The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-03
DEFINING IS GUILTY.
he Makes a Long, Rambling
Speech to the Jury.
SAYS HIS MIND IS DISEASED.
Thanks tho Judge for the Death Sem
tence-The Verdict Satisfactory to
the Populace.

MELBOURNE. May 2-The trial of Fred
erick Payley Deeming for the murder of
bis wife was resumed this morning. The
first witness was DR.. Spring Thorp. who
related Deeming's explanation of how his
wife disappeared. Deeming said that
while he and his first wife were living at
Rainhill, near Liverpool, a man named
Ben Young told him that his (Deeming's)
wife would leave him for ESQ He paid
the money and his wife left him. He sup
posed Young killed her while he Deem
ing) was coming to Melbourne with his
second wife, formerly Miss Mather, for
whose murder he is now on trial. His
second wife, Deeming said, confessed that
she was already married, and left him in
Melbourne because she was afraid he had
been implicated in the murder of his first
wife. The fact is, the Rainhill murder
was known to no one saving Deeming
until after he had killed his second wife.
It was the discovery of the latter crime
that led the police here to notify the Liv-
erpool police of their suspicion that Deem
ing had murdered his wife and children at
Rainhill, therefore it will be seen that his
statement relative to his second wife leav-
ing him for being implicated in the Rain
hill murder is without truth. The crown
counsel contended that there was not a
particle of evidence of the insanity of the
prisoner. At this point Deeming inter-
rupted the crown counsel. 1t was not the
law, he said, but the press that was trying
him. II he could bring himself to believe
he committed murder he would plead
guilty rather than submit to the gaze of
the people in court, the ugliest faces ever
seen. The witnesses against him had de-
hberately lied. Whatever he could say
would be disbelieved. His witnesses had
been kept out of the way. and people had
sworn to seeing him whom he had never
seen in his life. No time was allowed him
to communicate with witnesses in Eng
land and India. 1t was not pleasant to
confess to disease, mental or otherwise,
but he determined to do so, in justice to
himself and the community. For weeks
together he had suffered lapses of memory.
In his own mind he knew he was
not guilty. As long as Emily Mathers
had been his wife he had dealt
with her as gently and affectionately as it
was possible for any man to do. Deem
ings counsel appealed to the jury to give
the prisoner the benefit of any doubt as to
his sanity.
The prisoner continued:
Remember no incident which would lead to
this awful crime with which I am charged
The statement that body found in this city
Is that of Emile Msthers is lie. My one COM
fort is the knowledge that she is alive The
newspapers have ruined my life forever. II
were freed tonight would drown myself do
not fear death. do not expect justice from
either judge, jury or the public.
Deeming infinitely criticised the evil
dence, and declared that verdict of guilty
would be the greatest relief to him. He
said aliases were a fad with him.
The courtroom was packed with people
who wished to hear the jury announce its
decision. No one thought it would take
them long to decide. Outside of the court
house large crowd assembled, clamor-
ously impatient for the verdict, and it
finally became so demonstrative that the
police were forced to clear the streets.
The jury rendered verdict of guilty, and
added that the prisoner was not insane.
The announcement of the verdict was
greeted with expressions of general salts
faction.
After the verdict was announced Deem
ing asked the judge to refrain from the
usual exhortation. The judge complied.
and simply announced sentence of death.
Deeming responded composedly. THANK
you" Afterward Deeming said the public
would know his real history after his
death. 1t was better that the law should
destroy him than that he should destroy
himself. In strong voice he continued
to ramble in similar strain for some time,
and concluded by swearing he was inno-
cent. He spoke altogether for an hour,
giving no signs of hesitation or nervous
ness. The judges summing up was
strongly against the prisoner.
British Troops Defeat Seuegambians.
LONDON. May "A telegram from the
British West African colony of Gambia
has been received at the war Office and
saua Rritich farna copSistipn of fiffv