EXECUTION OF THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERERS.

Southland Times, Issue 577, 12 October 1866, Page 3

EXECUTION OF THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERERS.

(From the Daily Times Correspondent.) Nelson, Friday, Oct. 5. Burgess, Kelly, and Levy were executed in the Gaol-yard this morning. All died protesting the accuracy of their former statemeuta. Kelly and Levy repeatedly declared their innocence. Burgess spoke first, and declared by the God above, whom he adored, that Sullivan was guilty of the murder of Battle, of Matthieu, and also of the murder of Dobson ; and that the poor Jew and Kelly were innocent of all the murders, Sullivan was concerned in all the six, and actually murdered Dobson. Burgess was himself morally guilty of Dobson's murder, as he knew of it before and after. Kelly read a, long statement, in which he uttered the most fearful imprecations, invoking fearful punishment on himself hereafter, and wishing the devil might fly away with his soul, if his declaration and dying words were not the truth ; and he declared that he had no part in the murders, and knew nothing of them, until Sullivan confessed. Burgess again spoke, and said he felt so happy this glorious and bright morning. He expressed great sympathy for Levy and Kelly, and said that Sullivan was his only confederate. If it was not for them he could die happily and almost joyously. Levy, who was the most staid, and evinced the least emotion, complained ab-nit !he authorities not allowing him some more money to obtain witnesses, and of their not assisting him to get witnesses supbeenaed, and that they would neither give money nor assistance beyond saying the witnesses should be" subpoenaed. He com. plained of the treatment he had received from the Press, and said that if he had been tried elsewhere he would have been acquitted. He appealed to the Editor of the Colonist to give his statement full publicity, and declared by Jehovah (putting on his hat), and mentioning the place of the murder of the four men, that he and Kelly had been twenty-six hours away from the society of Burgess and* Sullivan. When he came to New Zealand from Melbonrne, in September, he brought £500 to £600 with Mm, and was never at Wood's Point in his life, althovgh the newspaper said he was. He complained of his treatment in prison, and of favor having been shown to Sullivan, and concluded by protesting his innocence. Burgess professed penitence and hope in God ; thanked all the officials for their kindness, and said he was quite ready to submit to the sentence of the law. Kelly then ejaculated " Oh, God ! I am not ready. Give me a few more minutes to speak .'" This took place in'the Gaol-yard. The men then ascended the scaffold with their religious advisers, and all knelt down in prayer. The ropes were adjusted, and the caps drawn over their eyes. Levy, who wa3 still kneeling on the drop, cried out in a loud and distinct voice — " I am innocent." Kelly, while kneeling, attempted to rise and address the people assembled. He called out — "I am not being hanged — I am being murdered." Then the voice of the minister was heard reading the words, "In the midst of Life we are in Death." The drop fell — in a short time the men were dead. Burgess appeared to die instantly, without a struggle ; Levy suffered two or three slight convulsions ; Kelly showed signs of life the longest. Our Correspondent adds — " As bearing to some extent on the statement of Levy when on the scaffold, I send you the following paragraph, as published in the Colonist of this morning. " ' Levy made an attempt* a few days ago to convey a note to Burgess, enclosed in a fish. One of the under-assistants in the Gaol had been attending on Levy at breakfast, and Levy asked him to take a small fish to Burgess for his breakfast. The man was proceeding to do so, when one of his seniors stopped him, and on opening the fish found a small billet artfully concealed within. It was couched partly in slang, but its main purport was to the effect that if he and Kelly were to put their heada together, to endeavor to get off, Burgess must bear them out in what they said. The concluding part of the note stated that Levy was puzzled how to account for the £20, or the money he had about him when he was apprehended ; and that if he could only do that, it would be hopeful, or some expression of a like nature.When Levy learned that the note had been discovered, he became greatly agitated, and im plored the officer to return it ; saying that he would not on any account tbat the Rabbi should know he had written such a note, as it would cause the Rabbi to think worse of him. He was told that the note was already n the hands of the authorities, and that the Rabbi would certainly know its contents. Levy, on this, became as pale as death, and trembled violently. He was supplied with restoratives, which he could not properly convey to his lips.' " Kelly's statement to-day was a farrago of adjectives in many places. It begins thus: — A good morning, but an unpleasant morning to you ail, gentlemen, countrymen, brothers, and spectators of one of the most awful, terrible, dreadful, fearful, shameful, painful, mournful, revengeful, hateful, wrongful, unjustifiable, ignominious, inglorious deaths and murders, that ever took place in the wide world, since the creation of Adam, and a sad morning to my poor self; and may God be merciful to me, a sinner, and not a murderer. After referring to the atonement of Christ, he continued : — Since I have been -born, I trust Almightly God has searched and tried me, to see ifthere has been any such wickedness in ma as to know the certainty of the Maungatapu murders until Sullivan confessed. May I never be forgiven my sins upon earth, or after I shuffle off this mortal coil and appear before Almightly God, if I am not innocent of killing, or being with any person that did kill, on the Maungatapu or elsewhere, any other murdered men in the world. If my assertions, declaration, and dying word be not the truth, I hope that after I ascend the fatal and unwelcome scaffold, and the bolt is drawn that will launch me out of this world, and that whilst my frail and worthless body of clay ia dangling in the air, the devil will be watching for the moment my soul departs from this body, and that it may be borne on the wings of the devil to the bottomless pit of hell, at a speed more rapid than the light of the Sun reaches our earth. Yes, at a speed as quiet as that which I believe to be the fastest thing that travels, for I can think to Heaven in an instant. He next termed Sullivan " The Demon of the West Coast, and the Maungatapu Mounted Assassin." He, prayed for a blessing on the heads of the people of Nelson for their efforts to discover the bodies of the murdered men. He praised what had taken place on the part of the people of the town named after the gallant hero of the sea and ocean, and the conqueror of the enemies of old England, his country. Nelson, the inimitable wonder of sea fights and war, and hoped he was happy j calling upon God to bless him, for he liked a patriot. He then copied a hymn referring to the hour of parting with ail' earthly things, and concluded hie dying speech thus: — And this hour has been fully before me the great part of my life ; but never as it should have been", until after xay arrest. But may I find life and Heaven with God. So farewell to everybody, from Tommy Noon, called Kelly.