Letter recommending Mr Lamonde receive reward for information essential in leading to Deeming's arrest

L 100
Police Department,
Detective Office,
Melbourne, March 23d 1892

Memo

I write in explanation of the attached letter
which I have great pleasure in forwarding
to the Chief Commissioner of Police.

Mr Lamonde called on me on the 5th.inst.
briefly he said, that on the 22nd or 23rd
January he was a passenger per Albany
to Fremantle, he had read a description
of the man suspected for the Windsor murder
and felt convinced that it answered that
of a passenger by the same vessel - who
spoke of being an engineer - wore dia-
mond rings and reported to the Adelaide
police the loss of a bag with Jewellry
&c value ₤130. (Just what was done by
Williams on the voyage from England)
he invited Mr Lamonde to see him at
Perth and handed him a card which
he fortunately - as it turned out - kept.

Baron Swanston
Engineer
Shamrock Hotel.

On the same day Captain Firth called.
I questioned him particularly about the date
on which he spoke to Williams in Sydney -
he fixed it as 26 January and in a
day or two afterwards said it would
be [insertion:the] 25th; Mr Myers of Hawthorn also
called - in a long conversation with him

[Annotation: at right of card]

In pencil.

[Annotation: bottom left-hand corner]

Chief Commr
of Police

I learned that a man giving the name of
'Dawson’ had, on or about the 11th January
written a note to Mr. Vivian (of Kilpatrick & Coy)
respecting a purchase of diamond rings -
excusing his hurried departure for Sydney
and giving an address there to which
Mr Vivian wired but got no reply.
Mr Vivian remembered "Dawson" showing
a pair of "Pliers" of very fine workmanship
and about which he seemed to be proud.
Mr Lamonde was again interviewed -
by Sgts Considine & Cawsey - and he
also had seen pliers with the passenger.
We got the letters from Mr Vivian and found
on it letters to correspond in shape with
those on the card. Even in the face of
Captain Firths statement we resolved
that "Baron Swanston" was the man
wanted, hence an immediate report
and telegram to Perth.

D.S. Kennedy
Supdt

Jas Prunier & Co.
COGNAC

Telegraph Address:
PRUNIER

Melbourne: 483 Collins Street.
Sydney: 90 Pitt Street.

Melbourne, 16th March 1892

D.S. Kennedy, Esqre.
C.I. Branch
Russell Str.

Dear Sir

I respectfully beg to remind you
that my information to the Police, was the
direct clue which pointed out to them the
exact place where
Baron Swanston
was, "in Western Australia, Shamrock Hotel Perth"
and on this account 'I hope you will recognize
my claim to the reward promised by
government’

I remain
Dear Sir
Yours respectfully
A. Lamonde

[Annotation: top of page]

reply sent to
Mr Lamonde
17.3. DSK