NO REPRIEVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23574, 7 February 1940, Page 11

NO REPRIEVE

EXECUTION TO-DAY CONDEMNED IRISHMEN GIRL VICTIM'S MOTHER DEATH AT COVENTRY By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received February 6, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 5 The Attorney-General, Sir Donald Somervell, refused a fiat to allow the House of Lords to deal with the case of the Irishmen Barnes and Richards, the men lying in the Birmingham gaol under sentence of death in connection with the Coventry explosion. The Home Secretai-y, Sir John Anderson, has refused to reprieve the accused and they will be executed on Wednesday. It is reported that Mrs. Laura Ansell, mother of the girl victim of the Coventry explosion, died to-day, having failed to recover from the shock of her daughter's death. One thousand policemen are co-operating in secret plans to prevent further outrages by members of the Irish Republican Army.

A terrific explosion rocked the centre of Coventry on August 25. Five people died and 12 were taken to hospital, while 50 others were slightly injured. The police believed then that members of the Irish Republican Army placed a time bomb on a tradesman's tricycle left standing in the street. Three men and two women on October 4 were jointly charged with the murder of four men-and one woman in the explosion. The prosecutor said all the accused lived in the same house, where they had made a time bomb. Finally, on December 14, Peter Barnes, "aged 32, and James Richards, aged 29, were sentenced to death on the murder charge from the - explosion. Joseph Hewitt, his wife and mother-in-law were found not guilty," but faced other indictments. A large meeting at the Mansion House, Dublin, last Sunday, under the presidency of the lady Lord Mayor, Mrs. Tom Clarke*- urged the better elements of the British people and Cabinet to exercise wise statesmanship by reprieving the two Irishmen.