REPRIEVE GRANTED

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 221, 16 August 1928, Page 7

REPRIEVE GRANTED

ON EVE OF EXECUTION.

PRIOR REFUSAL TO INTERFERE.

DRAMATIC RECISION

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

(Australian Press Association.) LONDON, Aug. 14. Following an audience given to the Home Secretary, Sir William JoynsonHicks, by His Majesty tho King, three men, reputed to be members of a blackmailing gang, were reprieved dramatically on the eve of their execution. It is helioved that this establishes a precedent in the administration of British justice. The condemned men wero Percival Taylor, James Weaver and George Donovan. They had been convicted of tlie murder of Mr Ernest Smith, a retired druggist of Brighton. Mr Smith, who was 67 years of age, was attacked on the night of March 14 and robbed. Mr Smith struggled home and was found by liis wife on the doorstep. Death occurred a fortnight later, it was stated that the cause was septicaemia following injuries. The defence that Mr Smith did not die from injuries, hut from illness, failed.

Since the conviction many alleged facts have been brought to light supposedly exonerating two of the condemned men. Letters frantically declaring their innocence were written from the gaol by tlio prisoners to tlio Home Secretary, and frequent consultations between the police and the Crown authorities culminated in the announcement on Monday that there were no grounds for a reprieve and that the execution of the condemned men would take place on the following evening. Everything was ready to-night when Sir William Joynson-Hicks, following long consultations at the Home Office, announced a reversal of the decision. Tho decision arrived at is believed to be unprecedented in criminal history In no previous case has a reprieve been granted on the eve of execution after a refusal to interfere.

The executioners were already in the prisons and everything was in readiness. Distressed relatives, all in poor circumstances, liad had last interviews. One of them liad to pawn a wedding ring in order to make the journey to the gaol.

HOME OFFICE STATEMENT.

AN ELEMENT OF DOUBT.

(Australian Press Association.—United

Sendee.)

Received August 16, 10.45 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 15. In connection with the reprieve of the condemned men, Taylor, Weaver and Donovan, Sir William JoynsonHicks lias authorised the Homo Office to make tho following statement: “It is unusual for the Home Secretary to make any statement about capital cases, except official notification of a decision, but as Parliament is nob sitting and tho Brighton murder has excited public interest, tho Home Secretory thinks it desirable to amplify yesterday’s official statement.

“It is not within the competence of the Home Secretary to re-try the case. In July tlie prisoners were found guilty, and the Court of Criminal Appeal upheld tlie conviction. The Home Secretary’s proper, and only, function was to decide whether, when the prisoners were convicted of the murder and sentenced to the only penalty prescribed for this crime, there were any circumstances which would justify him in recommending mitigation of the penalty, or whether the law should bo allowed to take its course.

“The Home Secretary, in considering tho question, was bound by no rules of procedure. “The Home Secretary thinks it desirable to point out that recommendation for the exercise of the Royal prerogative does not reflect on Justice or jury’s verdict, or the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeal. “But the Homo Secretary felt that there was just that element of doubt, making it undesirable that there should be the infliction of the irrevocable pennlty. “There have been many precedents of commuting the death sentence in cases where the Home Secretary felt it unsafe to allow tho irrevocable penalty to be inflicted.”