Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-23

For His Many Crimes He Dies ON tn,
Scaffold.

MURDERER DEEMING HANGED.
For His Many Crimes He Dies ON the
Scaffold.
Frederick Bailey Deeming was hanged at Mel
bourne, Australia. at one minute past 10 o'clock
this morning. He was one of the most
versatile and bloodthirsty wretches in the his
tory of the worlds crime. That part of his ca
reer which led immediately TO his arrest trial
and death at Melbourne began in Rainhill, a
suburb Of Liverpool, on July p, 1881. 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 of the village during his
| courtship, and there received woman and four
young children, who disappeared shortly before
his marriage to Miss Mather.
After the wedding on September 20 he and
his wife took short wedding journey, and on
October II they sailed for Australia. They
went to live in house in Windsor. suburb Of
Melbourne. There on December "a, nine days
after their arrival, he killed his young wife and
buried her under the floor. He then disap-
peared. About ten weeks later, when new
tenants were about to take the house a peculiar
odor was noticed. The floor was taken up and
the body of Mrs. Deeming was found. Marks
ON her head and neck showed that she had been
| killed by blows.
When this news reached Rainhill the police
tore up the floor of Dnham villa to satisfy their
suspicion that the woman and four children
who had been seen there with Deeming might
have suffered the same fate as did Emily Ma
Their. They found under the floors, which
Deemng himself had cemented the bodies of
the woman and children. The woman was his
wife, whom he married in England in 1881, and
the children were his own.
Deeming caught near Perth, in Australia
late in March, and had made arrangements to
marry Miss Rouncevell i'm Perth After his
arrest and incarceration in Melbourne. awaiting
trial, more or less evidence was found tending
to connect Deeming with dozens of heinous
crimes, including those of Jack the Upper
and a man who knew Deeming in Halifax came
forward with proof that Deeming while there
had written to the Eddowes woman one of the
White Chapel victims. The exact truth of the
charges was not and never will be ascertained.
as Deeming was tried convicted. sentenced and
hanged for the killing of Emily Mather only.
DEEMINa's LAST HOURS.
Deeming passed Sunday in writing, calmly
discussing at intervals his approaching doom.
He said he had no intention of making "a speech
on the scuffod On Sunday night he thrice
swallowed eagerly a small allowance of spirits,
after which he slept soundly until he was
awakened at o'cl>ck this Monday morning
Then for the first Time since his arrest the man
cigar, he conversed with those around him.
He declared that he was resigned to his fate,
and had no fears in regard to the future. To
the governor Of the prison he said that he had
made his peace with God. He persisted in
denying that he was guilty of the Rainhill MUIR
ders. lie had never. he declared, lost his self
control in England as he had since his arrival
III Australia. He expressed gratitude to the
governor and all the prison officials for the
sideratiOn they had shown him, and also to Mr..
LYLE. his counsel. and to all concerned in his
defense. He said he thought he would not
falter or make any scene on the scaffOld
A few moments before the time set for the
execution Deeming was allowed glass Of
brandy. which he swallowed at q gulp. and
he was told that he might have more if the
prison doctor ordered. The doomed man
was then led to the galows and in few min
utes all was over. The drop was seven feet
The execution was witnessed by large gather
ing. including government and civil officials,
magistrates. police and clergyWen. There
an immense crowd outside the prison from an
early hour in the morning until long after the
execution was over. Order was maintained by
this morning Deeming turned the scale at 1i3
pounds. which is fourteen pounds less than he
weighed when admitted to the prison.
HIS CONDUCT A SURPRISE.
Deeming s conduct at the last was a surprise
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. Be-
fore then, despite occasional fits of dependency
he had told the prison officials that he was not
born to be hanged and that he would get out
yet and make it hot for his persecutors''
Shortly after supper last evening he called to
the keeper and afked anxiously:
DO You think II is all up with me?''
This is your last night, Deeming," was the
reply, land you had better talk to your Godin-
stead of me-
Deeming was silent for several minutes and
then inquired brokenly for the chaplain.
Il have been wild fellow" he said land
have sins enough to be pardoned, God knows,
but l am not SO bad as they have made me out
Only to think that poor crazy Fred should die
on the gallows."
When the chaplain came Deeming was CRYING
He said he wished to review the sins of his past
life and to have the chaplain pray with him for
forgiveness. He said he had been q good-for-
nothing fellow and had injured most of the
persons he had me. in life. bat the only
murder ever committed" he protested. ':was
when killed Emily Mather. If | did kill her l
was crazy when did it. and the men who swore
away my life at the trial have more to answer
for than l."
The chaplain read prayers with Deeming and
Deeming took down his Bible and read several
chapters aloud. Then he grew calmer and was
talking about his affection for Miss Rouncesyel
when the chaplain left. He wrote letter to
Miss HOuncesyell and another to Mr.. Lyle his
lawyer. He told the keeper that the heaviest
burden on his conscience was that he had
ruined the 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 not awake
until o'clock. He took out his Bible and
read in Revelations then made his toilet care
fully and put in order the papers containing his
last additions to his autobiography. He ate
heartily at breakfast and drank six Or seven
cups of coffee. At o'clock he began to be
nervous and called the keeper saying he wished
to free his mind. 1t was then thought that the
long-expected confession was coming. Instead,
however. Deeming began reiteratins his story
OF his irresponsibility at the time of the murder
of Miss Mather.
1.-The people Of Melbourne are hanging me-"
he said. ''The judge and the jury, and even
those periured doctors, are not the guilty ones.
The people wished to lynch me when I was
brought back from Perth, and they raised such
a clamor that nobody dared tell the truth. The
jury knew that was not responsible; 1 could
see it in their faces. l have not been q good
man, but l never committed a crime in sane
moment"
Deeming then wandered off incoherently into
contradictory statements regards his relations
to Miss Mather, at one time saying she was still
living in Australia, and at another that he might
have killed her in a fit of forgetfulness.