The Discovery May Lead to the Murderer Confessing All the White Chapel Murders
Melbourne, March 26.
The Argus announces that Deeming has confessed to the murder of his wife and four children
at Dinham villa, Rainfall (sic), near Liverpool, and that he has also confessed to the
murder and mutilation of the last two women whose bodies were found in the purlieus of
White Chapel.
Deeming's appearance closely tallies with the description gievn the White Chapel fiend, Jack the Ripper, and although he does not admit killing the other White Chapel victims, it is believed that when he finds all hope of escape from the clutches of the law is cut off he will confess, not only of these murders, but of others of which the police know nothing.
It transpires that the unfortunate woman, whose body was found together with four children under the floor of the Rainhill residence, was not Deeming's first wife.
Some years ago a sensation was created in Australia by the mysterious disappearance of the wife and two children of a man who then went by the name of Williams, but who turned out to be Deeming. The family then resided in Sydney. There was grave suspicion of foul play at the time, but the bodies were not found, and the essential proof of the murder being lacking, the matter will be allowed to drop. Deeming subsequently went to England and married a woman whose murder he now confessed.
The Argus says Deeming makes no mention of his object in mutilating the bodies of the White Chapel victims, but adds there is scarcely a doubt that the man is afflicted with a disease similar in some respects to nymphomania.
London, March 26.
The papers publish Deeming's confession to the Rainhill and White Chapel murders today.
The story has caused the most intense excitement. There is much difficulty in fixing the
two White Chapel murders to which Deeming has confessed. Altogether ten murders are
atributed to Jack the Riper (sic), but there is much doubt as to whether the last two were
committed by the same hand that committed the other eight.
The police of Leman-street station do not place much confidence in the confession that Deeming committed the two last crimes. They admit, however, that if the confession refers to the murder of Alice Mackenzie, which occurred in 1889, and Mary Kelly, committed in 1888, it is possible that Deeming is telling the truth.
The police give as a reason for saying that Deeming is not the murderer of Frances Coles, is the fact that at the time she was killed Deeming was serving nine months sentence in Hull for a jewelry theft.
The Scotland Yard authorities have recieved no private information from Melbourne regarding the confession, and attach little importance to Deeming's statement that he killed two of the White Chapel women. They say they believe Deeming's object in making the confession is to secure a reward and be brought to England. This is a well-known trick of criminals.
