Evening journal., 1892-03-17
THE CRIMES OF A FIEND
A Tragedy Unrivaled in the
Annals of British Horrors.
ARTHUR WILLIAMS SIX VICTIMS.


Five of Them BrutalIy Murdered and
buried In Cement In n Fireplace In
RainhnI and His Young wife Served
the same Frightfu Way IN Australia.
LONDON, March IA tragedy unparal
leled in the history Of British crime came TO
light through most singular chain Of cir
cumstances. In July last a man uamed Ar
thur Williams resided in the Dinham villa,
Rainhill, fashionable suburb Of Liverpool,
and passed as well-to-do bachelor. He
oourted Miss Mather, young woman gener-
ally admired for her beauty and other at
fractions and recognized as a local belle.
They got married aud went 10 Australia,
where they were supposed to BE- living hap
PLY The people Of Rainhill were shocked
a few days ago by news from Australia that
Williams had been arrested on a charge Of
numbering his wife, and that he had con-
cealed the body Of the murdered woman be-
meath the fireplace, carefully covering the
place again with cement. There the au-
thorities unearthed the remains.
A siekening Discovery.
As soon as these facts became noised about
in Rainhill the people called 10 mind queer
suspicious that had been ahoat about VIII
liams when he occupied the Dinham villa
They remembered that one day lady and
two children had visited the villa 20 see
| Williams and from the moment Of their en-
tering the place no one had seen them again.
The affair caused some remark at the time,
but nobody thought OF murder, and the
matter was dropped with the supposition
that the lady and the two children had gone
away without being observed. Now, how
ever, the neighbors began 10 suspect that
there might have been foul play and they
determined to state the facts 10 the police.
The police concluded that no harm could be
done by investigating, and they proceeded
to the Dinham villa and began to dig up be
meath the fireplace.
They hardly expected, however, 10 dis
cover anything, and their amazement wa
great when after a little OF the cement had
been removed all were sickened by a nause
ating odor. The men at first refused topro
! ceed, but after they had drunk heavily o.
brandy they resumed work. just under thl
cement they came upon the decomposes
. bodies Of three children. Two of them Ia,
been apparently between five and sevei
years old. Their throats were cut and tn
bodies were dressed only in night shirts
which were crusted with blood and dirt
Just beneath them lay the body Of a girl g
I about twelve years, clothed only in a nigh
shirt. There were no wounds on her bod
and the police say she was strangled. tn
decomposition Of the body was further az
vanced than In the two preceding cases.
4 Even the Police Horrihed.
About two and half feet beneath IA
I cement, and further from the wall, WI
found the body Of a tall woman. There va
an end Of rope around her neck and b,
7 throat was cut A baby's body, with th
(, head crushed in and the throat cut was sti
i. in her arms Even the hardened policeme
/. could not restrain an exclamation Of horr'
as the tiny and shrunken body was lifte
up to view.
W The woman's body was the least decor
posed OF all. Mother and baby had be-
q, wrapped up tightly in an eiderdown gull
which was wound with heavy cord at Il
"a neck and ankles. The woman wore a We
"A ding ring and guard, silk underclothing an
silk stockings and fine boots. Her hair "
o jet black
The police kept digging, while outside d
news spread and the excitement grew, al
II thousands rushed 10 the scene Of the trag
j, dies. A new force Of police was CALI
u y upon and a Gordon established around u
villa, and the digging proceeded rapidly, (
"a rumor grew on rum0r, and other recone
tions suggested that there were more VI
IN Tins in the sepulcher beneath the iireplac
Up 70 this hour no more discoveries ha'
r. been made The news has caused almost
o. frenzy in Liverpool, and the multitude ha'
"A rushed to the conclusion that Williams mu
be "Jack the Ripper There is no know
a. evidence, however, 10 sustain this theor
as the victims were not mutiated otherwi
ID than stated above. At least such is q
statement Of the police.
g. The people of Rainhill believe that q
woman and two children who disappear
a upon visiting the villa, and whose bodi
n were undoubtedly among those discovere
h. was a former wife Of Williams and the
h, two children, and that Williams had g
them 10 come TO the villa for the purpo
a Of getting rid Of them in order that tn
g might not be in the way Of his marriage
- > Miss Mather
= At His Fiendish Work.
Arthur Williams arrived at Rainhill Y
a. lage early one morning in last July and to
a suit Of rooms at the Commercial hot
it He showed great sums Of money and {
ll- sumed a free and easy air at once with {
be people of the house He Is described
r. about forty-fve years old, with a hea
dark mustache, high cheek bones a
sallow skin. He spoke rapidly, and not
an Englishman. He wore his hair rath
at long, his clothes fitted his bony fgu
" rather loosely and he walked with Ion
" heavy stride. He Is supposed 70 be
4 I g.. IN