the motive of the crime to have been jealousy, and it is reported that the wife of the culprit is now lying in one of the hospitals dangerously ill with brain fever bvougbt about by her husband’s conduct. Norris is to be sent to Western Australia. by the next convict ship proceeding to that settlement. « # # I am only a poor old woman, with scarcely sufficient strength to earn the little I require 4o keep body and soul together, yet I have often thought when reading about those of :my sex whose daring deeds have gained the ■world’s attention, that unknown and uninteresting as I am to my neighbours, the hidden record of mV life would prove equally useiul and equally exciting. I have thought this so -often, that I am impelled at last to make my story known, trusting, as I earnestly, solemnly trust, that its recital will be the means of preventing another from experiencing such remorseful, biting misery as that which I diave experienced, and will continue to experience, until welcome death puts an end to my weary existence. In telling my story, there is no need for me to elaborate —a plain, unvarnished statement of facts will be more likely to succeed in effecting my object. I have brooded long enough over the details, goodness knows, to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, and as one result of that brooding, I shall say nothing about my parents, except that grief on my account hastened their deaths, which took place many, many years back ; nor need I say anything more about what part of the world I came from than that it is somewhere in the West of England. I have been for more than thirty years in this colony and Australia, and all recollection of me has probably died out of the minds of those who knew me when a girl. They, too, may be dead for all I know', hut if they are still alive I have certainly no wish to revive their memories. When they last saw me I was said to possess remarkable beauty, but it would be a clever physiogneanist who could see any traces of that posses, sion in my present appearance. I had at least a score of admirers before I was married, any of whom would have taken me for better or for worse, but I loved one, and one only, and that one was the man who became my husband. It would have been better for him if I had never crossed his path—better ior me if I had loved him less dearly. We had been engaged for a little more than a year, and were looking forward joyously to a time then near at hand, when an incident occurred, simple and commonplace enough iu itself, but which led to consequences of such a tragic character, that even now as I think of them, my heart beats, and my hand sshakes, in a way that makes the control of the pen a task of the greatest difficulty. One summer’s afternoon 1 had walked to the seashore, had perched myself on a rock, and become so engrossed in the pages of a book, that I remained unconscious of the i-ising water, till its glassy surface surrounded my resting place, and promised a total wreck to the finery I was wearing. There was not the slightest danger of my being injured in any jothcr way ; yet when John Fordycc waded out to me and carried mo safely ashore, I was girlishly hysterical enough to look upon his action as heroic, and to show plainly the high ■value set upon bis services. That was the incident, Now for the consequences. Fordyec was a Londoner, on a visit to some friends of my father’s, and he quickly availed himself of our romantic acquaintance to become a frequent visitor at our house. Jealousy on the part of Fred Norris, the man I loved, followed, and repeated bickerings led at last to his remaining away from mo, until, as ho sarcastically said, “ the preserver of my life” completed liis holidaj’s and returned to town. This conduct only made me feel more stupidly determined to bo “ grateful,” as 1 vailed it, and Eordyce, mistaking my feeling for that of preferring him to the one I was engaged to, asked me to be his wife. What devil prompted me to play with his passion I do not know, but i thought it would somehow bo a fitting way to punish Fred for his neglect, and I answered to is second offer of marriage by shuffling. I can see now the curious look of amused contempt that came over my rescuer’s dark daring, face as lie watched my weak attenqits to conceal from him the true state of my affections. 1 can feel once more

the curious thrill of anxiety that came over me when he said my reply would be more definite and satisfactory the next time he put the question. I did not know then that where their animal instincts arc concerned, handsome men are cunning and cruel, however respected they may be for other qualities of mind and heart. I know it now; and hare seen it exemplified often enough since Fordycc worked out his scheme of cunning and cruelty to punish me for my treachery. Not that he thought of anything but his own wounded vanity. I cannot speak of his method of punishment; I can only denounce his conduct towards one entrusted to Ids safe-keeping as that of a brutal blackguard. Like the coward he was, ho ran away when lie had succeeded in his villany, but it was believed that he had disappeared because of my refusal to accept his attentions as a lover. At the same time it was remarked that I was beginning to look troubled and careworn, and this was attributed to my grieving over Fred’s desertion. No matter what they thought, I had grave cause to be troubled ; and when Fred generously returned to his love-making, it required much consideration on my part before I could be induced to fall in with his suggestion that we should bo married at once, and so put an end to unhappiness caused by unwelcome admirers. Honour counselled “No;” love passionately demanded “ Yes and love conquered. Four or live years after my marriage my husband got an offer of employment with a large firm of house-decorators in London, and as it was one which was looked upon by everybody as unusually promising, the offer was accepted, and wc removed our belonging? to (he great city. There were no children to hamper our movements, and I thank God that when I am dead there will be none to feel ashamed that I ever lived. That is the one consolation of my otherwise miserable existence, and the true value of such a statement can only he appreciated by those of my readers who are women. They, at all events, will perhaps feel some little feeling of pity for me. Pity! Why, have I expressed a wish for it ? I deserve no pity, and should expect none. But I am wandering from my story. The first few weeks of my life in London were the happiest, I think, of my married state. Not that my