THE RAINHILL AND WINDSOR MURDERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2335, 26 March 1892, Page 3

THE RAINHILL AND WINDSOR MURDERS.

London, March 22. Cook and Sons state that a man giving the name of A. E. Williams paid a deposit on October 27th last to secure two second cabin passages from Southhampton to Melbourne in the steamer Kaiser Wilhelm. The balance of the money was paid next day in the name of A. E. Williams. Deeming, with another taller man, stayed at Chester in October 188!), where he bought a gun and ordered it, along with cartridges, to be sent to H. Lawson, in care of Matheson, in Beverly. A receipt for the articles was sent on November 17th, signed by G. F. Gray, for F. Lawson, and written oil paper bearing the printed heading " Mount Houee Farm, Rockhampton." Deeming's accomplice at the Cape circulated a report that Deeming died at Durban. Many swindles were perpetrated at Port Elizabeth in 1886, and it has now been ascertained that they were €he work of Deeming and his accomplice. The police have traced all the women who were known to have visited Deeming. He purchased a considerable quantity of scent shortly before the murder of his wife and four children., A neighbour who casually called in at Denham Villa found Deeming on his knees cemeting the floor, and quietly smooking a cigar, with a glass of port wine beside him. A spade bearing marks of having been used in cement work, and with blood stains on it. has been found among Deeming's effects at Rainhill. The soil taken from the grave had been used to raise the pantry floor level with the passage in the house, after which the boards were nailed down. Mr Hewitt, a jeweller carrying on business in St. Helens, a town 12 miles north of Liverpool, states that towards the end of July, or beginning of August, he made Deeming a gold scarf ring. The stones, which were supplied by Deeming himself, consisted of sapphires in the centre with two large diamonds on either side side, surrounded by a scroll of diamonds. Mr Hewitt, suspecting that the stones were the proceeds of a robbery, informed the police. A lady, closely veiled, was with Deeming when ordering the ring. A pawnbroker of Prescott street, Liverpool, possesses two rings pledged at the end of August or beginning of September last by a man giving the name of John Taylor, but who is believed to be Deeming. One is a striking mourning ring wiin a diamond in the centre of a square of black enamel. The other _ is a diamond and pearl ring. Both are said to tally with the description in the hands of the Melbourne police. March 22. The Liverpool Courier asserts that the details published regarding Deeming do not disclose his location at the time " Jack the Ripper', outrages were being perpetrated. Deeming has been proved to have a continuous record of crime in England, Canada, and Antwerp. The press contain columns about him every day. March 23. On the morning after the murder Deeming went in his nightdress and put his arm through the door to take in the milk. Antwerp papers allege that Deeming moved in good circles during his visit there, and that he was known as Lord Dunn. He levisitecl Antwerp, despite the many swindles he had perpetrated. Deeming claimed to be a Freemason, and showed the necessary signs, but it is believed that he obtained this knowledge without membership. To-day the police dug to a considerable depth in the lobby, pantry, coachhouse, and stable of Deeming's residence in Rainhill, but nothing further was discovered. Deeming's charge of his wife's (Miss Mather's) infidelity in Melbourne has aroused indignation in Rainhill, where she was always known as a modest woman. Amongst other roles which Deeming played he claimed at Birkenhead to be a doctor practising in Manchester. He gave five sovereigns to a man who watched him cementing the grave of his wife and children. The barman identified the photograph of Mrs Deeming as that of the woman who used to visit him. Deeming was in the habit of carrying a number of precious stones in his pockets carelesslyscrewed up in paper. He consulted a Rainhill doctor on the Wednesday of the week in which the murders were committed. He appeared anxious that he should not visit the villa. The doctor told him that he was only pretending illness. Melbourne, March 23.

The inquest on the body of Mrs Williams, found under the floor of the cottage in "Windsor, has been adjourned for a fortnight. Pbeth, March 24. Shortly after bis arrival at the Southern Cross Swanston entered into negotiations for the erection of a dwelling house for Miss Kounsville, his bride-elect, and among the directions he gave was that the floors of some of the rooms should be cemented. Accused was remanded to Melbourne. His counsel opposed his remand, and it is believed he will apply for a writ of habeas corpus. 1 March 23. Barron Swanston was remanded until Friday. The prisoner has now been conclusively identified as Deeming. He appears to bte breaking down. A striking deficiency occurred in the returns from the gold mine at Southern Cross during Swanston's engagement. When arrested Swanston had just received a newspaper containing the announcement of the discovery of the woman's j body under the floor of the cottage he occupied at Windsor. Duitedin, March 2-i. The evidence that Williams, the alleged Windsor murderer, is identical with a man known in various parts of the colony, appears to accumulate. Portraits of Williams published in the Australian papers are very like the man who was here, the essential differance being that the New Zealand Williams was dark while the supposed murderer is fair. It is stated, however, that the man when here was known to dye hjs hair. The police, it appears," have been on the wong scent altogether, the Williams' they have been making inquiries about being quite a differenj; man.

