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TO-DAY'S MESSAGE.
, THE EXECUTION OF THE
. MUBDERER.
THE PRISONER'S BEHAVIOUR.
\ BZS 'PLtPPAjKJT UP TO FBEDlY.
HE SOLILOQUIES ON HIS END.
HE ENQUIRES ABOUT THE EXECU
TIONER.
HE MAKES ANOTHER WILL AND
.DISINHERITS MISS ROUNSEFELL.
A VISJT FROM OLD FBIEND3— A
TOUCHING SCENE.
HE DESIRES TO BE INTRODUCED
; ; TO THE EXECUTIONER.
THE MURDERER'S \LAST NIGHT
SPENT PEACEFULLY.
1 THE FATAL DROP.
'.:'.' t ' HISLAST WORDS.
i;PESCSaMiO3*^PF,^HE EXBCU
? : ?-.-' TIONER.
[By TelcgraphJ
j (From onr Special Reporter.)
' MiLBOtTBHB, May 23.
;' The last act in the drama of the H^'T^iT
and IVindeor atrocities is now over, the
curtains having fallen in Melbourne gaol
at 10 o'clock this mornihv. The condemn
ed wretch was very flippant on .Friday
afternoon with 'the gaol. chaplain, and told
the Rev. Mr, Scott not to come near him
again, but on Saturday morning he wrote
Co Hb& reverend gentleman, expressing v»^g
contrition atid beseeching bint to come and*
B«e him. . Pcir all that at times he was as
hea&eniBb. as ever, breaking out with such
expressions ~as '^Why should I ask for
mercy'g 'tn»' Lord would never think of
forgiving me. However, I suppose after
iall I will be as well off as most of them/'
Then. he would Boliloquise with himself by
saying, ?* Well; Fred, old boy, the end is
not far «ff,' to which the warder on duty
would offer the condolence, no doubt meant
kindly, .*' No,' it front Le long now.'
On Saturday morning he made a nom
ber -^. erujuir^es about -the executioner,
whether he was short or tall, or young or
old, and what sort of a feilc w he was, add
ing *f Why, don't tiiey bring him along and
: let me see. him,'. finishing up witii a smirk
on hi? face by saying, ' fle's not an enemy
-bf . mine— why the gentleman is my best
friend now.*' ....
The_experion(}e.hB had of the excited
; feelings of the populace against him as
exhibitedpn tfae trajn. journey from Perth
t« 'Albany and again whilst he was being
smuggled asbore at St. KUda pier, seemed
to haverevived the impression on his mind,
for on one occasion on Saturday he remark
ed, ' I wont be sorry when it's alt over —
why shwld I P They would kill me if they
got me out. Those howling devils outside
would throw meia the Yarra. What good
would a raprieva be to me ' ?
. ' Towards the latter end of the week he '
maile out a ne w will bequeathing ereiything
.to' Mr. Marshall' Lyle and disinheriting
Miss KonnsefeU, on die plea that she was in
different to him notwitustiindiag her asser
tioas to the contrary, and justifying his
latest action by saying that she would not
go to see JiimJbefoxe-his -death, and why
should he help her through the world as the
wife'of someone e»e after he was gone. He
was precise, too, 'about; making 'an exact in
ventory of)his belongings, and wheninf orme 1
that -hU Sydney creditors were going to
lay' claim to hjs estate, he, laughed immo
derately, arid said, 'They are like a lot of
carrion crows '.—wen, let the devil take the
hindmost.' ' ?
On Friiay afternoon on old lady anl
gentleman, who travelled especially all the
way from Sydney to see him for old acquain
tance sake, presented- themselves at the
Melbourne Goal, and on Deeming being
informed of. .tht-ir names he answered
gladly, ' Sead,them in, I would so much,
like to see them.' They were accordingly -
shown in'and~the scene at -the interview is
described :as being touching in the extteme.
Addressing tim as ' Fred,' they expressed'
their sorrow it seeing bim in such a posi
tion. ' ft don't matter,' he replied, ' 1 will
be in a better position bye and bye ; wait
until Monday.'' — They chatted at length
of their Syiiney life together -and recalled
many pleasant incidents of bygone days.
