Sergeants Considine and Cawsey's summary of Deeming's life in crime

POLICE DEPARTMENT,
Criminal Investigation Branch,
Melbourne, May 5th 1892.

RE Antecedents of Convict Albert Williams
under sentence of Death for MURDER.

In accordance with your instructions
we beg to furnish a report of all the reliable information -
that we have been enabled to gather RE the Antecedents of the
Convict as per margin, now in the Melbourne Gaol under Sentence
of Death for the Murder of his Wife - EMILY LYDIA WILLIAMS -
at Andrew Street Windsor.

Exclusive of all newspaper Reports of
what took place in England and elsewhere, we first traced the
Convict in Melbourne, under the name of Frederick Bailey -
Deeming, which, from what has since transpired seems to be his
correct one, and under that name he was employed at Danks and
Sons, Brass Founders &c, Bourke Street, from the 10th May to 6th
July 1883. On leaving this Firm's employ he went to Rock-
hampton (Q) under a six months engagement as Manager for the
Firm of Williams Brothers, Gas Fitters &c. He only remained
5 months in their employ and was discharged, then went to -
Sydney at the commencement of 1884. Whilst at Rockhampton
he passed as a married man with two children. On leaving
there his wife accompanied him to Sydney and they both resided
together there. He was in various persons employ as a Gas-
Fitter and Plumber, and ultimately went into business himself
in the same line in Phillips Street Sydney. On the 6th April
1882, at Sydney, a man of the name of Frederick Bailey Deeming,
no doubt identical with the convict Williams, received a -
sentence of 6 months for the Larceny of Gas burners.

(1)

[Annotation: left margin]

Albert Williams

On the 31st October 1887 the Estate
of Frederick Bailey Deeming, Plumber, of 91 Phillips Street,
Sydney was sequestrated, the Official Assignee being E. M.
Stephen, and on the 15th December 1887, he was committed to -
Darlinghurst Gaol for 14 days for prevarication whilst under
examination in the Insolvency Court on that date.

After his discharge from Gaol at -
Sydney, the Creditors were contemplating further proceedings,
but the Insolvent and his family suddenly disappeared and are
believed to have gone to the Cape Colony: Of his doings -
there, various reports have appeared in the columns of the -
Press, but whether they are correct or not we are not in a [crossed out:xx]
position to say. We next hear of the convict in England and
as regards his movements there we have the reliable statement
of Mr Webster, late Governor of the Hull Gaol, who was in -
Melbourne recently, and who on seeing the Convict at the Mel-
bourne Gaol, identified him as an ex-prisoner who, under the -
name of Lawson served a sentence of 9 months at Hull for False
Pretences, being discharged from Gaol in June or July 1891.

He was arrested on the charge in -
question at Monte Video (S. America) and extradited to England
and after his conviction it transpired that he had committed
Bigamy in England, but no proceedings were taken against him
on that charge, owing to it only having been discovered after
the extradition. Immediately after his discharge he appears
to have gone to Rainhill, where he engaged a Villa and posed
as an Inspector of Stores in the British Army. Whilst there
he became acquainted with a young lady named Emily Lydia -
Mather, who was an Assistant to her Mother, who kept a Stationer's
Shop there. His first wife who was with him in Rockhampton
and Sydney, and whose maiden name was Marie James, together -

with four children, seems to have joined him at Rainhill and
then and there disappeared. At Rainhill he was known as
Albert Oliver Williams, and his acquaintance with Miss Mather
having increased, he proposed marriage and was accepted, and
they were married there on the 22nd September 1891. They
left Rainhill for London in October and finally booked -
passages per "Kaiser Wilhelm 2" as 2nd class passengers for
Melbourne, leaving the Port of Southampton 2nd November last,
arriving here on 15th December. They stayed at the Federal
Coffee Palace till the 18th December on which date they re-
moved to No 57 Andrew Street Windsor, which house the convict
had rented under the name of Drewn, the day after his arrival.

What occurred there, the subsequent
movements of the convict under other names, his arrest &c have
all been brought out in evidence at the Trial, which resulted
in the conviction of the convict, and consequently it is un-
necessary for us to recapitulate them.

Referring to the Prisoner's conduct
in Hull Gaol, Mr Webster informed us that he was regarded as a
schemer &c and a most dangerous Prisoner, and extra precautions
were used to ensure his safe keeping.

This statement was fully borne out by
the convict's behaviour at the Coronial Inquiry and at the
Trial at the C.C. Court.

W.N. Considine
C.I. Sergt. 2415

N. Cawsey 2671
Sergt.