The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-23
Frederick Bailey Deeming Launched
Into Eternity at 10 This Morning.
Instead Of Making the Expected Confession He
Went to the Gallows Claiming TO Be the
Victim Of Perjursd Doctors.
Tried to Steady His Nerves with Coffee,
but Met His Fate in a Cowardly Way.
His Long Career Of Thievery and Murder
Discovery of the Bodies of His Victims
in Australia and England.
EXECUTED THIS MORNING.

EXECUTED THIS MORNING.
Deeming, the Murderer. Hanged as Mel.
bourne for Killing His Last Wife
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
MELBOURNE, May 2S.-Frederick Bailey
Deeming was hanged one minute after 10
o'clock this morning. Seventy reporters
and physicians gathered in the prison yard
to witness the execution. and liz front. out
side the walls thousands upon thousands
waited from o'clock this morning to
watch the black flag and wait for the sig
mol that all was over
When Deeming was led into the yard and
up to the gallows every body was surprised
TO see that lie was not chained as had been
expected. He walked unsteadily between
the guards and several times tottered as il
about to fall. He face was ashen ana ho
shook like man with the palsy. Several
times when the chaplain spoke to him en-
couragingly, in an undertone, Deeming part
ed his lips to reply. but he uttered no sound.
He seemed to be stupefied by his approach.
ing death. When his arms were pinioned
he wavered AMI would have fallen had he
not been caught by the warden. At first
he shook his head when his last oppor.
tunity to speak was given him. Then he
rallied from his stupor and with q strong
effort called out: Lord Jesus, receive nv
spirit"
He tried to say more, and stood with his
mouth half open, but no words came. As
the moose was adjusted his knees knocked
together, and he would have collapsed had
he not been supported until he was swung
into mid-air. He died without a struggle
aud almost instantly. The body. after
being cut down, was taken in charge by
the prison ply sician, who will superintend
the post-mortem examination into the
structure of the skull and brain.
DeeminG's conduct at the last w as q sur
prise to all who have been near him since
he was sentenced. Last evening he seemed
to realize for the first time that all hope
was gone. Before then. despite occasional
officials that he was not born to be hanged,
aad that he would get out yet and make
it hot for his prosecutors"
shortly after supper last evening he
called TO the keeper and asked anxIously:
"DO you think il Is all up with met"
This is your last night, Deemlng." was
the reply. and you had better talk to
your God instead of me-"
Deeming was silent for several minutes,
| and then inquired brokenly for the chap
lam. II have been a wild fellow" he said.
land have sins enough to be pardoned. God
knows. but am not SO bad as they have
ssS out So46 E6ly to think that
When the chaplain came Deeming was
| crying. He said he wished to review rho
sins of his past life. and to have the chap
lain pray with HIM for forgiveness. He
| said he had been good-for- n othing fell
| low. and had injured most of the persons
| he had met in life. But the only murder
! ever committed" he protested. was
when killed Emily Mather, if l did kill
| her. ! was crazy when / did 1t, and tho
men who swore away my life at the trial
have moro to answer for than l."
The chaplain read prayers with Deem.
| ing. and Deeming took down his Bible and
read several chapters aloud. Then he
grew calmer and was talking about his af-
| lection for Miss Rounsevell when the chap
| lam left He wrote a letter TO Miss Rounse.
veil and another to Mr.. Lyle. his lawyer. He
told the keeper that the worst burden on
| his conscience was that he had ruined tho
young woman's life by the notoriety he
| had brought upon her. Deeming went to
bed at 10 o'clock. and went to
sleep almost immediately. He did nos
| Bible and read in Revelations. then made
his toilet carefully and put In order the
| papers containing his last additions to his
| autobiography. He ate heartily at break.
| fast and drank six or seven cups of coffee.
| At z o'clock he began to be nervous and
called the keeper. saying he wished to free
his mind. 1t was then thought the long,
expected confession was comsng. Instead.
however DeemIng began reiterating his
story of his irresponsibillty at the time Of
| the murder of Miss Mather. The people
| of Melbourne are hanging me-" he said.
''The Judge and the jury and even those
| perjured doctors are not the guilty
ones. The people wished to lynch me when
i was brought back from Perth, and they
raised such q clamor that nobody dared
tell the truth. The jury knew that was
| not Responsible; could see IL in their faces.
| have not been q good man. but i never
| committed q crime in q sane moment"
| Deeming then wandered off lncoherently
into contradictory statements regarding
his relations to Miss Mather. at one time
| saving she was still living in Australia,
and at another that he mi ght have killed
her in q fit of forgetfulness.
While preparations we're making to take
him out to the scaffold he became @ pitia-
BILE figure. He cringed and covered in .
| corner of the cell, first taking down his BIZ
| ble then throwing it from him, muttering
| TO himself. and then speaking loudly and
| lncoherently to the chaplain. AS the door
| opened to let him ont he burst into tears
| and begged for a few moments respite.
| When this was refused his mind apparently
sunk into q stupor. He made one or two At
| tempts to speak and then relaxed all effort.
| allowing himself to be half led. half car.
ried from the building. The chaplain said
subsequently, that in all his experience be
| had never seen more broken creature.
Mr.. Lyle. Deeming's lawyer, says he has
| not decided what to do with Deeming'e
autobiography. He has not vet had time
| to read much of the manuscripts, and what
| he has read has led him 10 think that 1t has
| few claims TO being truthful narrative.
| The spelling and writing are bad. he say q.
| and there is evidently so much incoherent
| pbilosopLizing in the work that be fears
| nobody will be willing to undertake the
| financial risk of publishing IT. The result
| of the post-mOrtem examination Of Deem
| ings brain will not be known probably for
several days.
| The Fiend's Career.
MELBOURNE, May 23.-Frederick Bailey
| Deeming was enc of the most versatile and
bloodthirsty wretches In the history Of the
worlds crimes That part of his career
which led Immediately to his arrest, trial
and death at Melbourne. began In Rain
Hill. suburb of Liverpool. on July 81,
1891. He then took lodgings under the
name of Williams at the Commercial
Hotel, in that village. and shortly began
paying court TO Miss Emily Mather. whom
he subsequently married. He rented
Dinham villa. on the outskirts oi
the village. during his oourtship and
there received woman and foul
young children. who disappeared shortly
before his marriage TO Miss Mather. After
the wedding. on Sept. q, he and his wife