The Crewe Murder.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6237, 9 June 1890, Page 2

The Crewe Murder.

THE HOME SECRETARY’S EXPLANATION.

The indignant “greater jurymen” and blathering M.P.s who threatened Mr Matthews with the condign vengeance of both sides of the House of Commons for his. persistence in executing Richard Davies reckoned wholly without their host. The Home Secretary said a very few words on the subject, but that they carried conviction (o the majority of members present was so obvious that even the usually irrepressible “ Tay Pay” found it impossible to pursue the matter further. “ llio crime of the Davies brothers,” observed Mr Matthews, “was cruel and deliberate, and the recommendation of the jury to mercy on ground of the murderers’ youth only, ‘it was impossible to give effect to in the case of Richard Davies, who was all but 19, an ago approaching manhood, at wh’ch responsibility for deliberate crime has been and in my opinion should be enforeed. (Hear, hear.} George Davies was only 16 years and 8 months old. No person so young has been left for execution for very many years. The conclusion at which both myself and the Judge who tried the case arrived, was that George Davies acted under the influence of his elder brother, who initiated the plot and took a principal part in the execution. Under , these circumstances, I thought it possible to give effect to the recommendation of the jury in the case of George, and I am permitted to say that I had the advice aud concurrence of the learned Judge in extending mercy • to George and George only. (Hear, hear.)”