OPERA HOUSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15366, 10 November 1920, Page 5

OPERA HOUSE.

MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG, j On the evening of November 14th, 1884, a cry of firo* ran through the Glen, tho residence of Miss Emma Keysc, who whs at one time a hiaid of honor tajtJhf 1 late Queen Victoria. .. J.ohu Lee, who wiis employed as her gardener, was the first servant to -enter the room. •• At first, .ho does not -see- the body of his niurdered benefactress on the floor,' but devotes hisatteutions to cottinguishing Ihe fl^tues in ! the bedroom. After subduing tho firo ho I discovers the body of Miss Koyso. Tin) servants iii the meantime had called in the assistance of the police,, and/as .'.they entered th6 room Efee wi^s found standing over the body with the fatal knife, in liis hand. ; He ; was arrested on • 'suspicion and tajcen. off to giaol, there to- await-his trial. He Was found guilty" oni ciraimstantrial evidence, ands^nteiiced to bo hanged. Tlie sentence created ,- the- most profound' initerest. Hundreds of meetings wore held all over England in Lee's interest to try to 'alter the decision. Lee was only 23 years of ; age at the time. Hf> was, however, ' sen I to tho gallows. Three times thoyi 'tried to hang hii»} and. pn each occasion ! failed, although •nvhen tested wifch bags of sand- the scaffold worked smool-hiy. His sentence was then committed to penal se.r-,'vitude-for-life. After spending 23 yeai's in. prison ho was released through the real- murderer confessing;- still; ajive to-day '.- Mr Frederick Haldau'e, the i English aotbr orator , : will deliver a d«- } scrjptive lecture while Hlte picture is be-; Jng screened- '?■ The TfirSfc iscreening takes J place at . the Opera House ne^fc Friday ; lav n. short -season of "-three nights. .Intending patrons are strongly ' adyise.a to' book their seats at Miller's cornei*, as the i box plan i9 filling rapidly.