Before leaving they questioned him se
parately about -what had become of his
wife and family.' 'Was it true,' they
asked, ' that Mary and her children had
been murdered.' ~ Then it was. for the
first time since his apprehension, the fount
of ,. human nature broke through the
stoical demeanour of the crime-stained
wretch, Bnid*throwing\ip his bands, wit'i a
horrible ahndder he cried, 'F«r God's
sake don't «sk me that. When you talk
about that I am done.' He turned him
self away immediately as if suffering in
tense mental tormtnt.
Saturday afternoon and yesterday were
qniefely spent' ? by fain:, his conduct being
marked by stolidity, albeit he conversed
freely yet gravely with his warders, tie
read the Bible at intervals and prayed
silently at times.- Part of yesterday he de
voted to writing, and at other periods he
would employ his pen and ink in sketching
tombstonesxnd'gibbets; 'He again request
ed tJibe introduced to _the executioner, bus
this wish was. not gratified; although as U
customary on such occasions JTones and bis
aftflJRtant have been domiciled in Mel
bourne gaol for some few days pant.
- At about two o'clock pjn. yesterday
Deeming s«nt for Mr. Fey; Deputy Governor
of the gaol, and expressed a wish to have
the Rev. Mr. Sott, the gaol cliapUiin, to
visit him, and although this gentleman
was at Ms residence in Footecray when the
message ' reached him, he at once . hurried
a«ray to town. On reaching the gaol, how
ever, he found Deeming sullen and uncom
municative whereupon Mr. Scott represent
ed' to him that it would relieve the severe
mental strain he was evidently under
going if he would .unburden his con
science, but to all. these represent itions
the only response on the part of the con
demned man was a reiteration of some of
his protestations of innocence. In vain did
Mr. Scott point out to him that such
assertions were. diametrically opposed to
previous Confessions be himself nad made.
Eventually he relapsed into silence and it
was not until the rev. gentleman was
ribout to retire thai; Deeming broke silence,
; and then' he inquiied whether he wou.d
.again be, accessible during the evening if
he desired him. : On being assured that he
would. Deeming expressed, bis satisfaction
and resumed his writing.'
; Deeming passed a peaceful night and this
'morning engaged in prayer for over an
hour, during which he was very peniten1,
hoping that the Lord would forgive him far
killing his wife .and children without giving
them time to prepare their souls.
On the fatal hour arriving he strode
firmly on to the drop, the only tremor in
his frame being evidently due to the cold,
dark atmosphere in the corridor.
tn being asked if he had anything to
say, he merely replied in a tone almost in
audible, ' May tile Lord have mercy on
my tpirit,' and while the Rev. Mr. Witton
?was reading the funeral service, the execu
tioner, Jones, drew tfae bolt and the crimin
al fell an inert mass without a tremor or
quiver, the rope simply turning gently
round as his spirit passed into eternity.
? Jones, the executioner, is a stout, plea
sant looking old gentleman, with kindly,
albeit penetrating, grey eyes, a sparse
moustache and of a somewhat vivacious
expression of features. There is nothing
revolting or even coarse about the man.
He speaks with a slight Devonshire ac
cent, and cno ,cann it engage in con vets t
tioa with him', for any length of time with
out arriving at the conclusion that he h&o
been a much-travelled man. He feels very
acutely the old world txa-Utions, which
compel him to *e a social outcast
and an Ishmaelite with every man's hand
against him. His keen eyes flash with a
sense of positive injustice as he alludes t-
the thoughtless folk who ''chivvy*' him from
suburb to suburb as soon as ever his id«ntity
becomes known. ' Why should I be treat
ed-like this,' he asked, ' why, I do nothing
that I am ashamed of. My galling is not
unnecessarily c^ueL 1 pay my way. Btit
after he concludes this the paroxysim is
over and he is once more an even tempered,
eaey-gding old Bngfiaftniniv Of a truth
the position of hangman has been levelled
upward since tbe days of Jack Ketch and
Gately.
. [Later.]
From last Thursday Deeming frequently
asked for stimulants, which were allowed
him three times daily. His weight was 10
stone 31bs at the time of .his execution, he
having lost a stone in weight since bis in
carceration. His irons were taken off at 10
o'clock this morning, when Chaplain Scott
entered his cell to attend the prisoner's
spiritual requirements. Usually the sound
of knocking off the irons is tbe signal. for a
cheer from the other felons in the adjoin
ing cells, but te-day the ironB used, being
fastened by a patient spring, were removed
noiselessly. He was given a drop of seven
feet four inches, that being the regulation
height for his weight.
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