Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-03
DEFINING IS DOOMED.
Before the Death Sentence Is Pro-
nounced He Makes a Speech,
PLEADING HIS MENTAL DISEASE.
The Audience Denounced as the Ugliest
Race He had Ever Seen.
A TRADE AGAINST JUDGE AND JURY

MELBOURNE, May 2-This was the last
day of the celebrated Deeming murder trial.
After-the evidence was all in the prisoners
counsel appealed to the jury to give the
prisoner the benefit of any doubt that they
might entertain as to his sanity or insanity.
1t was generally thought that the trial
would end to-day, and, consequently, the
court room was packed. No one thought it
would take the jury long to decide the fate
of the accused. Outside of the court house
large crowd assembled, and they were
elamorously impatient for the verdict.
They finally became so demonstrative and
noisy that the police were forced to clear
the street.
Finally the jury returned and delivered
their verdict. Their decision was murder
in the first degree, and that Deeming was
not insane when he committed it The
prisoner was then sentenced to death. The
announcement of the verdict was greeted
with expressions of general satisfacti on,
for no one believes that there is particle
of doubt as to Deeming's guilt, not only of
the murder here, but of those committed at
Rain Hill, near Liverpool
Deeming Begins an Hours Speech.
Before the jury retired the Crown coun-
sci contended that there was not a particle
of evidence of the insanity of the prisoner,
and he said that the jury ought to dismiss
all such nonsense from their minds. At
this point Deeming interrupted 1t was not
the law, he said, but the press that was trv-
ing him. If he could bring himself to be-
leve that he committed murder he would
plead 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, he
said had deliberately lied. Whatever he
could say would be disbelieved. His wit
nesses had been kept out of the way
People had sworn to seeing him whom he
had never seen in his life No time had
been allowed him to communicate with his
witnesses in England and India.
1t is not pleasant to confess to disease
mental or otherwise, but he had determined
TO do so in Justice to himself and the COM
munity. For weeks together he had suf-
fered 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 as affection
ately as it was possible for any man to deal
with woman. The prisoner, continuing,
said:
He Says Emily Mathers Is Alive.
remem Der no in cident which would lead
to this awful crime with which 1 am
charged. 1 know that the people of Mel
bourne are SO infuriated against me that
they would lynch me if they had chance
That, however, would not settle the Ques-
tion of my guilt or innocence. The state
ment that the body found in this city was
that of Emily Mathers is a lie. NY one COM
fort is the knowledge that Emily Mathers is
alive.
The newspapers have ruined my life for
evermore. If l were freed tonight 1 would |
drown myself l have fought the blacks on
: Inr,N 1NnEf and 1nrv
single-handed. do not fear death |
/ do not expect justice from either |
the Judge, the jury or the public In |
stead of the trial being postponed so as to
enable my counsel to collect evidence show
ing my innocence of the horrible crime for |
which am being tried for my life, it was |
liked to occur when the public was enraged |
against me. |
Deeming minutely criticised the evil
dence, and declared that verdict of guilty
would Ee- -She greatest relief to him. He
said that his use of assumed names was a
fad with him.
Deemins Returns Thanks for the Verdict.
Alter the verdict was announced, at
o'clock Deeming asked the Judge to refrain
from the usual exhortation. The Judge
complied with the prisoners wish, and |
simply announced the sentence of death.
Deeming composedly responded, Thank |
you" When the sentence had been pro-
houHceu, DeenlnS salu tnat after his death |
the public would soon know his real his
tory. 1t was better that the law should de-
stroy him than that he should DESTROY him
self He would only like to know that
Miss Rounsevell believed him innocent.
In strong voice he continued to ramble
in similar strain for long time Reach
ing the rails for support, he concluded by
swearing that he was innocent He spoke
an hour, giving no sign of hesita-
tion or nervousness.
Deeming can delay execution by an ap-
peal from the verdict in the colonies, which
appeal must be heard by the Judicial Com
mittee of the Privy Council in London. If
the Judges accede to the petition to rehear,
a further inquiry will occur. The last
instance OF the kind was the case of the