THE WAIKAWA MURDERER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5276, 18 January 1879, Page 3

THE WAIKAWA MURDERER.

(Per Press Association Special Wire.)

J'f. rf~\ .'£-*.-ercargill, January 17th. %The Times this morning Las a strong leading article on the report that Welab, the Waikawa murderer, ia to escape capital punishment. It says tbat no extenuating circumstance- whatever have been adduced to warrant any mitigation of the extreme penalty of tbe law, and that the plea of insanity which was now set up wasnot even referred to at the trial by prisoner's counsel. The only defence set up .vasan attempt to prove that deceased committed suicide ; but against the weight of evidence on the other side this fell to pieces like a house ef cards. It goes on to say :—" With the sentence we fully concurred. There were no extenuating circumstances of any kind to warrant tho slightest modification of it, and if ever a man deserved hanging for a cruel and barbarona crime, that marl was Jamea Welsh. We think we shall only do Judge-) Williamabare ju3tice in stating that had anything transpired in the course of tbo trial to lead to a mere supposition even of imsonndneas of mind on the prisoner's part, the Judge would not have overlooked it, and would certainly have been influenced by it when, aa we were adviaed tbe other day by telegram, be waa unablo to say anything in favour of commuting the extreme sentence. If there had been a political end in view it is quite possible the Ministry would bave used the Welsh lever to have gained it. But the man was a nobody, a mere bower of wood and drawer of water, from whom nothing was to bo hoped for nnd nothing to be feared; but be placed himself within tbe graap of the law, and now, forsooth, at the laat moment, and without cause being shown, the well-known threadbare plea of insanity is put forward. With this we cannot concur, for there is nothing to justify it. The man was fairly tried by hia peers before one of tbo moat merciful judges on the New Zealand circuit."