EXECUTION OF TUHI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 35, 31 December 1880, Page 2

EXECUTION OF TUHI.

-__- —^ (From the Evening Post, of Wednesday.) Eight o'clock this morning was the hour fixed for the execution of the murderer of Miss Dobie, and precisely at thafc hour the doomed man paid the last eaHlily penalty of his crime, and " his spirit went to God who gave it." When placed on trial, aud when the terrible sentence of death wa3 j passed upon the self-confessed murderer, he exhibited an indifference which astonished eveu those who best knew the native character. In the condemned cell the same unconcern was manifested, and he ate and slept in a manner which showed he either did not realise hia position, or was utterly careless about his impending fate. On the very scaffold itself, his demeanour was that of a man who, knowing death was inevit-. able, had strung every nerve to go through the fearful ordeal with the utmost stoicism. The prisoner had, from the day on which he was sentenced, been assiduously attended by the Venerable Archdeacon Stock, and occasionally by hia Lordship the Bishop and a Maori missionary named Hitakara Warihi. Tuhi listened attentively to the ministrations of the clergymen, but it is doubtful if he was affected thereby as much as oould be desired. The Maori missionary seemed to be most welcomed bj Tuhi, and to him he is said to have conversed freely. It may be mentioned en pa**ant that this missionary, who is a minister of the Wesleyan denomination, baptised and was the instructor of Te Wharapa, the alleged Chatham Island murderer, and a relative of and member of the same tribe as Tuhi. Tuhi's mind, it is said, sometimes wandered from the consideration of his terrible position, and he would refer to matters altogether foreign to it. His Lordship the Bishop visited him in the condemned cell yesterday afternoon, and Archdeacon Stock was with Tuhi late in the evening, endeavoring to prepare him for his death next morning. The prisoner, who was never left for a moment alone, sat up writing till 1.30 this morning, but as he wrote in Maori the contents of the letters were unknown to Mr Reid, the Gaoler. They were to be sent to-day to the Visiting Justice, Mr Jonas Woodward, and thence to the Native Minister. It is alleged that one letter contains a full confession of Tuhi's guilt, intended for publication iv the Press. Oue of tho letters shown our representative was written in Maori iv a clear firm hand, and no trace of nervousness— not even a smear — wa9 visible in the writing. In the evening Tuhi had been removed from the condemned cell, and placed in one of the new cells recently erected on the left of the main entrauce hall. He retired to his bed at LSO o'clock this morning — having beeu engaged writing up to that hour — and almost immediately fell iuto a sound sleep, from which he did not waken till after daylight. Soon after this he was visited by the Yen. Archdeacon Stock, and partook of some breakfast. What took place between the minister and th. condemned man can only be surmised, for .he Archdeacon was too much overcome by the awful spectacle of seeing his charge suddenly launched into eternity to give his opinion of Tuhi's state of mind. Between half-past seven and a quarter to eight o'clock this morning a number of people began to assemble in little groups outside the gaol fence, with the object doubtless of being as near the scene of the execution as possible, thougli they must have been fully aware beforehand that they could not possibly see the murderer or witness his death upon the scaffold. Not so eager were those whose painful duty it was to witness every detail in this realistic tragedy. These consisted of Mr A. S. Allan (Sheriff). Mr Micaiah Read (Governor of the Gaol), Dr. Gillon, Mr R. C. Shearman (Superiuteudent of Police), Von. Archdeacon Stock, Mr 11. Forwood (who had defended prisoner), representatives of the Press, the Chief Warder of the Gaol, and Sergeants Anderson and Burtenshaw. Besides these there were several spectators whom curiosity probably prompted to be present. Oue lad of aboufc 15 was among those who presented an order fron the Sheriff to be present at the execution, but a3 the Sheriff did not issue the ticket ia his na r ue he was soon sent off by the Gaoler. How he became possessed of the order is not knowu, but probably someone who had obtained it, and could not summon courage to attend, had thouhtlessly given it to the lad. Tho prisoner's cell, as has been stated, was situated off the maiu entrance, and nt tho far end of tlie hall a door opened on to what had previously beeu a small enclosure. This was now entirely occupied by the gallows, which bad been erected during the evening. By the courtesy of. Mr Rend, the representatives of the Press Were permitted to examine this structure on which they were soon to witness a guilty fellow creature sent to his laat account. From tbe doorway a flight of nine steps were ascended to tho drop which was about four feet by seven, a smal- platform being on either side — the one on the far side being for the executioner, and the other for tho Archdeacon, the gaol.r, and thoso whose duty it was to be upon the scaffold. A heavy beam about eight teet above tbe drop r<m from one side to the other, aud fixed to an iron bolt in th-- middle was a new rooe with a noose ready to be placed OV' r the head of the culprit. In former executions, the cxc cutioner has had to fix the knot upon the neck ofthe coudemne'l man — a spectaol. very painful to those who hare to watch the prose-is ; but the necessity of this was obviated in the present case. On tho far side of the scaffold a flight of steps descended to the ground, and a duuc opeued into the enclosure into which the prisoner was to fall. This enclosure was 7ft x 7ft and I 10ft high, the drop being Sft. Tho drop opens in the centre by the mere touch of an iron bolt, and the two halves ofthe treach erous " gangway " 'all inwards against the sides of the box. It was apparent from the arrangements that nothing of the operation would bo seeu by the spectators beyond tne placing of ihe noose over the he id of Tuhi uud a su lden fall, in which the murderer would instantaneously drop from view. Notwithstanding tho heinousness of Tuhi's crime, aud the righteousness of the Bent ence passed, the preparations for executing the murderer were of a character to fill the spectator with commiseration and aw.? In the passage leading to tho scaffold were the officers of th*. gnol and others waiting for the moment when the Sheriff would produce his warrant and formally demand tho body of Tuhi. In the meantime, the Yen. Archdeacon Stock was closeted with Tuhi, praying with atid for him. A tew minutos before e-ght o'clock, .Air. Allan, the Rh>-riff, produced his warrant, and then Tuhi's arms were pinioned, and he wan led out into the hall. Tuhi was dressed in an old blue jersey reaching to his knees, bel«w which protruded a patched pair of moleskin trousers His demeanor was calm, though a slight pallor was perceptible on his face. Hi. ch_eks appeared slightly drawn in, and altogether he wore an anxious and careworn expression. The "funeral" procession— not easily forgotten by those who witness it — in which a liviug man w.i bring cony. yed to his death, was then formed in the following order — First, the i Governor of the gaol, followed by Dr. |

