PUKEKAWA MURDER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 68, 14 December 1920, Page 6

PUKEKAWA MURDER

DEATH SENTENCE TO BE CARRIED : OUT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, December 13. The Executive Council decided this afternoon that there ,wafl 110 reason to intprfer.; with tho sentence of <leath passed 011 Samuel John Thorn 011 December S for tho murdor of Sidney Seymour Eyre at Tukckawa on August 24. SUICIDE OF IMPORTANT WITNESS. Auckland, December 13. James Granville® was found dead in bed at Ills farm, Glemnurray, 011 Satnrdny night. Dmtii was caused by a gunshot wound, and a gun was alongside the body. «It appears clear that Granville committed suicide, that 110 got into bed, tied one end of a pieco of cotton to tlia trigger of a donble-barrellod gun and th« other end to his 'right foot, the muzzle of tho gun rostins in his mouth when tho trigger was pulled. It is stated that Granville was married, and that hi* widow resides at Nolson. Thorn worked for Granville after leaving Eyre's farm six weeks -before tho murder''occurred. 110 was nil important witness at Thorn's trial on the question as to the idfflftlty of 0110 of his horses. Granville left n letter addr.y=sed to his solicitor, in which ho stated that financial difficulties had been the cause of his suicide, lie had also been drinking heavily, Mr. Singer, oounsel for Thorn, brought the fact of Granville's suioido under the noticr »f tho Executive, which met here to-day to consider tho sentence passed on Thorn..