Weekly News. — 1892-03-24 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE RAINMILL MYSTERY.  FURTHER DISCLOSURES.  Public interest in the shocking story of crime brought to light by the discoveries of murders in Melbourne and Rainhill has not abated in Lancashire and the neighbouring counties, for the more facts ascertained in connection with the character and doings and antecedents of the alleged murderer, Frederick Bayley Deeming, alias Albert Oliver W imams, Sta., the more extraordinary does he appear. When he visited the Mathers he seemed to be a very exemplary man, especially in view of the life he seemed to have led in distant lands. And on board ship, cn his last voyage to Australia, be appears to have made himself a general benefactor to suffering passengers. But it is now recollected that he never walked out in Rainhill without a loaded stick, which, it is surmised, he would have used with murderous effect if there had been any attempt to arrest him for any of the numerous crimes laid to his charge. THE ACCTSED AS " Dorrok . •  There is no truth in the report that the accused manifested his villainous character to his last wife even while voyaging to Australia. Mrs. Deeming (nee Emily Mathers) wrote to her mother very cheering letters, showing that she believed herself to have made a happy marriage. The third and last letter on the voyage out possesses special interest now. It is dated "Indian Ocean, as. kaiser Wilhelm 11., Nov. 26, 1891." Mrs. Deeming, whose letter is written in an interesting style. proceeded to say that they had christened Albert— her husband—"the doctor," and she relates why he had gained that title. First of all he cured a passenger of dysentery, making him up a dose and attending to him. Then he turned his attention to a poor woman who was ill with slight brain-fever, caused by the heat. He got some mustard oil and rubbed it on the woman's neck, thus allaying the fever and curing her. Another woman and a baby were very bad with the prickly-heat, from which the majority of the passengers suffered. He cured these, and also successfully dosed a young lady who had been up five nights nursing her sick brother. Then Miss Mather proceeded to relate that, in addition to his medical qualifications, her husband was a skilful modeller, and that he filled up much of his time by working at his models in their cabin. But doctoring was his chief occupation, for, as she expressed it, he "visits the sick three or four times a day, and pills, doses, and powders them to his heart's content." He displayed much kindness and thoughtfulness also in saving titbits from their own table to take to the sick steerage passengers, for they were unable to eat the food piovided for them, especially as six at a time had to eat out of one dish. The captain did not seem to relish his interference, but he could not prevent it. The vessel had touched at Aden, on Friday, November 19th, only stopping there to take the mails on board. A number of natives came to the ship, and Deeming bought two pairs of buck-horns. Mrs. Deeming enclosed a Christmas card painted by her husband. The letter is finished with a few scribbled lines, on November 27th, at Colombo, whence it was despatched. It was described as being "From your loving children, Emily and Albert."