MUNN TO BE EXECUTED

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1930, Page 11

MUNN TO BE EXECUTED

DECISION OF THE COUNCIL CONDEMNED MAN INFORMED PENALTY FOR WIFE MURDER (By Wire —Special to News.) Auckland, Last Night. The Executive Council this morning considered the case of Arthur Thomas Munn, and its decision w r as that the sentence must be carried out. Execution must take place within seven days of the issue of the warrant. Munn was found guilty of murdering his wife at Northcote, The decision that the death sentence must be carried out was conveyed to Munn at Mount Eden gaol by Staff Captain Holmes of the Salvation Army this afternoon. The superintendent of the prison, and the chief warder, Mr. C. E. Spittai, were present. The formal death warrant will be read to Munn by the sheriff when it is available. — •' ; How Munn received the : news :is not known. Since his conviction on May 27 it is understood he has maintained the resolute demeanour which he kept throughout the trial and when sentence of death was passed on him. He is believed to have had few visitors in the past two months but it is stated his son went to see him. on one occasion at his request.

Staff Captain Holmes will attend Munn in his last hours and on the scaffold. Since he has been in the condemned cell at the prison Munn has been pleasant to the few whose duty has kept them in contact with him; He has written the story of his life with the object of cleraing his name. This manuscript, as far as it went, was forwarded to the Justice Department, and Munn’s writings have been perused by members of the Executive Council. It is thought that this caused the delay in coming to a decision. While he was not engaged in writing Munn passed the time by playing draughts and dominoes with his warders. It is now over eight weeks since Munn was sentenced to death. Throughout that period he has occupied the condemned cell. He has been under constant observation all that time, the task having been allotted to three warders, each doing an eight-hour shift in the. cell with the prisoner.

The night before his execution Munn will be moved to another cell adjacent to the scaffold.