DEATH SENTENCE

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 40, 15 February 1918, Page 4

DEATH SENTENCE

PASSED ON EGGERS. 'AREFULXY PLANNED CRIME, - PRISONER REMAINS SILENT. ' POLICE FORCE PRAISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.} CHRISTCHURCH, Tursday. The trial of William Eggers __.__a_on therwise known as Frederick William Iggers, charged with having murdered ohn Coulthard on November 9,-1917' ear Greymouth, and with having, at he same time and place, attempted to lurder William Hall and Isaac James; Iso with having stolen the sum of .3,659 16/8, was concluded at the upreme Court this evening before Sir usticc Chapman. The jury found acused guilty, and he was sentenced to cath. Mr Justice Chapman, in summing aid that in the absence of direct cvi- , ence identifying Eggers as the perso-i. . : ho committed the crime, it was incument on the. Crown, by means of cogent' vidence, to show that the accused was' he person who participated in the rime, or alone committed it. The rime appeared to have been carefully ilanbed. His Honor emphasised the fact hat there was no evidence respecting ,ny legtimate occupation or business of -ggers in the Runanga district, or, for hat matter, on the West Coast. . Acused's correction in the Lower Court, at' .reymouth, of Sir. James' evidence, as o the impossibility of Sir James having 1 icon able to see the car from a certain loinfc on the railway, indicated minute amiliarifcy with th. locality. His Honor went on to refer to the dentity of the cartridges. Two kinds ;hat could be used in an automatic pis,ol—Peter's and Winchester —had been ised to kill the unfortunate man Coultlard, and some of those two kinds of :artridges were found in the accused's .rief bag. But, all this evidence was o. iccondary importance compared with the ividence respecting the finding of a large' sum of the missing money in accused's - . oossession. Counsel for the defence had. nade the point that accused was not inswering a charge of theft. If that ;ort of thing satisfied the jury, well and" || jood, hut how could they separate th. W& stealing from the "murder? The law.ex- ' : nected a man who was found in "possession of property-of enermous value, six ' lays after it was stolen, if he was an.lionest man, to give an explanation, and some assistance. However, ho explanai tion had been given. That was the M whole question so far as the jury was ; .oncerned, and they were quite entitled to say the man who stele the money _a| the man who murdered Coulthard. -• The jury retired at 6.38 p_n., and returned at*B.sl p.m.. bringing in a verdict of. guilty. ... When_asked if he. had anything to say, the accused seemed to make an attempt to articulate, but did not 6a"y anything. THE DEATH SENTENCE. His Honor, assuming the black caft said: Prisoner -at-the Bar,—The jury have discharged their duty in the only manner in'which "they "cOuld have" dis-" charged it, in accordance with the evidence. I have to discharge my duty in ; the only manner in which the law allows. The sentence of the Court is. that J'oll be taken to the place of execution," and •' there be hanged until you are dead.. ' Eggers, who showed no sign's of emotion, was then removed from the dock. Before dissolving the Court, his Honor" said: "I think the thanks of the country are due to the detectives, and the police officers assisting them, for the manner • in which they have brought this offender to justice: to Detective Ward for the way in which the West Coast evidence wa_ brought together; and to DetectiveSergeant Connolly and Detective Abbott for the manner in which they conducted the investigations and arrest. No doubt other officers, and some of the general public, are entitled to a measure of credit for their assistance." His Honor ordered that the money found on the person of the accused, and in his bag, be declared the property of the Crown. The only thing he had any doubt about, ho said, was the three ten-pound notee, which might he a matter for consideration later. His Honor made the order with the reservation that if any applicar tion was made to him with regard. t» those notes, he reserved the matter for consideration.