THE MAORI MURDERER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 140, 14 June 1911, Page 5

THE MAORI MURDERER.

NO HOPE OF REPRIEVE. EFFECT ON YOUNG MAORIS. NATIVE MINISTER'S OPINION, <By Telegraph.—Own Correspondents. WELLINGTON, this day. Regarding the Maori murderer, Tahi Kaka, the Hon. Jas. Carroll (Native Minister, and acting-Prime Minister) says the Executive arrived at the decision that the death sentence must be carried out after careful examination of the evidence, coming to the conclusion that everything pointed to the murder having been premeditated and deliberate. For his own part, he said, he could not see any redeeming feature to soften the enormity of the crime. Whether young men should be let off and only old men hanged, he was not prepared to say, but, in his judgment, leniency in this case might have a bad effect on the rising Maori generation. THE AGITATION FOR REPRIEVE. A SITUATION OF SUSPENSE. So far no announcement of the Governor's pleasure respecting the fulfilment or otherwise of the death sentence on the Maori boy Tahi Kaka has been received by the Sheriff. Without this announcement the sentence cannot be carried linto effect, and consequently matters must remain as they are until the announcement comes to hand. To-day circulating and signing of the petition I for reprieve are in active operation. Copies of the petition are exhibited at a number of the chief business places in | the city, and also at the street corners, I and are being freely signed. The petition prays that the Governor commute i the death sentence on the grounds:— |(1) The extreme youth of the condemned 'boy; (2) the disadvantages of his career, from the absence of scholastic and spiritual teaching; (3) that the jury found during the trial sufficient to urge a strong recommendation to mercy; (4) that the commutation of the death sentence would fittingly mark in our Dominion that clemency which is not unusually associated with the Coronation of our Sovereign Lord the King; (5) that the execution of the death sentence would prove exceptionally harsh, since the condemned boy has been induced to join in the almost universal belief in Auckland that his life -would be spared; (6) that but for the condemned boy's admissions the death of John Freeman would, perhaps, for all time have remained a mystery; (7) that in several cases the royal prerogative of mercy has been recently exercised in the Dominion in convictions for murder. The position is naturally a general topic of conversation in Auckland, and the element of suspense is a subject for common talk. It is made the text for various individual interpretations and speculations as to the ultimate outcome. As has been already explained, the delay is not in local official circles. Meantime the person most keenly concerned in the decision remains in ignorance of the efforts to obtain commutation of the sentence, and suffers the suspense of awaiting the exaction of the penalty. PRO_£T FROM UNITARIANS. A CONiFESSIOiN WITHOUT WARNING. A large meeting of members of the Unitarian Young People's Society -was held last evening to consider steps towards assisting the movement for obtaining a commutation of the death sentence on Tahi Kaka. After some discussion the following telegram was drawn up for forwarding to the Minister for Justice: —Unitarian Young People's Society protests against execution of Kaka, since -the confession was obtained ■by the police without warning being given to the prisoner. Rev. Hall, chairman." A PLEA FOR CLEMENCY. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this day. Under this heading the "Star" says editorially: "There is considerable cogency in the appeal of the Anglican Bishop of Auckland for a commutation of the death sentence recently passed upon the Maori lad Kaka, who "committed murder at Puhipuhi. From the 'eugenic' point of view perhaps it might be advisable to put this young criminal finally out of the way without more ado, but, whatever the future may have in store, the conscience of the community has not yot adjusted itself to the doctrines of that new evangel. Bishop Crossley cites a number of grounds for the exercise of leniency, and the most convincing of these has relation to Taka'3 age, which is stated to be only 17 years; indeed we snould be disposed to base the appeal on this single ground. The crime itself had no extenuating circumstances, and the question of the prisoner's penitence or indifference is irrelevant. Nor do we think that the influence of Coronation sentiments can reasonably be invoked in connection with such a serious matter as murder. Apart from these considerations, however, we are satisfied that a boy of 17 should not suffer the extreme penalty of the law, and we should not be surprised if the public sense of moral responsibility were too manifest Bself unmistakably when the significance of Taka's fate comes to be realised. We are not among those who object to capital punishment on general principles, and we have no fear of incurring the charge of weak sentimentality because we instinctively shrink from the idea of inflicting death in the name of the law upon one who is little more than a child in years. The deed would approximate too closely to the judicial scandals associated with the bad old times in England. Taka should be kept in prison for 20 years, with continuous educational and reformative treatment. The new methods should be able to make a decent, responsible citizen of him by that time, and, even then, at 37 he may have the best of his life before him. We hope that the Governor-on-Council will give favourable consideration to Bishop Crossley's appeal. INDIGNATION AT PUHIPUHI. FEELING AGAINST REPRIEVE. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. Considerable indignation is expressed at Whakapara and Puhipuhi, where the murderer and his victim were wellknown, that the clergy of Auckland, also others, are petitioning for the reprieve of Tahi _ik*.

KAKA'S EEEEIEVE. (To the Editor.) Sir,—l think it is only right that the people of Auckland, to whose merciful impulses an appeal is being made on behalf of the condemned boy Kaka, should be made aware that this is the first occasion in the history of crime in New Zealand, that the recommendation of a jury has not been given effect. Surely, to fittingly celebrate the Coronation of the King, it is not necessary to establish this record. Your valuable paper has, by this time, conveyed to the residents of country districts the movement for his reprieve, and I have already received numerous telegrams from people in outlying districts requesting mc to forward them immediately copies of the petition. I take the responsibility for asserting that this is the first time in New Zealand that a strong recommendation of a jury has 'been disregarded. Whilst hundreds of voluntary workers are endeavouring to secure signatures, the unexpected action of the Cabinet, and the uncertainty as to the time available, prevent anything in the nature of a systematic canvass. If those associated with this movement were given a guarantee of fourteen days'grace, so that the present confusion could be converted into something approaching system, I confidently assert that we would present to the Governor a petition of not less than 30,000 adult persons from the city and suburbs of Auckland alone.—l am, etc., W. E. HACKETT. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I would like to ask the Crown Officers (or the powers that be) whether that it is lawful or in conformity with our constitution to hang a "minor." Under our civil laws, I believe that the •parents are responsible for the debts of their children up i;o the age of 21 years; therefore, why can the Crown attempt to take the parents' responsibility in criminal law? Is there any minimum age in the criminal calendar, say, frcm one year up to twenty-one years, or is it left to the Crown to say whether a child should be hung or not?—l am, etc., STRANGER.