The record-union., 1892-05-03
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
MELBOURNE, May 2.-The trial of
Frederick Bailey Deeming for the muir
der OF his wife was resumed this morn
ing. The first witness was DR.. Spring
thorp, who related Deeming's explana-
ton of how his wives disappeared.
Deeming said that while he and his first
wife were living at RainhilI, near Liver
pool, man named Ben Young told him
that his (Deeming's) wife would leave
him for $50. He paid the money and
his wife left him. He supposed that
Young killed her while he Deeming)
was coming to Melbourne with his sec
ond wife, Miss Mather, for whose muir
der he is now on trial.
His second wife, Deeming said, con-
tessed that she was already married and
left him in Melbourne because she was
afraid of being implicated in the murder
of his first wife. The fact is that the
Rainhill murder was known to no one
save Deeming until after it became
known that he had killed his second
Wife.
1t was the discovery of the latter crime
that led the police here to notify the Liv-
erpoOl police Of their suspicion that
IIOCllIliiSS ilStI4 lIlu1u6ISu Ills WIG anu
children at Rainhiil. Therefore, it will
be seen that his statement relative to his
second wife leaving him for fear of being
connected with the first murder is false.
After some further testimony by DR..
SprlngJhorp the defense announced that
its case was closed.
The Crown Counsel contended that
there was not particle of evidence of in
sanity of the prisoner. At this point
Deeming interrupted the Crown Counsel.
1t was not the law, he said, but the press
that was trying him. If he could bring
himself TO believe he committed murder
he would have pleaded guilty, rather than
submit to the gaze of the people in the
cOurt-the uglieSt race he had ever seen.
Some OF the witnesses against him delib-
erately lied. Whatever he could saw
would be disbelieved. His witnesses
had been kept out Of the way. People
had sworn to seeing him whom he had
never seen in his life. No time was al
lowed him to communicate with wit
nesses in England or India. It was not
pleasant to confess to disease mentally or
otherwise, but he had determined to do
So in justice to himself and to the COM
munity. For weeks together he suffered
lapSes OF memory. IN his own mind he
knew be was not guilty. AS long as EN-
lily Mather had been his wife he had
dealt with her as gently and atfectiOnately
as was possible for any man to do.
The prisoner continued: q remem-
ber no incident which would lead to this
awful crime with which l am charged.
The statement that the body found in this
city was that Of Emily Mather is a lie.
My one comfort is the knowledge that
she is alive. The newspapers have
ruined my life forever. If l was freed to-
night would drown myself. l do not
fear death. Do not expect justice from
either judge, jury or the public"
Deeming minutely criticised the evil
dence, and declared the verdict would be
the greatest relief to him. He said the
use OF aliases was a tad with him.
The jury in the Deeming case returned
verdict OF guilty and added that the
prisoner is not insane.
After the verdict was announced Deem
ing asked the Judge TO refrain from the
usual eXhOrtation. The Judge complied,
and simply announced the sentence Of
death.
Deeming responded composedly,
"Thank you"
Alterward Deeming said the public
would know his real history after his
death. 1t was better the law should de-
stroy him than he destroy himself In n
strong voice he continued to rambIe in a
similar strain for some time, and con-
cluded by swearing that he was innocent.
He showed no signs of nervousness.
The Judges summing up was strongly
against the prisoner.