SENTENCED TO DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19959, 30 May 1928, Page 12

SENTENCED TO DEATH.

THE CASE OF NORGROVE. PETITION FOR REPRIEVE. THE QUESTION OF INSANITY. FURTHER EXPERT EXAMINATIONS. The movement for the reprieve of Allan George Norgrove, now under sentence ot death for the murder of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Ernistina Mary Norgrove, at New Lynn on March 7, was advanced a stage further yesterday when his counsel, Mr. Allan J. Moody, presented a petition for reprieve to the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, at Government House. The petition, which bears 1705 signatures, was forwarded to Wellington last evening to bo considered by the Executive Council. Tho signatures include members of Parliament, doctors, teachers, ministers and nurses, tradespeople and warders at Mount Eden Prison. Norgrove's mental condition, on which the petition is largely based, is being subjected to the most, exhaustive examination by some of the foremost specialists in the Dominion. Dr. T. G. Gray, inspector-general of mental hospitals, and Dr. A. C. McKillop, medical superintendent at the Sunnysido Mental Hospital, Christchurch, have come to Auckland for tho special purpose of examining Norgrove, and did so on Monday and yesterday. Dr. R. M. Beattie, for many years superintendent of the Auckland Mental Hospital, who gave evidence at tho trial that Norgrove was insane, is also taking part in the examinations. The Medical Evidence. The petition presented to His Excellency yesterday states:— " Your petitioners have followed the course of tho trial of Allan George Norgrove, who was found guilty of the murder. Your petitioners have grave doubts that the jury fully appreciated the weight of the evidence of Dr. R. M. Beattie, one of the witnesses for the defence, and who is recognised as one of the leading alienists in New Zealand, in respect of the prisoner's mental condition, particularly in view of the fact that Dr. Beattie's evidence and diagnosis were confirmed in material points by at least two of the Crown experts. " That Dr. Prins, one of the Crown witnesses, admitted that Norgrove was abnormal, thus corroborating the general evidence called for the defence, and in particular tho evidence of Drs. Beattie and James Moir. " That wo are of opinion that the admission made by Dr. Hayes in crossexamination clearly showed that prisoner was, if not a dementia praecox subject, at least a type of demential praecox subject. Request for Intervention. " That tho medical witnesses called as experts for the Crown, on their own admissions, saw Norgrove only twice, and this many weeks after the tragedy. Dr. Hayes himself admitted that Dr. Beattie ought to have been able to make a more accurate diagnosis than he. " That we feel that where the question is one of insanity, and that there is a possibility of the experts for the Crown being mistaken in their diagnosis, it would bo just and proper that the full sentence of the law should be commuted. " Jn praying for your Excellency's intervention, and that your Excellency and advisers will be pleased to commute the sentence, we feel confident that public anxiety will be relieved >md that the ends of justice will be fully met. We understand that section 447 of the Crimes Act, 1908, provides that if your Excellency and advisers entertain a doubt whether the accused ought to have been convicted you may, instead of commuting the sentence, direct a new trial."