William Peters was sentenced to death by hanging more than 150 years ago for the attempted murder of an eight-year-old girl in Orange.
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The crime happened on September 27, 1866, when a witness found a little girl with dishevelled clothing "lying on her back" in bushland during the evening.
After deliberating for two hours, a jury would later find Mr Peters guilty of the capital offence of attempted murder.
He would be hanged at Bathurst Gaol some nine months later.
Medical assessment
An Orange-based doctor medically examined the child victim, identified as Faith Perkins, roughly 10 days later.
He discovered several wounds on the young girl, who also had a broken outer skull.
"I found that her person had been tampered with," Dr Beattie said, "and there were two wounds on the back of the head, half an inch in length.
"She also had some contused wounds on the head, one on the right and one on the left temple, penetrating to the bone.
"A person attempting to commit a rape would cause the marks I noticed."
He also noticed that the child's "drawers were torn" with traces of blood on the material.
Unconscious for a total of seven days, Dr Beattie said the child's wounds were "dangerous to life" and he'd expected Miss Perkins to die as a result of the inflicted injuries.
She made a full recovery some weeks later.
'He knocked me down'
An Orange resident and witness, Edward Bennett divulged information during court proceedings, saying he'd heard "feeble cries of a child" on the evening the crime occurred.
Shouting out "who's there" with no return response, Mr Bennett said he eventually located the child "lying on her back with her clothes upturned".
The victim, Faith Perkins was also deposed.
She provided information leading up to the crime, where she said a man had offered to take her home before taking her to buy lollies.
"[Then] he took me into the bush and told me to lie down and go to sleep," Miss Perkins said.
"He knocked me down and he cut me with a stump. He put his hand over my mouth [so] that I could not cry.
"He knocked my head against the stump and he hit me with a stick."
She would later identify him at the police station where Mr Peters was apprehended.
Awful doom and 'evil thoughts'
As reported in the Bathurst Times via the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Peters became "fearfully agitated" shortly after his arrest whilst being escorted to prison.
Presumed inebriated by reporters when sentencing was passed by Judge Justice Faucett, the prisoner "swooned on his horse" while leaving the courthouse.
Reporters say he "remained insensible while his awful doom" was pronounced.
After his conviction, it's understood Mr Peters "acknowledged the correctness of the verdict", later spending the last two weeks of his life in constant prayer.
Occasionally, evil thoughts would arise in his mind and trouble him.
- Excerpt on convicted criminal, William Peters, from the Bathurst Times, 1867.
Not denying the crime, the prisoner did, however, said he had no recollection of the crime as he was "very drunk" the same evening.
A railway worker back in England, it was on record that Mr Peters had spoken to the chaplain - Reverend Sharpe - making statements "under a pledge of secrecy".
It's said he was disgraced by his actions.
"He grieved lest his parents, who are living in England, should hear of his disgraceful end," the Bathurst Times reported.
"For he was sure, if it came to his mother's knowledge, that it would break her heart."
Days before his execution, he'd made some last remarks to the chaplain of physiological troubles he'd been experiencing.
"Occasionally, evil thoughts would arise in his mind and trouble him," the paper read, "but at such times, he would throw himself on his knees, and soon found relief in prayer."
Preference: death
Bathurst gaoler Alexander Forbes had offered the prisoner some "pen and ink" the day prior to his death.
Mr Peters declined the offer, saying he "desired nothing beyond" what he had asked of the clergymen.
He expressed his gratitude to Mr Forbes and the remaining prison staff and said he "no longer had any desire to live".
He would therefore, prepared as he was, much rather die.
- Excerpt on convicted criminal, William Peters, from the Bathurst Times, 1867.
"[He said he] would not like to change positions with the two men who were, with himself, condemned to die, but whose sentences had been commuted," the paper wrote.
"For they would have much misery to endure, which was what he had never been accustomed to and could not bear.
"He would therefore, prepared as he was, much rather die."
End of the line
Moment before being hanged on June 26, 1867, the executor knelt by Mr Peters while he prayed in a shed beneath the gallows..
The minister ended his speech by wishing "the saviour would receive the soul then about to depart from its body".
Reports say the prisoner then arose and in a "somewhat rough and husky voice" said: "I hope he will."
Mr Peters then made his way up to where the dangled noose.
"He then ascended the gallows with a firm step, and, on reaching the platform, looked deliberately upon the detachment of armed police standing in a line in front of him," the Bathurst Times wrote.
"And upon the surrounding spectators ... said, in a clear tone : "Well, I wish you all good morning; God bless you all; and God bless me!"
It's documented he then "stood calmly" while the rope was adjusted round his neck and a white cap drawn over his face.
"In another instant the bolt was drawn," the paper wrote, "the drop fell, and William Peters was a corpse."
The convicted felon was said to die without a struggle.
The body was taken down and removed for burial after the hanging period some days later.