ROTTMANN'S BURIAL PLACE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2405, 10 March 1915, Page 7

ROTTMANN'S BURIAL PLACE

PROTEST. 1 VOICED AT KARORI COUNCIL. • When question time was reached at the meeting of the Karori Borough Council last night, Councillor W. Skegg raised the point as to whether the council should protest against the burial of the murderer Rottmann taking place in the Karori Cemetery. He felt, he said, very strongly, against it, and considered it most disgraceful and shameful that the authorities should bury a murderer in Karori Cemetery. From a sentimental point of view those people who had dear ones_ in that cemetery wculd not like the idea of a man who had committed a particularly atrocious murder being buried close to their dear ones. Of course, he added, some people had no' feelings in connection with it, but there was a great deal of sentiment in connection with those matters, and he thought that if it was competent for the borough to protest against it they should do so.' A man who had paid tho extreme penalty in the Old Country was buried in the prison grounds. He did not think' it was at all right that they should make a sort of notoriety place of Karori Cemetery by burying murderers there. People would be coming out to see the grave of the murderer, and the place would get an unenviable notoriety. The Mayor (Mr. W. T. Hildreth): There is nothing before the council. I don't think this is.a matter for the council totake any part in at all. If the councillor is of opinion that there l are no other murderers in that cemetery i he is under a great mistake'. A councillor: They don't know where the other is fmried. . The matter dropped without further discussion.

lit may be mentioned that the practice of interring in the confines of the prison grounds tho remains of those who suffer the extreme penalty of the law was discontinued many years ago. Hie last burial in the Terrace prison area, accord- ■ '•) th«. himd»bofirds thow, wsg in MSO.J