MUNN’S FATE NOT DECIDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1029, 21 July 1930, Page 1

MUNN’S FATE NOT DECIDED

appeal to executive council ministers too busy to read reports eight weeks tomorrow since he was sentenced THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Today. rE appeal by Arthur Thomas Munn against his conviction and sentence of death for wife-murder was not reviewed by the Executive Council this morning as all the Ministers, through pressure of business, had not had an opportunity of studying the papers in connection with the case, and the report of the Solicitor-General. The Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, said the question had had to be postponed, and would probably be f considered next week.

Arthur Thomas Munn was sentenced to death at Auckland on May 27 for the murder of his wife, Lillie May Munn. An appeal regarding the admissibility of certain evidence heard during the trial was considered by the Full Court of Appeal at Wellington on June 25. , , Mr. Northcroft, for Munn, raised objection to the admissibility of the evidence of a son and two daughters of Munn by a former marriage. The evidence had been tendered with the object of showing a consistent course of cruelty and ill-will toward his wife by Munn for a number of years. The \ppeal Court was unanimously of the opinion that the evidence in question had been properly admitted, the court's

reasons for its decision being given on July 1. PETITION PRESENTED The next move was the presentation of a petition to Parliament, but that did not alter the constitutional aspect of the case. A special meeting of Cabinet, to be attended by the Governor-General, is to be held to consider both the petition and the carrying out of the sentence. In practice, the ease of every murderer is considered at a meeting of the Executive Council, attended by the Governor-General and such Ministers of the Crown as are available. If the Governor-General decides not to interfere, notice to that effect is sent to the Sherriff at Auckland, who is required by the Act to carry out the execution within seven days of receiving the notice.