MUNN’S CONVICTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 July 1930, Page 10

MUNN’S CONVICTION

CALM DEMEANOUR. MAINTAINED

[SPECIAL TO “STAB.”]

AUCKLAND. July 23. The unpleasant task of acquainting Munn of the decision of the Executive Council falls on Mr Bell, of Bell and Speight, the convicted man’s solicitors. Mr Bell said that he would visit the Mount Eden prison this afternoon to inform Munn of his fate. Since he has been in the condemned cell, at the prison, Munn has been pleasant to the few whose duty has kept them in contact with him. He has written the story of his life with the object of clearing his name. This manuscript as far as it went, was -.01warded to the Justice Department, and Munn’s lengthy writings have been perused by members of the Executive Council. It is thought that this caused the delay in coming to a decision. While he was not engaged m writing. Munn passed the time by playing draughts and dominoes with his warders. .His general demeanour has been remarkably calm and composed as it was throughout his trial. Mr C. J. Hewlett, Registrar of the Supreme Court, who also occupies the position of sheriff, has not yet . received his instructions from Wellington. These will arrive in the course of a day or two. He cannot fix the day of the execution, or take any steps to carry out the sentence of the Court until he receives the warrant of executiori signed by the Gov-ernor-General. When this arrives he must carry out the death sentence within a period of seven days. _ It will be the first occasion on which Mr Hewlett has had to carry out the death penalty on a prisoner. It is now over eight weeks since Munn was sentenced to death. Throughout that period he has occupied the condemned cell. He has been under , constant observation all that time, the task having been allotted to three warders, each doing an eight-hour shift in the cell with the prisoner. Staff Captain T. E. Holmes, of the Salvation Army, in the capacity of prison chaplain, has visited Munn every other day since his committal for trial. This was at Munn’s request. He will pay a visit every day until the sentence of the Court is carried out.

The night before the execution Munn will be moved to 1 another cell, adjacent to the scaffold, and his body will then be in the custody of the sheriff until the execution. It is customary for the chaplain to be with the condemned man during the last few minutes. The execution will take place at eight o’clock in the morning.