THE MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE.

Kumara Times, Issue 3159, 18 December 1886, Page 3

THE MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE.

TFIE JUDGE'S SENTENCE OF

DEATH

On Thursday we published some particulars of the conclusion of the trial of the eleven men charged in the Central Criminal Court, Sydney, with having ciimiiiiilly assaulted Mary Jane Hicks. The jury recommended the prisoners to mercy on account of their youth. In answer to a question, Hill, Donnelan, Boyce, Keegan, Miller and Read protested their iunoceiice. Duffy and Newman had nothing to say, whilst Martin said the girl, Mary Hicks, was a consenting party. Mr Justice Windeyer's summing-up lasted ten hours. His Honor then proceeded to pass sentence on each of tin? prisoners, holding out no hope of mercy. He said : "Language fails to express the abhorrence and loathing of right-thinking men of the sceno described by witness afier witness iu this case, as the poor defenceless girl, friendless and alone, is hunted down by a set of savages, who, springing upon her, outrage her until she lies a honible thing before them, and then, when returning consciousness brings with it the terror of further outrage, she, in a frenzy, seeks the onlyopportunity of death that seems to present itself as a lefuge from the horrors of life. Everybody who has listened to the accounts given by witness after witness must come to the conclusion that this outrage has been committed, and now one after another the perpetrators cooly protest their innocence. After a rational hearing of eighty-five witnesses, and a trial almost unexampled, the jury has arrived at a very just verdict. There is no doubt, that perjury after perjury has been committed to try and swear you out of that | ij'ac". F . an l fr'.ad f n rind rhat v?c have. | a jury intelligent enough to act fear- | 'essly and honestly in a case like this, because it is a terrible thing that such a crime should go unpunished." After alluding to a number of cases of a simiar nature, in which the culprits had escaped justice, His Honor concluded, "' You cannot expect that those who are charged with the execution of the

law will hesitate under all these circumstances in handing you over to that death which you most righteously de serve. Outrages like these are not committed on children of the rich, who go about under the protection of servants and others, but it is the daughters

of the people who are subjected to them. Whilst in pursuit of their honest avocations, they are compelled to go about exposed to such outrages as have been, brought to light, during the trial. XTnder all these circumstances, no pity can be expected for you. Pily will be reserved for the home you have outraged, and the victim you have wronged. I warn you to waste no time with idle protestations of innocence. I would advise you to prepare to meet your Maker, and, if you are capable of understanding, to remember that time is short. The recommendation to mercy which the jury has made in your favour, it will be my duty to convey to the Executive with whom your fate rests, and not with me, but I can hold out no hope that the recommendation will be acted upon. After all we have seen of late years in this country, the time has come when a terrible example must be made. Such conduct as this can only be restrained by the fear of death ; and I have now but one duty to discharge, to pass upon you the last dread sentence of the law."

By telegrams which we published last evening, we learn that the New South Wales Government has decided that six of (he prisoners who were sentenced to death shall be hanged. These are William Hill, George Duffy, William Newman, Joseph Martin, William Boyce, and Robert G. Read.

The names of the three whose sentence is commuted to imprisonment for life are Michael Donnelan, Hugh Miller, and George Keegan.

Thomas Scraft and Michael Morgan were found not guilty, and discharged. A telegram this afternoon states that the execution will probably take place on the 7th proximo.