MURDER SENTENCES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 9747, 13 December 1922, Page 4

MURDER SENTENCES

SOUTH AFRICAN STRIKE®. PROTEST OF LABOUR UNIONS. (Pot Press Association, Copyright.) CAPETOWN, December 11. y The agitation in Johannesburg against the death sentences is growing. A meeting of associated trade unions decided to call a meeting of union executives, members of the Assembly, ministers of religion, and other public men with a view to considering what steps should be taken to influence the policy of the. Government in the direction of initiating prosecutions on something less than a capital charge, and in cases of convictions for a capital offence, the more frequent exercise of the prerogative of merqy. A resolution was passed that the sentences for alleged crimes during the strike were not justifiable, but wep reprisals, and calling upon lovers of justice' the world over to exercise all possible pressure to stop the policy of reprisals. All trade unions were urged to agree to a one-day strike on a given date. A meeting at Benoni passed a resolution to cable the British Premier to intercede for the condemned men, also to send a deputation to the Premier and Governor-General. 1

(Received This Day, Noon.) CAPETOWN, December 12. Members of Parliament, clergy and others are joining in the plea for the commutation of the sentences in the Brakpan cases on the ground that the Judge expressly stated that the men were convicted in accordance with the •law of collective responsibility, and there was no evidence to show that they individually committed the murders, although they partook 1 of the armed movement which .culminated in the murders. Rn r