IN THE CONDEMNED CELL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 670, 22 November 1909, Page 8

IN THE CONDEMNED CELL.

' ',:■;:■• THE i CASE! OF AETHUE .■: EOBEETS. , ;• ' ; ATthur'Eoberts,.'no'wVlying! under sentence of" death: in Lyttelton-.Gaol, at'first showed little sign"of;,.realisation; of the seriousness, of,.his , position?. He - stated ■ -that ■!', someone..' about, tho Court, who,. he; tHinks, 1 was in:a .position to know, told him as he left the. Court that he was certain of a /reprieve with commutation of his sentence.':if;not ,of;a pardon; and'buoyed up with.:.this he/,waa!at, first -nonchalant.. But (says.a ;Chfistchurqh,;corresponde_nt), Mr.:Smail, our.; .excellent", inissiqher;:: saw him; and urged. upon him the great mistake, which he might make if he : trnsted'to;suchian idea. 'The earnest-re-marks of. the missioner had weight,: aid, -whereas',at first he\refused to see any clergy : manj : h\,v has' since-'shown ,mx anxiety, as- to. tho . future. ■'■ He is; a Presbyterian, '■ and yMr. Beath, the , Presbyterian clergyman in'Lyttelton, had,not.seen him at time of writing, but intended. to ; dp'-.sp, on Sunday, and, .Roberts shows, a disposition to see him..! In the-mean-time, I 'his .appetite, is -good, and he ■ sleeps soiindly. .According to the regulations, he-re-ceives, the'.-ordinary 'gaol*.fore , ,, with,such,.additions as the gaol surgeon' may.: prescribe. ■At present'those additiqns!ara butter ;and milk. He-is never left , alone, a warder: being always wii'i.him day- anct night. . .!**.. .■ --..'.-, ', ,' ''.:■-' '' : ''"'•'■..'-'" .... "*.'-■' '; .-' '*.- .■'■.