LIONEL TERRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14701, 19 June 1911, Page 8

LIONEL TERRY.

PETITION FOR HIS RELEASE.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CO HUBS TON WENT.] CniusTcnuHcu, Sunday. A I'OTITION to llio Governor is being circulated in Christchurch for (ho release of Lionel Terry, -who was found guilty of murdering a Chinaman in Wellington, and who is now in tlio Sunnysido Mental Hospital. Tlio petition expresses an opinion that Terry is sane, and it asked that he should bo granted a free pardon and released for the following reasons: —

"Because tho crime was equivalent to one of. impulse, being tho result of overanxious thought on tho subject of race pollution, on which he had written with great force and literary power in a book published by him. "Because wo believe that he has expiat'ed his offence by serving over live years' imprisonment, and ho is not in any sense a homicidal maniac, and that wo have reason to believe that ho will, if liberated, at onco leave New Zealand.

"Because hie crime arose from excess of patriotic zeal, and wo think ho is therefore a fit object of Royal clemency in Coronation year."

A PLEA FROM ASHBURTON. Mr. J. Liddell Kelly writes from Ashburton as follows:— 'The quality of mercy is not strained.' Kindly allow me a brief space in which to urge for tho extension of clemency in this Coronation year to a New Zealand prisoner whoso case should command widespread sympathy in a country where public opinion is strongly against an influx of coloured aliens. I refer to Lionel 'Jerry, who has served over fivo years' imprisonment for shooting a Chinaman in Wellington on September 24, 1906 — rash and wicked act, which ho committed for tho purpose of emphasising the dangers that threatened our in unity from tho presence of numbers of Asiatics in our midst. Tho act itself is indefensible but at tho present time, when men's minds aro more alive to tlio Asiatic monaco, tho motive underlying the act must commend itself. I desire to .say that I knew Terry for a considerable time before the dato of his crime, and never detected any signs of criminality or insanity in him only a passionate conviction of the evils resulting from an admixture of white and coloured races. J saw him a few months ago at Sunnysido Mental Hospital, and despite all he has como through found him as calm and rational as ever before. He gave me his positive assurance that if liberated ho would at once leavo New Zealand and never return. I am confident ho will keep his word, and his release will not cause tho slightest danger to anyone."