Criminal romance will find it difficult to parallel the story
of a double murder which has. just occurred near Dover. At daybreak on Sunday morning, Dedea Redames,. one of the Swiss Legionaries, but a Servian by birth, prevailed upon two girls, Maria and Caroline Back, with the consent of their parents, to set out with him for the camp at Shorncliffe. "There was no quarrelling between them, and they all seemed merry." About five hours afterwards, Thomas Gurling, a carpenter, walking from Folkestone to Dover, stumbled upon the bodies of two girls at Steddy Hole. They were lying near each other; both had been killed by stabs in the chest—in one there were four, in the other three deep wounds. Assistance was called ; the bodies were removed to a cottage near at hand, and identified as those of Caroline and Maria Back. The police were put on the track of the murderer • and he was taken, next day, near Canterbury, but not until he had stabbed himself. He was instantly removed to the Canterbury Hospital, and it is supposed he will recover.
At an inquest held on the bodies, by the County Coroner, it was shown that, on Monday, Redanies purchased pens, ink, and paper, and wrote two letters in German, one to the mother of the girls, the other to a Lieutenant of his regiment. Translations of those letters were produced at the inquest, and they deserve a distinguished place among the curiosities of criminal literature.
"Dearest Mother Back—On the first lines, I pray to forgive me the awful accident to the unlucky Dedea Redanies which I committed upon my very dear Caroline and Maria Back yesterday morning at five o'clock. Scarcely I am able to write, by heartbreak for my ever memorable Caroline and Mary Ann. The cause of my deed is-1. As I heard that Caroline is not in the family way, as I first believed. 2. Because Caroline intends to go to Woolwich. 3. Because I cannot stay with my very dear Caroline, it made my heart so scattered that I put into my mind at last that Caroline rather may die from my hands than to allow Caroline's love being bestowed upon others. However, I did not intend to murder also Mary Ann, her sister ; but not having other opportunity, and as she was in my way, I could not do otherwise— I must stab her too. Dear Mother Back, Saturday evening when I came, I had not at least any intention to commit this_ awful act ; but as I learned that my dear Caroline gave me back my likeness, and as she told me she would leave, did not know any other way in my heartbreak than that leading to the cutler's, where I bought a poniard, which divided the hearty lovers. Arm by arm I brought both my dearest souls in the world over to the unlucky place near the road before Folkestone, and requested them to sit down ; but the grass being wet they refused to do so, and I directed then Caroline to go forwards, and I went behind Mary Ann, into whose heart I run the dagger. With a dull cry she dropped down. With a most broken heart I rushed then after Caroline lifting the poniard in my hand towards her. 'Dear Dedea,' cried she, with half-dead voice, and fell down with weeping eyes. Then I rushed over her, and gave her the last kisses as an everlasting remembrance. I could not live a more dreadful hour in my life than that was, and my broken heart could not tell where my senses were gone; and I took both the black shawls of Mary Ann and my dear Caroline, as a mourning suit for me, leaving the awful spot with weeping eyes and a broken heart. Never shall I forget my dear Caroline and Mary Ann; and the poniard will be covered with the blood of Mary Ann and Caroline with me until it be put in my own breast, and I shall see again my dear Mary Ann and Caroline in the eternal life. Farewell; and be careless about the blissfully deceased angels of God ; and forgive the unhappy, ever weeping DEDEA REDANILD. "Aug. 3, 1856."
The other letter, addressed to his Lieutenant, ran thus— "Dearest Mr. Lieutenant Schmid—With weeping eyes I entreat you to pardon me, the unhappy Dedea; and I inform you in a few words that I did not intend to squander your watch, but to give it only as a pledge to sister Caroline, where you will receive back your watch from Mary Back, if you will be so good as to go to Dover yourself and reclaim it at the herementioned address= Miss Maria Back, 5, Albion Place, Dover.' I also enclose the pawn-ticket for Dr. Baumgarten, and inform you that I have not got yet the watch. Unfortunately, I cannot enclose you the money which I spent from —. I sent a letter to the mother of Caroline ; but it is in German, and I request you to take an early opportunity to go to Dover and translate the letter for her. Dear 'Mr. Lieutenant Schmid, keep the portrait and locket of hair attached to it, as an eternal remembrance of that fearful Sunday when both the girls, who were my never-to-be-forgotten sadness and joy—[Here the sentence breaks off abruptly.] Dear Mr. Lieutenant Schmid, I thank you for every good thing I experienced with you; and pardon the unhappy Dedea Redanies, who am ready any minute before my being arrested to kill myself with the same dagger with which I murdered my only joy.. With the request that you will translate the other letter to Mrs. Back, which I sent her with your own "—[the word following is Illegible)—" gratefully., Dimas REnsivras.
• A thousand compliments to you, with tears, dear Schmid."
, The Jury found a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Redanies. Unless 'a relapse should take place, he will be examined next week before the Magistrates.
A sad affair has occurred at Walton-on-the-Naze. Miss Emma Snell, a young lady who had been staying for some weeks at Walton' and who bad an infant with her—she called herself the child's "guardian"—committed suicide in the sea, by fixing her head under the wheel or steps of a bathingMachine which she had pretended to hire for the purpose of bathing : she had removed hardly any of her clothing. It appears that the poor young creature, while a governess, had been seduced by a military officer she had fled from her friends ; she was in great pecuniary straits ; and officer; heard that her seducer was about to be married. A Coroner's Jury, after reading Memoranda and a note left by the deceased, returned a verdict of "Feb de se " ; and the body was interred without any religious ceremony.
Railway accidents are coming on apace. Howler Bottom, on the East Lancashire Railway, was the scene of a fatality of this kind on Monday. While a train was passing a spot where some work was proceeding, the engine left the rails, broke from the train, turned over, and then fell down an embankment. The carriages also got off the rails, and one was smashed. The driver and stoker were found under the carriages—the former dead, and the fireman dangerously hurt. Four persons received fractures or other serious hurts, and others suffered less severely.
By Thursday two more deaths had occurred—Mason, a stoker, and Mr. Ashworth, a printer of Bacup, sunk under their hurts.
Three railway servants have been hurt by a collision between an engine and a luggage-train at Huddersfield station, arising from some mismanagement.
A man has been found on the North Kent Railway, near Erith, with his head cut off by a train. Suicide is suspected.
At Albion station, on the Stour Valley branch, near Birmingham, on Wednesday afternoon, a third-class train ran into a luggage-train. A lady had one of her legs broken ; and a large number of the poorer passengers—mostly Irish labourers come to England for the harvest—were more or less hurt.
A small express-train left the rails a short distance North of Watford tunnel on Wednesday morning, and ran along the "six feet" space between the two lines. The driver and fireman kept their posts, and no one was seriously hurt. But traffic both ways was stopped for three hours, and about a mile and a half of trains accumulated on each set of rails.
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