THE JOHNSONVILLE MURDER.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17740, 17 April 1923, Page 6

THE JOHNSONVILLE MURDER.

TUHI'S MENTALITY.

(press association telegram:.) WELLINGTON, April 16,

Sir Francis Bell, Minister of Justice, stated to-day that there were two petitions suggesting deficient mentality of the young Maori, John Tulii, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Herbert Henry Knight at Johnsonville. The petitions were carefully considered, and the In-spector-General of Mental Hospitals (Dr. E. Hay) and the doctor in charge of the Porirua Asylum, had had an interview with the prisoner and spent considerable time with him, and then reported to the Government that there was no ground for suggesting that Tuhi was not responsible for his acts. Both petitions and the report were laid before the- Governor-General, as well as before Cabinet, and were considered/ by both. With regard to the statement that the prisoner made at the trial that someone else was the murderer, Tuhi had been twice interviewed by detectives under instructions from the Department of Justice, and was informed that if he would give information, the police would make every investigation, but he declined to make any further statement or give any name.