THE LEWIS MURDER

Evening Star, Issue 19773, 25 January 1928, Page 6

THE LEWIS MURDER

REPRIEVE REFUSED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 24. (Received January 25, at 12.35 p.m.) Sir Austen Chamberlain refused to reprieve Rowlands and Driscoll. [Four racecourse frequenters—John Rowlands, Edward Rowlands, Daniel Briscoli, and William Smith—had been charged at the Glamorgan Assizes with the murder of David Lewis, a Cardiff footballer. The prosecution described it as the most brutal and beastly murder imaginable. The four surrounded Lewis, who was a fine athlete, and held his arms behind his back, and deliberately cut his throat. Then they left him to die by the roadside. The prosecution contended that the whole four were guilty of murder. The jury found all the men guilty, except Smith, who was discharged. A message received on Monday stated that a somewhat sensational development has taken place in the Lewis murder case. A definite medical challenge has been issued that Lewis did not die as the result of injuries, but from heart failure. Documents bearing on the matter are now at the Home Office, where Sir Austen Chamberlain is acting for Sir W. Joynson Hicks, who is on the Continent. The new evidence is stated to be the outcome of a Harley street doctor’s personal interest. It is said he motored 900 miles from the Riviera in two days to take up the case of the condemned men, who are due to be executed next Friday.

The specialist in the case does not want his name associated with it. He admits it is strong action to take, but when the facts ascertained by the doctor who conducted the post mortem were brought to his knowledge it was the only course possible. The defence hopes that the intervention will pot only cancel the execution, but liberate the accused men. The case has caused immense excitement in Wales, where petitions have been signed by hundreds of thousands of people.