POWELKA'S SENTENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 172, 22 July 1910, Page 2

POWELKA'S SENTENCE.

: HIS MENTAL CONDITION. DEPUTATION. TO DR. EDSTDLAY. . (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A-deputa.tion waited upon the Minister for Justice to-day with a petition that inquiry be made into the mental condition, of the prisoner Powelka, with a view to possible revision of the sentence : of 21 years, imposed on him by Mr. Justice Cooper. After reviewing the case at length, Dr. Findlay said he thought "ft ■ was his duty to tell them that, altc- - gether apaxt from any evidence which was called a;t the trials, he had in his • possession information and medical re- ' ports which would render it necessary for the prison authorities, including the i 'Minister for Justice, to exercise the . closest scrutiny and investigation of Powelka's behaviour hefore he is again . set at liberty. He did not think the : general publication of these documents ■ would do good. He did not wish, howi ever, to make any mystery about them, so he read them to the deputation. It would, he added, he seen that the medical reports showed Powelka to be a" man of dangerous ahnorn—lity, who could i only be sit at liberty, if at all, after close scrutiny by trained authorities over a lengthy period. The request to have the sentence reduced, it was the Minister's plain duty to decline. In reply to a question, Dr. Findlay said - Powelka's mental condition would be re--1 viewed from time to time.