THE MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7844, 13 January 1887, Page 6

THE MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE.

BEFORE THE EXECUTION. , j Thb universal topio of conversation yester< day, says the Sydney Morning Herald o! January 6, waa the impending fate of the six prisoners under sentence of death for the Mount .Ronnie outrage. During the past few days the number of visitors to the gaol, on various pretexts, bat with the real object of gratifying a morbid taste, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the prisoners, or even of tho exterior of the cell in which they are confined, has been so numerous that orders have had to be issued not to admit any person unleta under very exceptional circumstances, as the prison discipline was being seriously interfered with by tho number of visitors to the gaol. It is stated that this exhibition of morbid curiosity has not been limited to men, but extends to the other sex. The sheriff has received a groat number of applications for admission to the gaol to witness the execution, which will, if the decision of the Executive be not set aside by Hia Excellency the Governor, take plaoe to-morrow morning at the customary hour. Yesterday the sheriff's office was visited by many persons to make personal application to view the execution, but it has for obvious reasons been determined to, so far as possible, limit the number to official representatives and one representative from each of the metropolitan daily journals. The fiual decision of the Executive Council was not officially announced to the prisoners on Tuesday evening, as it is not uaual to do so, thoßO under penalty of death not receiving any official intimation as to proceedings of this nature unleas in the case of reprieve. They were, however, there is reason to believer, privately informed of the decision not to interfere with the penalty, and some of them during yesterday exhibited aigno of deep dejection. This is however, stated not to have been the case with the prisoner Hill, whose bearing is stated to have been characterised by impudent bravado. The prisoners were visited last evening by tho sheriff. The prisoner Hill was at the time smoking, this indulgence being permitted by tho prison regulations to those under sentence of death. His conduct was marked by an assumption of coolness aud iunifftvronce whioh is said to be only ft disguiee to his true feelings. Yesterday afternoon the prisoner Daffy, who for some time past has declared his intention of making a solemn declaration whioh would exonerate certain of his companions, did so. This declaration was to the following offeot; —That Hugh Miller and George Keegan, two of the men who have been reprieved by the Executive Council, were innooent of the charge, and also that the lad Newman, condemned to die, and others also awaiting death, but whose names are not given, were innooent. He states that he makes this declaration in favour of the prisoner Newman, in order that His Excellency, in considering the question of exercising his prerogative, may have the advantage of this statement before him. This declaration was placed in ths hands of the Sheriff (Mr. C. Cowper), who at once despatched it to the Colonial Secretary (Mr. G. R. Dibbs), who received it at half-past seven p.m., and immediately, without comment or remark, forwarded it to His Excellency tho Governor. It is considered very strange that if, as Duffy states, others beside Newman and tho two reprieved prisoners mentioned by him are innocent, he does not mention their names. His object in so doing is considered by some persons to be that he will thus create a doubt and raise a feeling of inaeourity ae to the guilt of those, other than Newman, under sentence, and perhaps lead to all receiving the benefit of that doubt of a reprieve being granted. In New man's case it is stated that during the late investigation made under the personal super- , vision of the Colonial Secretary for the information and guidance of the Execative Council, the prisoner protested his innocence, and maintained that he could prove an alibi if certain witnesses could be secured. Every endeavour was made to get these witnesses, and in the cue of some of them considerable difficulty was experienced, the assistance of the police having to be called in. One witness stated that Newman had been in his company during certain hours of tho morning. It was also stated by a witness that in the forenoon he was on a certain 'bus, bat the driver of the 'bus denied that this was so. However no testimony wan procured which proved that Newman, during the time the outrage was committed, w:is elsewhere than at the scene of the torriblo crime. It was rumoured last night that the prisoners Martin and Hill bad also made declarations, but upon enquiry it was found that there was no foundation for this statement. The prisoners continue to receive the : ministrations -of the ministers of their respective denominations, and the CardinalArchbishop of Sydney has issued instructions to the R. l>. clergy, requesting that early on Friday morning lioly Maes may bo offered in each church of this city, that the culprits sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty of the law may have in their last moments every spiritual comfort of religion. The new gallows, the construction of which was entrusted to Messrs. Hudson Brothers, was yesterday ereoted in E wing of Darlinghnrst Gaol, and will to day be subjected to a final test. The removal of the gallows from its old position will have at least this advantage, that it will bo entirely shut out from public view, and the criminal be beyond hearing of any crowd which may assemble without the walls of the prison. One of the most gruesome circumstances in connection with the hanging of Johns waa the fact that whilst tho last offices of the Church were being performed, and during the sentences uttered by the wretched prisoner before being launched into eternity, the shouts and cries of a crowd gathered near the gaol walls could be distinctly heard, and from the top branches of a tree in the vicinity a couple of lads who had clambered np into this vantage point viewed the awful scene. Indeed, the effect of hearing the clamour of voices urged the unhappy prisoner into a paroxysm of excitement. The erection of the gallows in its new position will entirely, or almost entirely, do away with the possibility of a recurrence of this ghastly feature in the execution. It was at first proposed to erect a gallowa which would enable two at a time to be hanged, but the opinion of the officials of the gaol was strongly against this course. There teemed to be in it an unnecessary prolonging of the terrible duty in bringing the men out two by two ; and finally it was determined to make provision for the simultaneous execution of the six.