SEQUEL TO MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1932, Page 6

SEQUEL TO MURDER

SHOULD ACCOMPLICE GET REWARD? A SON’S PREDICAMENT. SYDNEY, September 2. A murder which,’ in some strange particulars, is similar to the still unsolved Sayveii’l mystery, was perpie--trated at Paddington - in- December la.st. ; Alexander- Barrie, aged 85, and his- wifei, ag)ed 80, people of somewealth and among the most respected .citizen's in that part of : Sydney, were murderously attacked by two desperate young' criminals of the “basher .typ©. Barrie was killed on the spot, and his wife, whom he, courageously 'strove to protect, w,as so terribly injuled that she' has never recovered fro’m the effects. The police at once suggested to A. Barrie, jun., the son of the victims, that he should offer a reward of £IOO for the capture of the criminals', it being understood that thief Government would supplement the sum. Barrie dirh| signed a for Ural document offering the reward, ahd the Crown subsequently offered a further £2OO. Morton, one of the murd'.rars, was arrested, but during the trial' if tramspired that Morton had been betrayed to the police by Skeen, his accomplice, who,’ to save himself, “turned. King’s evidence.” Morton was duly sentenced to- de'ath,, whiPe Skeen was released, arid then poor Barrie found to his horror that £2CO of the reward offered—incJudihg his own £loo—rvas to go to the informer Skeen, who had taken, an active part in the murderous attack upon his father and mother. Barrie “ naturally finds this/revolting to his own feelings, and at the same time regards it as extr-imely uinv’ c from the point of view of public policy. He is a man of means and it is not the loss of the money that troubles him. But he argues - with great- force that the practice of paying rewards to' informers simply puts a premium on crime, and he asks this unanswerable question—why should the law ask a ,son to reward the man who helped to kill his father? Barrie is therefore holding out against the payment of any portion of 'the reward to Skeen. But the Crown Solicitor is pressing’ Barrie for a settlement and has even threatened legal action against him; white the ;Commissioner of Police is content to say that as Mr Barrie nromisled a reward, they look to him “as a man of honour,” to redeem his pledge.