DID HE CONFESS?

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18365, 24 April 1925, Page 15

DID HE CONFESS?

CROWBOROUGH MURDERER QUESTION AT INQUEST, (Bt CABLE—F-HESS ASSOCIATION— COrXBIOHT.) (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, April 22. There was an unusual incident at the formal inquest after tho execution of Norman Thome. A juror asked whether Thorne made any confession on tho scaffold. Tho governor of the prison replied: "I have no authority to answer that) question." Tho Coroner: That means that you arc forbidden to answer. There' is no question of authority to answer questions put by a Coroner's jury. Tho governor: I received instructions authorising mo to say that I am not in a position to answer. Tho Coroner: S,o the public, represented by the jury, is not to know whether Thorne made a confession. The governor: I am only able to repeat that I am not authorised to reply. Tho jury returned the usual verdict. The execution was the most rapid known- to tho officials, being completed in 10 seconds. Thorne faltered momentarily when ho caught sight of the execution shed, but then walked unassisted to the scaffold.

Eegardine the question at the inquest on Thorne, Sir W. JoynsonHicks, in an interview with tho "Daily Express, 1 ' explained why the Home Office docs not publish confessions by thofio convicted of murder. Ho said some make a full written confession which comes to the Home Secretary. Others make a statement to the Prison Governor stipulating that confidence must be observed. Others confess to the clergyman, which is a sacred matter about which nothing can be said. Regarding the cases first mentioned the person's statement might contain only half tho facts. Often condemned persons make a statement in order to relieve their feelings, but wish to keep tho truth from their relatives. There was a caso recently where a married man made a statement on the explicit understanding that his wife should never know. Tho Home Office view is that a man having been convicted this is the right course.