The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-18
WIFE MURDER HIS TRADE.
The Grimes Of the Man Of Whom
All England Is Talking.
MORE ABOUT THE HORRIBLE DIS.
COVERY AT LIVERPOOL.

The Murderer Described as Man With
Pleasant Manner and Plenty of
Money-He Had Married Other Wo-
men Besides the Two He Killed and
Was Acquainted With the Interior of
Prisons-Another Crime Prevented by
His Arrest.
LIVERPOOL, March 17.--It has trans
pired that before coming to England,
Williams, the man whose arrest at Mel
bourne led to the unearthing of the
bodies at Rainhill, was living at Sidney,
N. S. W. Shortly after he left that city,
his wife and four children disappeared.
1t is supposed they followed Williams to
England. The police expect to prove
that the bodies found yesterday are
those of the wife and children and that
Williams killed them to carry out his
intention to marry Miss Mather without
molestation. Williams did marry the
girl in question. He took her to Mel
bourne, where he killed her to marry an
other girl. Today, the gardener who
lives next door to Dinham Villa where
the bodies were found, recognized the
eldest body as that of a woman he had
seen in the back yard at Dinham Villa on
August 9th last. On August 10th, he
heard the children screaming but paid no
attention, thinking perhaps some of the
children were hurt. He never saw the
woman OF children afterward.
Another man recognized the body as
| that of Marie Deeming, who had been IN
| the employ of q Liverpool fishmOnger.
| Williams married her under the name OF
| Deeming, at that time describing him
self as a mining engineer. Williams and
his wife, this man said, afterward went
to Hull, where Williams was arrested
and convicted for forgery. He was SEN
| fenced to a years imprisonment and, on
being discharged, married a young wom-
an in Hull. He wished her to go abroad
but she declined and William deserted
her and retured to Marie Accompanied
| by Marie, Williams went to Cape Town,
where he remained for a time. Then he
returned to Birkenhead and took up his
residence there, remaining some time.
Marie had three brothers and two sisters
| in Birkenhead. The man believed Will
| Jams was the same individual who mar
ried young lady named Matheson at
! Beverley in 1890, assuming the name of
Harry Lawson. He then described him
self as large farmer in Australia and
/ gave a number of valuable presents to
Miss Matheson. After the marriage to
Miss Matheson, he deserted her and alb
seconded to South America. Miss Mathe-
| son swore out warrant against him,
charging him with the theft of presents
he had given her and he was arrested in
Uruguay, brought to Hull and sent to
| iail for nine months. During the time
he was in prison, it was ascertained he
married and deserted lady in Birken-
lead in 1890.
| Williams, as he called himself, arrived
| in Rainhill village early one morning in
July last, and took suite of rooms at
| the Commercial hotel He showed a
large sum of money and
Assumed a Free and Easy Air
at once with the people in the house. He
is described by people who met him at
that time as about 40 years old, with a
heavy dark moustache, high cheek bones
and a sallow skin. He spoke rapidly and
not as an Englishman. He wore his hair
rather long, his clothes fitted his bony
figure rather loosely and he walked with
| long, heavy stride. He was supposed
| to be a Yankee, or Canadian, but moth
ing positive could be learned as to his
| former life. He affected the rollicking,
| big-hearted form of life, spent his money
freely on everybody he met, and appar-
| entity liked everybody. He wore massive
iewelry and diamonds. He was a capital
story teller and in conversation betrayed
a wide experience in the colonies and on
| the continent.
| His two peculiarities were that he
would never talk about his own affairs
and would not allow himself to be photo
graphed He promised nine or teu of his
| best friends in Rainhill, including the
Mathers, repeatedly that ne would have
his picture taken, and twice made ar
rangements with the photographer, but
every time he found some excuse for
breaking his promise.
Williams made the acquaintance of
Mrs. Mather early in July through COM
mon friends at the Commercial Hotel,
was invited to her house, and began call
ing on her daughter. Miss Mather was
won by his kindness and generosity, and
when he proposed marriage he was ac-
cepted by the family without any search
| ing inquiry into his ancestry and former
| life. He told Mr. Mather that he was a
| bachelor and had inherited his money.
Mrs. Mather Saw Her Daughter Last
at Dover, just before she sailed. She
says that both Williams and his wife
seemed to be perfectly happy, and that
they promised to return to Rainhin with
in two years for visit and perhaps for
permanent residence. At every port at
which the Kaiser Wilhelm II. stopped
the bride posted letter to her mother,
in which she described minutely the
happiness of her daily life and her joy
that she had found such a model hus-
band as Williams.
The young couple made their home in
Melbourne. whence Mrs. Williams con-
tinued to write extravagant accounts of
her happiness and of Williams's fine
qualities On Dec. Is Williams himself
wrote to his mother-in-law a long letter,
praising his wife and dwelling at length
upon their happiness. He said that he
expected to take Mrs. Williams to Hong
Kong for the Christmas holidays and
adds: 'Both Alice and are