PAWELKA’S SENTENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15333, 16 June 1910, Page 8

PAWELKA’S SENTENCE.

[Pew Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Juno 15. A meeting, attended by about forty persons, was held, to-night to disouss the Pawelka sentence. It was unanimously resolved that a petition should be circulated praying for a remission of portion of the sentence, and that a public meeting should be held at a future date to further the resolution. The meeting formed itself int-o a committee, with power to add to its number, in order to carry out these objects. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The three letters on Pawelka’s sentence in yesterday’s paper seem to voice public opinion truly. One is only surprised that there has not been an outbreak of indignation before thiß, but probably each of your correspondents expected that the matter would have boon taken up by many directly the sentence was made known. No doubt many people will remember, the cs.ee of a few years ago when a man, whose name I need not mention, brutally ill-used his wife, lashing her with ’a buckled strap to the extent that ho injured her liver, and knocking her down against a fender on one occasion. This took place about a month before her baby was born, and of course the woman died through the injuries inflicted by her husband, who got seven years. At the present time one cannot help contrasting his sentence with that of the poor, lialf-silly Pawelka. Even supposing the latter wore quito sane, are his sins three times as great as those of the man I have mentioned? If not. the laws of the land are indeed a hollow sham. If anything can be done to remit a part of the sentence, as suggested by Mr Nisbet, I have confidence that you, who are endowed with more power and, influence than many of us, will do all you can in this direction, if only for the sake of the fair name of our .pis-, tice.—l am, etc., “Charity” writes: —“I am sure Dr Henry would be willing to allow portions for the reduction of Pawelka s sentence to lie on the table at inn meetings for signature, but time is ing, and our poor misguided aiid rfs-L fellow creature calls for mercy. Do it now.” “ L.G.” protests against the severity of the sentence passed upon PaweUrt. ■ 1 I don’t know much about Britvfci jurisprudence,” he writes, “but I want to know more if it allows one of its interpreters to sentence a _ young mail of twenty-ono years, who is proved, SO bo demented, to the black, hopeless add degrading life of a criminal in the absurd hone that his reason may be strengthened and his criminal instiay-s cleansed by such inhuman, method*. Will someone come forward to start a petition who knows more about the rernuiln of these proceedings than I do?“ “ Justice,” “ Ashamed for my Country.” “T. 8.,” and “ J.TT.” send letters to the same effect.