husband was ever in any way unkind to me —far from it; but the hustle of the busy streets, the strange feeling of loneliness which everyone experiences on their first acquaintance with the English Capital, all seemed to exactly suit such a ease as mine, a woman with a guilty conscience, the secret of which must ever remain one—to be guarded most of all from the one friend nearest and dearest to her. Realise, then, if you can realise such a blow to anyone but yourself, what my trouble must have been when I ran across the man Fordycc about six xyecks after our arrival. Think how that trouble was intensified into horrible anxiety, when I learned from my husband that Fordycc was actually about to become a servant of the firm which gave him his employment. Think of my unutterable despair when the black, hearted scoundrel insinuated himself into my husband’s favour, and threatened me with exposure if I did not consent to his vile proposals ; and then ask yourself if I was not justified in killing that man. 1 did Jcillhim; and this is how I did it ; I had gone to my husband’s office one evening to walk homo with him (a tiling I had often done before then), but on this occasion he was compelled to wait the arrival of one of the partners —to receive instructions about some special work that required attending to —and to while away the time he took me over the workshops, and exp lained the character of the work performed by flic workpeople. Ho showed me amongst other things, the ladders used when painting buildings of great height, and to make the subject more interesting to me, pointed out tire dangerous nature of the operations the men were sometimes called upon to carry out. lie particularly called my attention to one of the ladders as being of unusual length, and remarked that Fordycc was the only man who would venture at any time to work from the extreme end of it. I listened with pent-up resentment to his generous eulogies of that man’s courage, and prompted by my longing to be released for ever from fear of exposure, I put question after quesq tion to elicit information that would help me in my task. For I began to see, as I thought then, howl could rid myself of my burthen of care. I learned that the very work which had brought about the conversation would necessitate the use of that long ladder ; that Fordyce wou'd be the man selected for the job ; and that the work would have to be done early the next morning. The partner for whom my husband had been waiting returnel to the yard, and, asking me to wait where I was, the two men went to the office,

■which was some distance off, to refer to an order book and to consult together about probable cost. Here was an opportunity! I made sure that I could not bo seen ; the office was out of sight; and no one was about to watch my proceedings. Should I gain my freedom ? Yes, I determined to do so, and everything being handy, it took but a few minutes to complete the details of my plan. With a power of reasoning that came to me as if by inspiration I counted the number of rungs it would take to make up the height of my victim. One of them I, knew would have to bear his weight when his feet were resting upon it— another would have to hear that weight if the first gam wag, and he had to trust to his hands to save him, • I decided which of the bars before me should fail in their duty, and witli a small fine pointed saw which I found on a carpenter’s bench close by, I weakened their carrying power to an extent calculated to effect my purpose, covering the traces of my handiwork with tno dust of the ground upon which I stood. I had plenty of time, even if I had wanted it, to compose myself after my exertions, but I was quite cool and collected, and I have often thought since then that some unseen agency guided and sustained me in my effort. I remember well the pleasant tones of my husband’s voice as he remarked how exceptionally bright I was looking when we were walking homewards, and I was conscious of a peculiarity in the pride I felt at being able to hide from him the terrible deed I had committed. But when I heard next day the account of the accident, and read hoAV my victim had fallen, just as I imagined him falling, I experienced a peculiar sensation of something hot striking me on the top of my head, and I knew no more for several weeks. When I regained consciousness I foxmd myself in a hospital ward, and wan told to keep perfectly quiet, and to ask no questions' until the doctors permitted mo to do so. As day succeeded day without the permission being given, and as my husband failed to come near me in my sickness, I became alarmed at his absence, and questioned the nurses repeatedly for an explanation of his neglect. For a long time everyone remained deaf to my entreaties, but at last, pitying my anxiety, one of the doctors thought I was strong enough to bear news of (he outside world, and then the newspaper paragraph which heads my story was shown to me. I was told how my acquaintance with Fordyce, and Fred’s jealousy of his attentions before our marriage, had led up to my husband’s arrest and once more my mind gave way under the strain put upon it. Once more I awoke to a knowledge of the frightful results of my crime, and then I told the nurses and doctors that I alone was guilty of the crime for which my husband had been condemned. They only smiled pityingly, and told me not to think aboixt it. I told them the story ns I have now told it to you, but they still advised me not to think about it. Good God ! Not think about it, and he, my innocent darling, about to embark for Australia as a convict! But there—they meant well: and after all what could they say ? It was the jumbled-up story I had told in my delirium that first aroused suspicion, and caused my husband’s arrest, and a jumble of facts, and consistent theories that seemed to be facts, did the rest. What more reasonable for those who believed him guilty to imagine, than that the fever I had suffered from had warped my memory —that as a result of my worries I had become on this subject perman. cntly insane,? When at last I was freed from restraint and allowed to go where I pleased I went straight to Scotland Yard and reiterated the truth. But the officials there had heard aU I had to tell from the hospital authorities, and again I was requested with pitying kindness to try and forget my trouble. What more could I do? Nothing; except to follow my husband as soon as possible, and try by my presence and love to atone as far as it was possible for me to atone for the wrong I had done. I did follow him ; and I found him—dead ! Bee.