WITHOUT TRIAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18759, 16 July 1935, Page 10

WITHOUT TRIAL

DEATH SENTENCE PASSED GUILTY PLEA ACCEPTED LONDON. June 7. Six minutes after lie entered ihe dock at Gloucester Assizes yesterday Arthur Henry .Franklin, 4.1, a smallholder, of 'Hanhani. near Bristol, was sentenced to death for the murder of Mrs Bessie Gladys Nott, 28. Tie refused legal aid and pleaded guilty. Mr 11. IT. Maddocks, for the Grown, said Mr and Mrs Nott had lived neat Franklin for about three years. Mrs Nott went to live with Franklin in November, 198.1. Last May she arranged to return to her husband. On May 8, -when she was 'walking towards iis bungalow Franklin shot her with iiis sporting gun. He also shot Nott, who was working near at hand, and destroyed one of his eyes. Franklin- replied “Nothing” when asked if he had anything to say, and Mr Justice Macnagliten passed sentence of death. OTliftß SHORT TRIALS At his trial at the Old Bailey on February I t .Lames Robert Vent, an unemployed miner, accused of the murder of a woman at Camberwell, insisted on pleading guilty. The death sentence was -passed bv V Mr Justice Talbot within a few minutes of the prisoner-entering the dork. In 1925 Mr Justice Alright; accepted the plea of guilty of a young man named Sam\tel Johnson, charged With

the murder of a woman, and tho trial was over in little more than four minutes. A t the Old Bailey, in the same year, James Frederick ’Stratton, accused of the murder of his sweetheart in a tram, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death 'within'six minutes. Five minutes was the duration of the trial at Liverpool of Joseph Reginald Victor. Clark,' 21, a wireless operator, for .the murder of Mrs Fontaine. He appealed later against the death sentence, on the ground that the only evidence was his confession, which ho wished to withdraw, but his appeal failed.