THE BURKE MURDER CASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 438, 1 October 1908, Page 3

THE BURKE MURDER CASE.

A Confession.

The Wrong Men In Gaol.

Hokitika., September 30.

Connelly, who was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment yesterday for perjury by giving evidence in the Burke ftmrder case, has confessed that he himself killed Burke at Westport.

He states that he took Burke out of the hotel with the intention of robbing him. They went to a shed, where he stood Burke up against a dray. In the struggle he hit Burke, knocking him down. Connelly then lost bis temper, and kicked Burke, inflicting fatal injuries. A knife was not used. The knife and one of the pipes found on Connelly 'were Burke’s. Mrs M. Pearce, who gave evidence, was not about at the time of the attack. Hallinan aud Anderson, now serving seven years for the manslaughter of Burke, are innocent men. The story of their connection with the crime and the reference to the tobacco as the connecting link were concocted by prisoner while in gaol, in order to save himself. Connelly avers that he did not intend to commit murder, robbery being his only desire.

Chief-Detective Mcllveney received the confession from the prisoner when he interviewed him after the trial and sentence last night. The detective asked Connelly, now that he had had a full and fair trial, if the verdict was a just one. Connelly, hanging his head, replied “ Yes, sir,” and in reply to further questious agreed to tell the true story to Detective Mcllveney. He did so, the statement being reduced to writing by the detective. Afterwards the statement was read over to the prisoner in the presence of the gaol officials. Connelly assenting to its correctness and signing the documents in plain bold handwriting “ William Connelly.”

After the Nelson trial, when Hallinan and Anderson were sentenced, Detective Mcllveuey went to Connelly in company with the Crown Prosecutor (Mr Myers), and asked him if the verdict was correct. Connelly then adhered to the former version of the three being implicated. The case has excited great interest here, and last night the Court was packed to hear the verdict. The judge’s summing-up was generally in favour of accused, telling the jury that they were practically trying the same issue as the Nelson jury.

The jury were nearly lour hours absent, and their reversal cf the Nelson finding is now vindicated by Connelly’s confession, which will be a great relief to the public mind. Later. When the Court assembled this morning his Honor Mr Justice Cooper said he supposed Mr Hannan, for Connelly, would not proceed with the application for a new trial. The reply being negative, his Honor said that even assuming that prisoner had not made a confession he would not grant a new trial, as he had indicated when passing sentence. He desired to say that the result showed absolutely the correctness of the verdict of the jury. Last night he had omitted to tender his thanks to the jury, and now he desired to do so, both for himself and on behalf of the country, for their long and patient service. He desired publicly to thank them for the great care and consideration exercised over the verdict. The subsequent confession by the prisoner would relieve the mind of the jury as to the correct estimate, and it had relieved his mind over an extremely, difficult, intricate and puzzling case. Mr Herdman, counsel for Hallinan and Anderson, and Mr McDonald, solicitor, of Westport, were to be congratulated on the steps taken to vindicate their two clients. His Honor said he would communicate the result of the proceedings to the Minister for Justice, and no doubt the Executive would take the matter into immediate consideration. The Nelson jury had given their verdict on the facts before them. He repeated that the confession had relieved his mind and that of the jurymen also over a very complicated case. He asked the press to publicly express his thanks to the jurymen for their services to the country.