SENSATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO REPRIEVE A MURDERER. JUSTICE BY JOURNALISM. [FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] London, August. 26.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 225, 22 October 1887, Page 2

SENSATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO REPRIEVE A MURDERER.

JUSTICE BY JOURNALISM. [FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] London, August. 26.

No sooner had the editor of the "Fall Mall" brought Mrs Langworthy's over-true story to a triumphant conclusion, than he set. to work to hunt up yet another newspaper sensation of the lir&fc water. Thi s •was soon forthcoming in the case of. the Jewish comict, Lipski, who, you may remember, was condemned to death some weeks ago tor a peculiarly brutal and rcpulbivo murder. Mr ] lay ward, priboncr'h solicitor, has all along been firmly convinced of his client's innocence, and no sooner was the date ot Lipski's execution fixed than he set to work to move hea\ on and earth to get the man respited. No Jew had ever been hanged in England, and the Hebiews weie consequently moht anxious thaD llayward should succeed in Ins enterprise, and the pieccdent leinain unbroken! Every assistance was aiiuukd him towards the hunting up of new evidence favourable to .Lipski, and on Fi id lay week he submitted to the Judge vhotiiecl the case (Mi Justice ►Stephen) and _ the Home Secretary bO\eial nioie or lett> tri\ial possibilities. The case having aiout>ed a lot of attention, both Mr Matthews and the judges ga\ c the so-called "new e\ideneo" their moit careful thought and attention ; but the conclusion they camo to, after going over every point judicially, Mas that there really seemed no valid re.i-.on lor .granting a lt^nite. This took place on JbViday. On Hatmday morning lla\\\aul went to see Stead, and that e\eningtheie appealed in the "P.M.G." some highly sensational and startling statements. Stead declaied, for example, that Mr Ju.-tiee Stephen had confessed to Mr Il.nuaul that hi* mind misgave him as to Lipski\s guilt, and that the new e\idence had greatly shaken him. To hang Lipski with this assertion uncontiadictod ivas> obviously impossible ; .^o Mr Matthews granted a respite ior a week on the distinct undei standing that unless honu jid< j fresh evidence was forthcoming the execution would then take place. On Monday Mr Justice Stephen publicly denied the " Pall Mall liazette & '" statement re his mind having changed, nnd latci almost all Mr Stead's statement* \\ ere found to be eithei gios.sly e\aggeiatcd or nUeily false. Throughout the week, ho\\e\er, the *'Pa)l Mall da/ette" kept up a hy-tcne ■shriek of bcnsatiunali.-m. It-ropoueis became detectnes, tlie police wcic accused of tam[)i'iing with justice, and Lip-ki A\as repiesentod as something moie than a martyr. No fre^h evidence of importance, however, proved to be foithcoming save that ot a chemist called Buchner, who after being carefully examined liy cxpcits for two houis was pronounced untiu>twoi thy. On .Saturday Mr Matthew'b finally decided that the respite would not bo extended beyond the iollowing Monday, and on Sunday the convict Wdb notified of his impending doom. He at once said, "hi ill not die a\ ith a he on my lips," and to the surprise and relief of the authontic-j foithwith dictated a full confession of his guilt. Mr Stead meanwhile was punning a final invocation headed "iSpaic thcMan,"andpiophcs) mg;.ll sorts of hoiror ii "this ghastly judical murder " were carried out.

A Previous Confession Jtte&trojed. Extraordinaty °.s it may appear, the fact that a confession of this chaiacter was probable was, pajb the "Daily Tolu'jmph, 1 ' known to so\eral people during tlie past few day>, and it is stated that jestoiday ■week the convict ■was engaged in putting it into writing w hen the respite of the Rome Secretary ariived, to his gieat surprise. The paper aheady tilled wai hurriedly t^rn up, and esery care taken to pie\ent the publication ot the circumstances-, and it -was believed that no clue was left to infotra any person of what had actually happened.

liipslci's Last Bays in Gaol. Lipski himself immediately became cheerful, and from day to day had strong hopes tlnifc the element of doubt -would prow so strong as to lead to hi^ reprieve. Whilst in gaol he had actually giovui stouter, he p'lepu well, and hit. appetite was good. When he was .seen on Saturday by Mr Philip Lipski, his landlord, he was cheeiful, reiterating his innocence and appearing hopeful of the future. Tho'-o who came most into contact with him describe him as a man of .small intellect, not omotional, but sometimes giving way to tears, and at all times appaiently religious. He paid particular attention to certain pansages of Scriptuie, but ho always exhibited a strong reluctance to discuss the dotail.s of the crime.

How the Second Confession was Made. Although statements heave been made of a contrary character, Lipski was not neglected by ministers of his faith. The Reverend S. Singer, of the new West-end Synogogue, Bayswater, travelled up almost daily from South&ea. He arrived at the gaol yesterday afternoon, at ten minutes to one p.m., and, having been shown into Lipski's cell, he conversed, with him some time. The Governor of Newgate, Colonel Milmttn, soon followed, and the terms of the Home Secretary's letter were then made known to the unhappy man, who thereupon grew very downcast. He then resolved to complete whathehadcommenced jusb seven days before, and, in Yiddish, he dictated to his spiritual adviser the text of his confession. Lipski spoke English imperfectly, bub he understood the language fairly, and he was able to check the translation which the minister made word by word as he proceeded. Some two hours were thus occupied. The Governor was then asked if he would attest the document, which he did, and it was then signed by theprieoner by, Mr Singer, and Colonel Milman. The Governor liimself made a copy of it, and the original, filling two foolscap folios, was despatched immediately to the Home Secretary. Mr Singer then went back to Lipski and asked him whether he would not like to write to his father and mother a Warsaw, and he accordingly dictated a letter to them in his native language. A second letter was also prepared for JLvs Lyonfr, the mother of his fiancee. Of this engagement he epoke sorrowfully. He next charged the minister with pome small commissions, Mr Singer undertaking to pay a trifling debt owing to a fellow lodger and to &ec that Lipski's effects and stock should be sold in order to reimburse Mrs Philip Lipski, she having lent the prisoner some- money.