Sentenced to Death.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8303, 26 September 1895, Page 4

Sentenced to Death.

iNTEROABaiLL, September 25. The trial ol John Kejwn for the marder of Hugh Stewart, bailiff, at Balfoar, by shooting him, cona laded at 5 p.m., and after deliberating two and a-half bears the jury returned a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. Hia Uonor ia passing; sentence of death, eaid that tbe rf commendation of the jary, looking at the prisoner's previous history, m ; ght n t be altogether unreasonable, and ia the course o( his dot? he woald intimate tbat opinion t) th* proper authorities Hia Hoaor sincerely Baked and reoomraended Keown not to plaoe too great confidence in tbe jury's reoommendatioo. The defence was direo'ed to showing that Eeown since a fall on bis bead six years ago, had been uubjeot to fitß of violence, whioh had been aggravated by exoeßsive drinking. It Wiß deposed tbat Eeown had besn known to drink two gallon! of whisky in fire days ; that he had stabbed hid own horses, tied ap their legs, and lett them without food for days, and deoied all knowledge of having done Baoh things. Doctor James Young, formerly Superintendent of the Auokland Asylum, eaid tint ouoh a thing as alcoholic insanity was recognise i, and that in some oases icj dries to the head woald make tbe sabjeot more Busceptible to the infiaenoe of alcohol. He should say that Eeown had been at the time 0! the tragedy suffering from aoaie alooholio insanity, which was a very dangerous kind of lanacy. He was sane now. Dr MoLeod, Government Burgeon, was also of opiaion after examination, tbat Eeown w*s now of a sound mind.