The last letter received by Miss Rounsville from Swanston was a remarkable one, and for several reasons rriay be aptly quoted. It is dated the gth of February, 1892, and in the lefthand top corner, imprinted by a rubber stamp, are fcho words, * From B. Swanston, M.M.S., Squtjfpru Cross, Yilgarn Goldfieids, W. Australia." It urges "My dear Kitty" to' Jp©,« »Q si"}e in leaving Bathurst to voyage to West Australia f and says : " Don't keep ine waiting, dear. If you love me half as ranch * ls 1 love you, you would not keep me waiting a day. A we are to be man and wife, dear, why not let it be done at once '( I have written to your brother at Broken Hill informing

'him of our approaching marriage, and 1 have got everything in readiness here, so do come quickly, dear. The appointment I have got gives me £6 a week for the first six months, and thereafter £8 10s a week; and in addition I have a house rent free, and should be able to earn £3 a week extra. I do not intend to stay here all my life. I shall make enough money in two years so that we may take a trip to England, so you may look forward to that treat. "Write as soon as you get this, or wire if you can come at once. lam longing to hear from you. Send me your photo. I feel very lonely here, and that would be company for me. Do try and come over quick, dear, and ycu might send me any Sydney and Melbourne papers you can get." Following these lines is detailed information of the cost, &c, of the journey, and the letter winds up—" Your own loving Barron. God bless you. B. S." While in Perth Williams frequently related surprising stories of hunting adventures in which he alleged he had taken part in the Transvaal. On one occasion he ripped up a Zulu with a jackknife, and at another time he shot 13 lions in one day in Zululand. He had several letters of introduction to business men in Perth and Freemantle, one being from an influential financial and land firm in Melbourne. He used to talk in a large way of his business intentions, and carried business cards with the words engraved on them, "Baron Swanston, engineer." When arrested at Southern Cross he made no statement and offered no resistance. ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL. Auckland, March 25. Arrived—Mariposa from San Francisco at !).30 a.m. Her passage occupied 19 days 10 hours. She had variable weather. Passengers for New Zealand —Mr P. McH'ardy, Mrs L. Murphy; 38 saloon for Sydney, and SI in the steerage. GENERAL SUMMARY. (Dates to March 3.) John Goodall, evangelist, has been identified by Mrs Liddals as her assailant in a railway carraige. Revell, a crazy shoemaker living at Broadworth, killed his four children by cutting their throats. He then unsuccessfully attempted suicide. The reports of a serious outbreak of pleuro-pneumonia in the Blanoa River iDistrict, Canada, created a great Bensation n the agricultural world. The outbreak greatly affects the Scotch farmers, who largely import Canadian cattle. The body of the Duke of Clarence will remain permanently in the Albert memorial chapel. In a panic at a magic lantern entertainment at King's Cross, London, a number of children were trampled on. Several will die. The dairy where foot and mouth disease broke out in South London is quarantined and the animals killed. The British Museum discovered that two alleged Etruscan antiquities recently purchased at an enormous figure are merely Italian "fakes," and worthless. M. De Leaseps, though in comparatively good health, is so enfeebled in mind that he scarcely recognises his oldest friend, and is incapable of sustaining a conversation. The rise in the prices of beef caused by the new tariff has led to a large demand for horseflesh in Paris, and, according to the report of the police, the horses and mules slaughtered represent one third of the quantity consumed. On February 26, a band of masked men went to the house of a named Mary Lepers at the village of Minin, Austria, forced the way into her bedroom, bound her with cords, and poured petroleum over her. applied a match and then calmly watched the horrible scene. The woman's shrieks and groans were blood-curdling. The motive of the act is assigned that the woman was suspected of murdering her husband, It is proposed to hold a grand Roman Catholic conference in the Unsted States contemporarily with the Columbian exposition at Chicago. gf Ravishing negroes are being hunted with bloodhounds in Missouri. Outrages by coloured men on white women are becoming frequent in the sout-west States.