THE MURDER IN A POLICE CELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9163, 19 September 1888, Page 5

THE MURDER IN A POLICE CELL.

EXECUTION OF THE CULPRIT. The extreme penalty of the law was carried into effect on September 11 at Darlinghurst on the criminal Robert licwnrt, who was sentenced to death for tho murder of Thomas Park in a cell at tho Central Police Court on the 25th May. The execution took place a few minutes after nine, the prisoner being attended in his last moments by the Rev. Canon Rich, tho goal chaplain, and Mr. Bowmaker, city missionary; The unfortunate man declared, with his last breath, that he was innocent of the crime for which lie was convicted. Owing to the hesitancy of the assistant executioner, who was unable or unwilling to pull the lever, a slight delay took placo before the execution, and Howard had to assist him in performing the task. Death was apparently instantaneous, and after the body had ■ oil allowed to hang for the usual period, it was cut down and an inquest held. The deceased left a written statement in which he said :—"I, Robert Hewart, now state that although 1 have been charged, tried, and condemned to death for the murder of Thomas Park, 1 am entirely innocent* of the said crime. That I had no motive in murdering this man. That lie had never given me any provocation to injure him in any way whatever. Thnt 1 had never seen the prisoner Park in my life until my attention was drawn to his mutilated condition by tho policei That I was asleep, when the police awoke me and drew my attention to Park, at the same time exclaiming, ' What is all this about?' or 'What is the meaning of this ?' I could not for the moment understand what they were alluding to, and it was not till 1 had recovered my senses a little that 1 perceived some horrible crime had been committed. The evidence given against me at the trial by the police was of a very contradictory nature throughout, and can now be called nothing less than wilful and corrupt perjury. I would call attention to the evidence of a certain constable, whose name I connot remember, when he swore that ho saw me scraping blood off the wall with a knife shortly after this crime had been committed. If he saw me doing this, why did ho not take the knife from me at once, instead of leaving the matter till the following morning, when the knife was supposed i.o have been found in my possession. 1 would also call attention to the negligence on the part of the police, who, according to evidence, found Park in this mutilated con dilion at a quarter-past seven o'clock, and it was not till eight o'clock the same nigh! that he was brought under notice of the doctor. Had they attended to their duty in the manner in which they should have done, no doubt both Park's life and my own would have been saved, although, sad to say, I am an innocent man, and I firmly believe that had Park recovered thingwould have turned out very differently to what they have. Therefore 1 desire that this statement will be published, and as it is my last request 1 hope it will be complied with. (Signed) Robert Hewart."