Gillon ; then the chief^^'rdetj^gMifcJtb*^ firisoner, followed by ts6£ handrail 1 ; and ast the Yen Archdeacd^t|-tock, reading in Maori the servicejtor th# burial of tliedead. In this order thw^fescended the steps to the scaffold. Ttjlifgy. alkitfg as firmly: as the others The 6th& spectators assembled in tho lavatory, the: crated window of which looked out upon the scaffold. From here 4 the whole operation could be plainly observed, Tuhi was placed in the centre of the drop and handed over to the executioner. This functionary, David Marshall by name, is the person who eleven years beforehadperformed the samo office upor. the occasion of the execution of Huimora-Pera for murder, lie is a little, span^man^jyjij.h gray hairj. long white beard ;~tb_D, wizen," ancTanything but pleasant feature^. Ho made no ftttemp- to disguise himwlf iri any way, and seem.d quito at home in the performance of bis hideous (ask. Ae hepintonedthe ankles ~ - of the prisoner, Tuhi s expression of anxiety deepened, but he neither spoke nor trembled.' The rope was now placed over his neck, and the noo3e firmly fixed under the left ear by a leather washer; and then the white cap was drawn over liis head, the Archdeacon still continuing Co read prayers. A moment aftei; fche cap had been put on, Tuhi mattered something, which indicated that he had a desire to Bpeak. and succeeded in dragging the cap from his face. It wa* now, however, too late for words ; the cap was once more drawn over his face, and as he stood motionlc-8 upon the drop, the hangman proceeded to the outer steps, drew the fatal bolt, and the man who had deliberately slain an unoffending woman a few I weeks' before had paid the full penalty of bis crime, and ceased to exist. Dea*h appeared to bo instantaneous • thbre wus no struggle, no convulsion ; the whole thing was ower in the twinkling of an ey e. The arrangement, were oarried out in the moot methodical manner, withont the . slightest bustle or confusion . Those present were required to sign a certificate, testifying to the execution, and thiß last ceremony closed the proceedings. The body was allowed to hang the prescribed time — one hour — and w_,s then cut down. At 10 o'cloCkt the inquest was held before Mr G. B. D&vy, R.M., and a jury of 12, of whom Mr S. Walters was chosen foreman. The Sheriff gave evidence as to his receiving the warrant for the execution ; l)f Gillon deposed that the deceasrd's necK was brok> v, -md that he died instantaneously; Al' Head deposed to the deceased having been a prisoner ; Serp-t. Burtenshaw to seeing him hung, and the jury returned the usual verdict. The body was Btibseqcently buried in the gaol bpside the graves of the only three men who have been executed in the city of Wellington.