CABINET MEETS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 7

CABINET MEETS.

Last Minute Appeal for Reprieve. POLICE CHECK STATEMENT. ( Star ’ Parliamentary- Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 20. All the tension of a page from a drama was present in an unsuccessful eleventh hour attempt to save the life of William Alfred Bayly, who was executed at Mount Eden prison this morning for the murder of Samuel Pender Lakey and Christobel Lakey. After an exhaustive examination of and investigation into statements contained in a letter purporting to raise a doubt as to Bayly’s guilt, which was received by the Minister of Justice (the Hon J. G. Cobbe) last night, the brief announcement was made by Mr Forbes at 1.15 a.m. to-day that it was not proposed that the course of justice should be interfered with. Shortly after the House rose at 10.30 last night, a conference took place in the Cabinet room between Mr Forbes, Mr Coates, Mr Cobbe, Mr B L. Da Hard, Under-Secretary of Justice, and Mr W. G. Wohlmann, Commissioner of Police, to consider the terms of a communication which claimed that it threw fresh light on the crime. The account given by the writer, it is stated, was in substance that he knew a man who some years ago overheard a conversation in which a person threatened to get even with Bayly and, with this end in view planted bones on the property farmed by Bayly at Ruawaro. The terms of the letter were not released for publication. Investigation at Auckland. Although the veracity of the alleged occurrence was questioned by the authorities, it was decided at once to exhaust all means of obtaining confirmatory evidence. Accordingly the long-distance telephone between Wellington and Auckland was freely used, and it is understood that the police in Auckland -were able to check up on every statement made by the writer of the letter and interview every person whose name had been mentioned. The results, it was indicated, subsequently disclosed in every case no evidence to support any of the statements made. It was after midnight when the final report on the investigation was received by the waiting Ministers. In the meantime a special visit was made to Government House by Mr Cobbe. who placed the matter before Lord Bledisloe at about 11.40 p.m.

Lord Bledisloe had retited, but met the Minister as soon as the urgency of the case was represented to him. It was approaching 12.30 when Mr Cobbe returned .to Parliament House, and before rejoining his colleagues in the Cabinet room he sat alone in his office awaiting a message from a source which was not disclosed.

Finally the Ministers concerned and Mr Wohlmann reassembled in Mr Forbes’s room shortly before 1 a.m., and dispersed about 20 minutes later. Mr Forbes’s announcement of the outcome of the conferences was made at 1.15 a.m.

Throughout the period of waiting—nearly two hours—the atmosphere in the Parliamentary Buildings vibrated to an undercurrent of mystery, and the air was filled with many strange rumours.