THE RAINHILL AND WINDSOR MURDERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2347, 23 April 1892, Page 4

THE RAINHILL AND WINDSOR MURDERS.

Melbourne, April 20, Mr Lyle has written to u firm of London solicitors asking them to enquire into De9ming's early life and also to ascertain whetherthere is any truth in the statement that he was confined in a lunatic asylum in 1871. Deeming only wrote once to iVlis Mather at Bainhill after he left London, ami the following is the text of this communication, written in a heavy, uncultured hand : " Melbourne, December 29, '1)1. " Dear Mother. — "At last, as my dear Emily says, 1 take in my head to write you. We art still in Melbourne, but since Emily wrote yon there is great changes. When she wrote 1 «'us about to take the manage merit of a mill in Queensland, but I h«.vc now settled on the management of a to;exporting comp;.ny in China at a sali-i of £BSO a year. 1 have signed on f ■: three years, at the end of which time it i. our intention to return to England. Wu leave here on the 4th of January "J2 with steamer Catterthun, Captain J. J. B. Darke. We will write to you from ea«h port we pass. I am pleased itell you that we have had a very Christinas indued. Emily I-, one ..f th happiest little tfirls I I'av.- «ver seen. God bless her. HUo dose ..j),. KI - h, ; . self. I houe, mother, thai you arc keeping wlUuui Out you m-.vo got over you little shop trouble. I ta nothing more to tell y»u at present, so J must dear "ski and to ait at home fro- /our loving children, " Emily and Albert. «p.S.—WolMve not got your letter „,.;. ~' ~' ■■ f •.■■ wr- "]> ;.ll -i.'L ■r.ei it now.—

The Melbourne Age reports:—When Miss Tiounsvell entered the Court the prisoner threw aside the mask of indifference that he had been wearing for the last two days with varying - success, and leant forward over the solicitor's table, all attention, Earlier in the day he had sent a beseeching message to the girl, asking her to see him, if only for a minute, and when Hirschf eldt, the person with whom she is staying, brought her answer, Williams was thrown into one of his passionate gusts of temper, and he clenched his fists, his face crimsoned with fury, and it seemed as if there was going to be a violent outbreak on the part of the prisoner. It passed away; but it was expected that the sight of the young woman m the box might arouse him to another display of temper. It was not so ; he leaned forward with his eyes blazing on the face of the witness, and his mouth working nervously; but he did not attempt to say or do anything. The girl gave her evidence concisely and clearly, and her manner was as collected and calm as if she had been pouring out afternoon tea. Williams all the while was attentive and eager, and only once did his features relax, when a particularly endearing epistle was read out. 'Fox once during the trial he seemed to have laughed naturally and without restraint. He soon fell back into his old attitude, however, and until the girl had left the box his eyes had never left her face. •She, on her part, did not look in his direction once, and walked away without any of the signs of perturbation that might have been supposed to be the prerogative of •■blushingnineteen" suddenly exposed to the gaze of hundreds of eyes. In the. horror and detestation of the murderer regret and pity for the victim have almost been lost sigut of, but with the appearance of Detective .Cawsey in the box ■;,he fate of the poor girl who fella victim to t.io monster in Andrew street, claimed pathetic attention to the exclusion of all other things. ■ Among the luggage seized at Southern Cross were found dozens of little trinkets that had been worn and treasured hv the murdered woman—little wedding ;:li'ts, mementoes from girl friends, a hundred and one little nicnaeks that a woman is seldom without. As these were held up to sight by * he detective in the box an involuntary shudder went round among the spectators, and even the prisoner grew dispirited and downcast. The cynical smile had disappeared altogether, and an anxious nervous twitch of the mouth had t >.keu its place. Then a few birthday cards with " love to dear Emily," were produced, ■.nd letters from the murderer couched in terms of the fondest endearment. The idlow for the first time assumed an ashen crey tinge as these damning proofs of his Connection with the murdered woman were produced. Then a photograph of the woman was produced, also one of the house ,vt Hainhill, with '• F. B. Deeming "written :, cross it, and when the detective Identified the writing as that of the prisoner the man grew lived for a moment '.vita emotion, and his lace worked strangely. But he recovered himself sornewhat°u few moments afterwards, and he was perfectly stolid and unmoved when v-iQ marriage certificate of "Albert Oliver Williams" with Emily Mather was pro."need A card showing that he had once ■ -lon'-'ed to the Ilainhill Band of Hope o ne more tickled his sensitive risibility, aid he had quite recovered his composure of the previous day when the evidence of the detective was finished and he was led <;,way. The jury retired shortly after 1.30, and the silence that had prevailed in Court whilst the Coroner had delivered his address was broken by the confused hum o: voices. It was perfectly understood what the verdict would be, but still, on the verge of dread fulmination people asked each other " how he would take it." With the retirement of the jury an uncontrollable access of high spirits seemed to have come to the prisoner. Compared to this last mood the spectators were to see him in, he had been dull and downcast before. He was simply carried away by the inspiriting (to him) spectacle, flfid it is safe to say no criminal ever waited for a verdict in the frame of mind assumed _ by the Windsor murderer. It was impossible to suppress him. He cracked jokes with the policemen, till those not easily moved persons sickened with his hideous levity ; he «-ave vent to murderous hon mots: he addressed anyone and everyone within reach of his voice, while his comments on the people in Court were "painful and frequent and free." Some women—who should not have been allowed mside the Court—in the gallery attracted his attention, and he looked up at £hem with horrible leers, and with his face wreathed in a repulsive smile. This incident was the very worst and most disgusting furnished by the trial of the wretch, and it i* a matter for the very deepest humiliation to think that members of the public should have contributed towards the discreditable spectacle Two or three of the vulgar, ioudly.a*ejssed females before alluded to actually encouraged the miserable little ruffian, and smiled and giggled m response 'to his awful blandishments. Emboldened by his success, he was beginning lo make -rt-4ures and signs, which seemed to amuse thC V ' X.-ine why hud been engaged elsewhere, P ut a stop to tha discreditable incident by Listing upon the women keeping order on ]y just in time to prevent it becoming scandalous. The prisoner was not awnit abashed, however, and rewarued the oincei with a scowl for Ms interference.