Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-19
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF F. B. DEFINING.

One of the most sensational mur- der trials of recent years was that of Fred derick Bailey Deeming, which was concluded in Melbourne, Australia, on May ?. 1892. It required a. long fight to convict him against his cOunSei plea of insa nifty. Those who heard this plea and the evidence produced at the trial were willing to admit one Of two thinks-that he was either the great est fiend that ever lived, or he was in sare. However, the jury judged him the former.
 Jr order to carry out his supposed 1 insanity Deeming confessed to all sorts of crimes, even to the statement that 1 he had colrmitted the majority of the SJack the Ripper" murders in London. But as he was not in England at the time that most of these murders oc cured and was in jail when the latter ones were committed, 1t Is very eVI- dent that his statements were false Deeming was no doubt guilty of many murders. The murder for which he was tired and convicted was that of his second wife Mrs. Williams, who Was killed while he masqueraded un- 1 der that assumed name. He was mar ] rleti to his third wife when he was ! arrested, but they were just spending their honeymoon. and there is no doubt that her life was saved through ] h5s arrest.
 ! When early in the nineties Deem ] LIS 6I4Neu db IbdI1lll1ll. Lli$5 ldllNl, HE i rented, i'll that pretty village on the 1 outskirts of Liverpool, d handsome 1 cottage. Shortly afterward he brought 1 to his home a wife and four children. i He had resided there but a. short time ] w en the woman and children dlSap- 1 peared, and by way of explanation he 1 told them il was a sister and her cAil- l dren who had been visiting him.
 ! Nothing further was thought Of the lincident. but every one was surprised ] 4fn FiT7S -ra- -gg6 fzr taken his departure. He sailed for l Australia. When ne started away he changed his name to Williams and carried with him wife number two, who was known as Mrs. Williams. They began housekeeping al Wind sor, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia | They had lived there until Christina as 1 time, when he mysterIoUsly disappear l ed and assumed the name of Swan stcn.
 The house where the Williams had f1ived at Windsor remained unoccu- pied for two months and when it was rented on March i, 1892. the family, in moving in. detected a peculiar and un- pleasant odor about the fireplace ! which showed evidence of it having FTeceatiy been cemented over. This cement GOV ering was removed and the l body of Mrs. Williams was discoN cred underneath. Detectives a once set to l work to find Williams. and they To- 1 CaLed nm m MelDOufnG lQNlnS unOel the 17ame of Swanston with a woman he had just married as his third wife l He was cartcd off to prison, and along with him a new barrel of cement l which he had just purchased, evident fly with the idea. Of walling up Mrs SWanst after he had murdered her i At the trial it was discovered that wife number two had been murdered on Christmas eve, 1891. The detective force who nnd identified SWanston as
 I,- tcareer Of the man. The account of the cement hidden murder at Windsor was tslcgTaphed to England, and with the rneaeer information Of the past life o1 ] the man 1t was thought that he was
 probably Deeming, and an inYestiga-
 ton was started to see if some light could not be thrown on the disappear
 ance ar Rainhul of Mrs. Deemlng anG
 her four children. This was started
 principally through evidence given bg
 the mother of Mrs. Deenling.
 The house in which the Deer@;n ngi
 mad lived in England was thoroughly 1 oVerhauled and when the floor of thf
 kitchen was torn up, 1t was found taa1
 Mrs. Deen1lng number one and hel four children had been murdered anC cemented under the floor of the fire.
 place. A full investig gation disclosed
 how the murders had taken place.
 The trial of this murderer excited 2 great amount of atenfion in alH parts
 or the world The announcement O
 the verdict al Melbourne was greeted
 with cheers and general expressions O
 SaGgfaction. Deenling was executed a
 Melbourne on May s. fg92. He per 1 sisted in denying to the last that h. | was guilty Of the Rainlaill murder. Fl.
 had never" he declared lost his self.
 control Tn England. as he had since hi!
 arrival in Australia He made na statement and left no confession. Tn execution was witnessed by q 1arg,
 gathering. including governrn ent an; erv1 officials and magistrates.