Dean's Sentence of Death Commuted.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 245, 18 April 1895, Page 2

Dean's Sentence of Death Commuted.

o EXTRAORDINARY DISCLOSURES. (Per Press Association.) Sydney, April 17. The Executive Council has commuted the sentence of death passed on George Dean, for attempting to poison his wife at the North Shore, to imprisonment for life. The Premier gives as a reason the judge's strong recommendation to mercy and the previous good character borne by the condemned man. In the Legislative Assembly Mr Crick brought the subject up on a motion for adjournment, and challenged the Government to appoint a Royal Commission to take evidence in the case, and said he would stake his reputation on his ability to bring evidence which would prove that Dean was innocent of the crime. The motion for adjournment was negatived. This Day. In reference to Dean's case Mr Waut, Attorney General, said he received a letter purporting to have "been written by Mrs Dean, stating that under pressure by her mother she gave false testimony against her husband, and tried to ruin him, and that as he had been wrongly judged her conscience pricked her and she asked that he should be liberated without letting ber know anything about the letter. Mr Waut had the contents dictated to her and found the writing to be dfferent. He also obtained a written denial from her. that she had penned or authorised the writing of the letter. Mr Waut stated everything possible in the interests of Dean was done, but the man proved his own guilt in the witness box. Mr Waut conducted tbe trial himself because he was convinced there was a conspiracy to defeat the ends of justice.