BAYLY DIES

Patea Mail, Volume LIII, 23 July 1934, Page 4

BAYLY DIES

PROTESTI XG ;i XXOCEXCE. William Alfred Bayly was executed in Mount Eden Gaol on Friday morning for Hie murder of Mr. and Mrs. Eakey at Knawaro on October Id last. Bayly died protesting his innocence. When asked by the sheriff if he had anything to say, he replied that he was entirely innocent. He continued: "The circumstantial evidence may appear to be entirely against me, but there is no tittle of truth in the circumstantial evidence which has been produced against me. If 1 had received the treatment outside which I have received in this place I would never be here to-day. Everybody has done all they could for me, ami 1 do not think anybody who hits helped me here could hare done more.’'

After a pause he said: don’’ think 1 can say any more, but I do repeat thafil am innocent. A fair aml disthat I am innocent. A fair and dis passionate statement of the evidence is as much against my accusers as it is against me.” He shook hands with (he two warders, thanked (he prison chaplain (the Kov. G. E. Morton), and less than a minute afterwards was executed. THE IXQCE^P. Am impiest was subsccpicntly held before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., when ii verdict wr.is returned that Bayly had died of asphyxia, caused by his having been hanged in accordance ' with the sentence of the Supreme - Court. BODY CREMATED. in the afternoon (be body wa: claimed on behalf of (he relatives and was cremated at the Waikumetc Cemetery. The funeral ceremony, at which the Rev. Moreton ofiiciatc.l, was attended by relations and friends. After cremation the ashes were scattered in the cemetery iin accordance with the wishes of relatives. A CU.IHOUS DOCUMENT. MI DXTG H 1 COXP i; RE XC E. A document which came into the possession of the police and is understood to throw some doubt on the guilt of William Alfred Bayly was considered by the Governor General and Ministers late on Thursday night and early on Friday morning. Immediately the House rose at .10. JO p.m., a meeting took place in the Prime Minister’s room, at which there wore present Messrs. Forbes, Coates, Cobbo, the Commissioner of Policy (Mr. Wohlmann), and the Under-Secretary of Justice (Mr. Ballard). (Shortly before midnight', Mr. Cobbo called on the Governor General a't Government House ami upon returning to Parliament Buildings conferred again with the Prime Minister. It was announced at 1 o’clock that it was not intended to interfere with the sentence.