A Murderer's Confession.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 142, 21 May 1885, Page 3

A Murderer's Confession.

Barnes who was hanged on Friday at Melbourne, signed the following "confession" on April 28th, .after lie had been sentenced -to death : -•* I William Barnes, now under sentence of<le»thior ihe murder «»f William J, Brugge Slack, of Souch Melbourne And with n full and clear knowledge of what I am about to state, and with all the solemnities of death before me make the following statement and confession voluntarily, and without any pressure whiitsoevur, except that of my own mind prompting me to «lo all I can to ;uone fi»r tho past Thus is to Certify that I William Barnes, did murder the s.iid William J. Brugge Slack on tho night of the 9th September last under the following circumstances :— That having obtained information from one William Thompson, then a prisoner at Pentridge, relative to tho possession of certain jewellery by the said William J.

Bragge Slack, nurt dm wings of the house m which Slack resided from th<> same source, I entered the |>re % niseß as stated at my trial, with tbe sole puvposi! of burglary, that I concealed myself wider the lied, tliat my movements awoke Slack, that he grap led with me, and m the struggle which ensued, the unfortunate deed whs committed. Haviujf nude the above statement without pressure, and simply from a strong sense of ri«rht, I, William Baines, do hereby throw myself on the mercy of His Excellency and his Council, to exercise clemency towards me on the two following considerations : — 1. That the act was unpremeddated aud without malice. 2. That m nil probability the crime ■would have remained undiscovered had I not voluntarily confessed the de«?d .-William Barnes."