FALSE CONVICTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17608, 26 October 1931, Page 10

FALSE CONVICTION

AMAZING BLUNDER

OLD DULWICH BOY’S COM- - "pEnsation ' IvATIO’s- , LONDON, Sept. ?. The’last chapter ! has tWeen written in the drama of Mr. T: Rocvey Barrett; the old Dulwich Collegb” boy, Wha»«m 11921 was wrongfully convicted af- Accra ! and sentenced to imprisffiß .pient for alleged "fraud' -'hi cohriedtidh with a company. Mr. Barrett served the sentence and I afterwards—the anhounefement was'made j m July of last year—was granted a free pardon. The Gold Coast Government, through ' the Grown Agents fqr' the Colonies,' Ms now paid to Mr. Barrett a sum whidi lie has accepted as*final 'compensatioti in respect of his wrongful 1 conviction anil imprisonment. - Five thousand pounds has been paid, ! it is stated, as solatium for'-Mr 'Barrett-’s | imprisonment. In' 1 addition,“ he" lifeg’ fe- > ceived a further surhj ! the amouilit Wf which is not stated 1 ; towardS 'deflnito financial losses arising out of tho conviction; j ’The full revelation some months ago of 'the facts' df the i'omarkabie ;drror , ip'f I the courts stirred public feeling profoundly. > I In early manhood, Mr. Barrett was in business in London. He 'Went’ ‘through tho Boer War with the O:l.Ws, .and 1 served in the Gi'eat War, attaining the rank of captain. lil ’ 1918' lie Set up i business at tho'Gold Coast; 1 M” j ' His arrest a year or'two later was on : the strange allegation that he had obtained by false j*retencds a bonus’which [his company had paid'af aiftimo when he hold all the sharea'-a one 1 man company:l Other persons had later joined the company, and while 'it was under their control it had been wound up. - Ellorts-to take tho case to the Appeal Cofu't failed, and TVJr. Barrett served his sentence in England, p '• *- - :-y£ i Mr, Barrett has stated that his punj ishmenii' did not end with the term of - imprisonment. Everywhere *he 1 was socially ostracised: and ho was ‘working as a. * depot storekeeper' on (the Trans : Zambesi railway when the now's that be 1 had been granted a, i'reb pahlchi reached , him. • j \ 1 j ’‘’Meantime his wife, whoso liomo had been taken from her when the tragedy foil, had bravely carried on ill London with the help of her loyal Children. ’ ; ! Mr. Barrett had' never since his release from prison ceased his-efforts to get the ternblo stigma resting ’iipoh" him removed, and tho final "happy issuo is j largely duo to the enthusiasm 1 with ; which Mr. A. L. Brydon, *a London ■ solicitor, End taken up- the case. in. - in ~