NATIVE ESCAPES GALLOWS.

Shannon News, 1 April 1927, Page 4

NATIVE ESCAPES GALLOWS.

MTODEfe'TXnrSTERY. Port Moresby, March 8. Who killed Andrew Doyle? -- This old man, a market gardener, living on the Laloki River, «close to Port Moresby, was foully done to death. Nohoro, a native employed by Doyle, was sentenced to death for the murder, out reprieved two days before the date fixed for the execution. The reason given was that undue influence, and improper methods had been used in obtaining evidence from another native. The native has been released, and there the matter stands for the present. Great interest has been aroused over ihe case of Nohoro, the native who was : found guilty, and sentenced to death, on a charge of wilfully murdering Doyle. Comment was aroused by the fact t.hat Nohoro had been tried at the Central Court entirely without counsel < or anyone to. defend him. Worried by Police. Finally the Lieutehant-Governor-in-Council decided that Nohoro should be _ hanged on Monday, January 24, and : everything was ready for " the exeeu- 5 tion, including gallows. At a meeting | of the Executive Council on -Saturday,; January 22nd, it was decided that he..' should not be hanged on the Monday. ~ The following statement was ./issued ; by the Government. Secretary pn'-JFeb-'■;; ruary 3rd, the.. Executive jCouncil haying again considered'."the matter,pn Feb-:; ruary 2nd:—•' "As a result of a statement by No-' horo to a n other.native;lloavi,:the prin-. eipal witness .against Nohoro, was independently examined, with the result': that he contradicted the evidence he? gave in court, and stated that he had been intimidated and ; worried by the> police into making a statement against Nohoro, which was untrue. • "Hoavi's charge against the was sustained, and. it was decided that"; the European officer responsible should" be transferred to ' another position, it] f>eing thought that his conduct have been due to ignorance. ; '' Tho Lieutenant:Governpr is : considering the ease of Nohoro '> On February 11th, the following, statement was made public:— • "At the trial, the chief evidence.; against the accused was given by Hoavi, who (with .Nphprp), was in the employ of Doyle. Hoavi gave evidence] of admissions made by Nohoro to him/ amounting to a confession that he (Nolioro) had killed. Doyle. ; "The rest of the evidence was circumstantial. . "Statements were obtained from Hoavi and from Sergeant Gegera, which (■while they did hot support' Nohoro's allegations of physical ill-treatment)', disclosed that undue influence and improper methods -were used by the police in obtaining Hoavi's statement and that the statement and evidence were wholly at variance with the statement which (until those methods had been continued for some time), he had perr sistently given to the police, exonerating Nohoro. 7 "The judge had advised His Excellency that had those methods been made apparent at the trial, Hoavi's evidence would have lost weight, and might even have been disregarded. "Nohoro was consequently discharged."