TUHI’S MENTALITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17017, 16 April 1923, Page 8

TUHI’S MENTALITY.

CONSIDERED BY CABINET. (Per Press Associatioi ..) WELLINGTON, April 16. Sir Francis Bell, Minister of Justice. stated to-day that there were two petitions suggesting deficient mentality of the voting Maori, John Tuhi, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murdex of Herbert Henry Knight at Joansonville. The petitions were carefully considered and the In-spector-General of Mental Hospitals (Dr E. Hay) and the doctor in charge of the Porirua Asylum had had an :nterview with Ihe prisoner and spent considerable time with him, and then ; eported to the Government that there was no ground for suggesting that Tuhi was not responsible for hri acts. Both petitions and the report were laid before the Governor-General, a? well as before Cabinet, and were coni idcred by both.

"With regard to the statement that the prisoner made at the trial that someone else was the murderer, Tuhi had been twice interviewed by deteciiTes under instruction#? from the Department of Justice, and was informed that if he would give information, the police would make every investigation, hut he declined to make any further statement or give any name.