PONSONBY MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1920, Page 3

PONSONBY MURDER

CABINET’S DECISION

GUNN TO BE HANGED TO-DAY. (L’er Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 21. . The statement made in Auckland by Denis Gunn reached Wellington this afternoon, and a meeting of Cabinet was called almost immediately to consider wluit steps, if any, should be. taken regarding it. Tho decision, as announced bv the Prime Minister, after tho meeting, was as follows :r- ---“ Cabinet has fully considered the statement made by Gunn, and , has come to the conclusion that there is 1 nothing to warrant it in altering the decision already arrived at.” Nothing- is, however, being divulged ns to the contents of Gunn’s statement. As the date fixed for the execution is to-morrow morning, tile, decision of the Cabinet means that Gunn will be, hanged forthwith.

, DEATH PENALTY. DENIS GUNN EXECUTED. AUCKLAND, This Day. Denis Gaum was executed at Mount Eden Gaol at S o’clock. ' Before leaving his cell, the prisoner sent word to Detective Cummings, who conducted the police prosecution, that he bore him no ill-will. , Otherwise Gunn made no*statement, except when returning 'the crucifix to the priest who administered the/ last rites on the scaffold, when he said:— “ Give that to rnv poor mother, and say good-bye.” His reply to the Sheriff’s query before the rope was adjusted ivas; : — “ I nm prepared to meet my God, and my Creator.” The execution was witnessed by about a dozen people,' mostly officials. The execution was speedy, arid without incident. DETAILED DESCRIPTION. AUCKLAND, This Day. Precisely at the hour, Dennis Gunn was led.out of his cell and took his place in the little procession which had to triiverse a dozen paces from the cell to the yard on the eastern end of the main gaoLbuilding,'where the scaffold was erected. In front of the condemned man walked Father Herring, reading the lmria] service. Gunn wore prison clothes, without a coat and was • bare headed. He had bis arms pinioned at the side with leather straps. The scaffold was erected alongside the prison wall, which was covered with a temporary canvas roof, owing to the rain. Steps leading up to the platform numbered about fifteen. The platform was about ten feet square, the lower part being covered in so that the body was not visible once it dropped through the ' trap door. While the hangman, the same mrtn who officiated at the execu-

tion of Eggcrs and Rothman, was making his arrangements, the burial service was continued and at the end Gunn made the responses, several in number, calmly, with his eyes closed. He was pale land never opened his eyes, but lie never showed any feeling whatever.

After Gunn’ a response to the Sheriff, the hangman quickly drew the white cap over the man’s head, fixed the rope and drew the bolt. Death was instantaneous. Everything of a spectacular nature was eliminated from the execution.

The hanging this morning took less than five minutes from the time Gunn left his cell. The gaol surgeon made an examination of the body and reported that death was instantaneous.

CUNN’S STATEMENT. EXPLANATION BY MINISTER. . j AUCKLAND. This Day. The Minister of Justice (Hon. Lee) informed the press that in the statement made by Dennis Gunn, and signed by him in the presence of a magistrate, Gunn admitted he committed the burglary at the Ponsonby Post Office. “ His story,” said the Minister, “ is that'he and two other men took different parts in the crime, that one oi them followed the postmaster, and subsequently returned to the other two with the keys of the Post Office. “That these twfi, (Dennis Gunn beipg one of them), robbed the post offide; 'that after leaving the post office, Dennis Gunn told the man who had been at the postmaster’s house that it was decided to hide the revolvers. This man showed three revolvers, and Gunn hid them in the blackberries.” “The police made all investigations before the trial as to tile movements of the two men referred to by Gunn, and satisfied themselves by the statements of a number of creditable people that neither of these men were in the locality where the crime was committed on ilie evening of the 13th. March. Further that their movements on that evening are fully accounted for.”