THE PONSONBY MURDER

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 23 June 1920, Page 3

THE PONSONBY MURDER

| GUNN EXECUTED. Auckland, June 22. Dennis Gunn was executed at Mount Eden gaol at 8 o'clock this morning. Before leaving the cells prisoner sent word to Detective Gainings, who conducted tlic police prosecution, that he bore him no ill-will. Otherwise, Gunn made no statement, except, when returning the crucifix to the priest who administered the last rites on the scaffold. lie said: “Give that to my poor mother and say good-bye."

His reply to the sheriff's query before the rope was adjusted was: “I am prepared to meet my God ami my Creator. ” The execution was witnessed by about a dozen people, mostly officials. The execution was speedy and without incident.

GUNN’S STATEMENT. In the statement matte by Denni (limit mid signed by him in tlio pro sencc of a stipendiary magistrate, ih -Minister of Justice (the Hon. 11. V tlee) informed a “Post” represent a live that Gunn admitted that tie com milted the burglary at the Ponsonby Post, Office. “His story.” said the -Minister, “is that he and two other men took different parts in the crime; that one of them followed the post-

muster and subsequently returned to i hr other two with Mu; keys of the post other; Hint these Iwo (Dennis Gunn being, one of them) robbed the post office; Unit utter leaving 1 lie post office Dennis Gunn told the. limn who hud been at the postmaster's house that it wa • derided to hide the revolvers. This man showed three revolvers and he ; Dennis Gunn) hid them in the blackberries. Tile police made full investigations before the trial as to the movements of the two men referred to by Gunn and satisfied themselves by the ilatemeats of a number of credible people that neither of these men was ia the locality where the crime was commit ted on the evening of the 13th March, further that their movements on that evening are fully accounted for. ’ ’