THE PONSONBY MURDER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3507, 9 June 1920, Page 5

THE PONSONBY MURDER.

MEETING CONSIDERS GUNN’S SENTENCE A well-attended meeting was held in Auckland on Monday on "behalf of Dennis Gunn. After Mr G-. T. Jones and others addressed the meeting, the following resolutiorg vfzis unanimously carried:——— “That this meeting earnestly prays his Excellency the Governor of New Zealand that the sentence of death passed upon Dennis Gunn be commub ed to a term of imprisonment.”

This petition is made on the following grounds:—— “That the jury who convicted Dennis Gunn of the crime of murder convicted him on evidence which they were un~ able to verify. “That the issue set before the jury 13.)’ between two interested parties, namely. the prosecution on the one hand, and the defendant, Dennis Gunn on the other. ' “That the issue was narrowed down to two statements, namely, a statement by the prosecution that certain finger prints were the imprints of Dennis. GUDIYS fingers; and a statement by Dennis Gunn in absolute denial there of.

“This meeting is of opinion that before any supposed incriminating evidence that is of a highly-technical nature can be held to be conclusive, especially where the dath penalty is involved, such evidence should be referred to disinterested expert opnion. “In this case no such expert opinion was, or is, available for rebuttal or for confirmation as the case might be. The only possible reference to expert. opinion was to one ‘of the interested parties, namely, the prosecution. “Yet, notwithstanding this, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on evidence which they themselves did not understand, and as regards whose accuracy they were entirely at the mercy of the prosecution‘.-

“That their adjudging Dennis Gunn guilty on such evidence was opposed to the principles of justice and fairplay on which British law is based, and that the passing and carrying out of the death sentence on such circumstantial and esoteric evidence is and would -be wholly unsatisfactory. ' "That. the whole case for the prosecution depended up‘o~n the finger print evidence as there is not one jot or tittle of supporting evidence that could be accepted as connecting Dennis Gunn with the murder of which he has been convicted_ '

“That, as pointed out by Dennis Gunn’s counsel, there. is not unanimity of opinion among learned judges regardig the reliability of‘ finger-print evidence. '

“That the acceptance of finger-pi-int evidence as prima facie eVidence,, where ff, is not supported by other and tangible evidence, is highly ininl- - to the interests of the general coni~ munity, since it places an arbitrary and almost unlimited power in the hands of one body of public servants; and that it is neither ju-st 1101- Wise to invest any body of men with power of such scope and of~’such possibilities.

“That the poinfs enumerated in this resolution embody the opinion of a considerable body ;of the public, as is evidenced by the large and representative meeting unanimously approving thereof.

"Therefore, in the hope that events will ultimately prove Dennis Gunn-‘s innocence, this meeting praysbhis Excellency the Governor to commute the irreparable death penalty to a term of imprisonment.

It was decided to send a copy of t.he above resolution to the Governor-Gex"lex-al and one to the Minister of Justice, and a committee was formed to circulate a. petition asking for a. remission of the death penalty.