ESCAPED GALLOWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20108, 15 May 1935, Page 9

ESCAPED GALLOWS

WOMAN’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED United Pre«*s Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received May 15, 12.15 a.m.) LONDON, May 14. Gertrude de la Mare, aged 27, a housekeeper, who was found guilty on April 16 of murdering her former employer, Alfred Brouard, aged 76, by cutting his throat and forging his will in her favour, has had the death sentence commuted to penal servitude for life. An earlier message stated that the curious law of the island of Guernsey resulted in a most dramatic climax to the trial of Gertrude de la Mare. The eleven jurats filed in -after an hour’s absence. The Bailiff asked: “Are you of the opinion that she committed the crime?” The senior jurat: “I think she committed a deliberate, cold-blooded murder.” The remainder of the jurats’ replies were: “Yes.” The Bailiff: “Do you consider that she is insane?” The senior jurat replied “no,” and the second jurat, “yes.” Accused's fate alternated until four all, “yes” and “no.” The ninth jurat replied “no,” the tenth “no,” thus sealing Mare’s fate by a majority verdict of six to four. The eleventh jurat replied “yes.” The Bailiff donned the high-crown-ed blue bonnet, corresponding to the English black cap and pronounced the sentence of death.