The Mount Rennie Outrage. THE ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN REPRIEVE.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 188, 22 January 1887, Page 3

The Mount Rennie Outrage. THE ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN REPRIEVE.

Demeanour of the Condemned Prisoners. Sydney, January 6. A mass meeting was held in the domain, the object of its promoters being to advocate a reprieve being granted to the six criminals under sentence of death for complicity in the Mount Ronnie outrage. This object was, however, defeated, an amendment being carried in favour of the capital sentence being executed The meeting woe attended by about 300 persons, and was certainly not marked by that decorum which might have been expected in the discussion of so grave a question. The principal advocates of reprieve were Messrs Edwards (chairman), Goodchap, and McNamera, the last named speaker being so unpopular that at the conclusion of the meeting the crowd hustled him, and it was proposed to drive him and some <J his associates outside the domain gates. The action of the mob almost threatened to Bwell into a riot, but the opportune, if little expected, arrivaiof a policeman, checked the rough element present, and the mob dispersed. The speeches in favour of reprieve were similar in expression to those delivered at the Queen's statue on New Year's Eve, and, as upon that occasion, were received with marked disapproval, the orators being "chaffed," laughed at, and cried down. The resolution proposed was similar to that at the previous meeting. The amendment, moved by aMr Jacobs and seconded by Mr France, was, "That the people here assembled are of opinion that the law should take its course, and are further of opinion that the meetings called for the purpose of urging a remiesion of the death penalty do not represent the voice of this community." Upon being put to the meeting the amendment was carried almost unanimously, only about six hands being held up in support of the resolution. ' The prisoners continue to receive the minietrfttiona of the ministers of their re-

peotive denominations, and the CardinalArchbishop of Sydney has issued instructions to the R. C. olergy requesting that early on Friday morning Holy Mass may be offered in each church that the culprits sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty of the law may have in their last moments every spiritual comfort of religion. The new gallows was erected in E wing of Darlinghurst Gaol, and was to-day subjected to a final test. The removal of the gallows from its old position will have this advantage, that it will be entirely shut out from public view, and the criminal be beyond h* aring of any crowd which may assemble without the walls of the prison. It was at first proposed to erect a gallows which would enable two at a time to be hanged, but the opinion of the officials of the gaol was strongly against this course. There seemed to be in it an unnecessary prolonging of the terrible duty in bringing the men out two by two ; and finally it was determined to make provision for the simultaneous execution of the six. During the past few days the number of visitors to the gaol, on various pretexts, but with the real object of gratifying a morbid taste, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the prisoners, or even of the exterior ot the cell in which they are confined, has been so numerous that orders have had to be issued not to admit any person unlees under very exceptional circumstances, as the prison discipline was being seriously interfered with by the number of visitors to the gaol. It is stated that this exhibition of morbid curiosity has not been limited to men, but extends to the other sex. The sheriff has received a grout number of applications for admission to the gaol to witness the execution, which will, if the decision of the Executive be not Bet aside by His Excellency the Governor, take place to-morrow morning at the customary hour. Yesterday the sheriffs office was visited by many persons to make personal application to view the execution, but it has for obvious reasons been determined to, so far as possible, limit the number to official representatives and one representative from each of the metropolitan daily journals. The final decision of the Executive Council was not officially announced to the prisoners on Tuesday evening, as it is not usual to do so, those under penalty of death not receiving any official intimation as to proceedings of this nature unless in the case of reprieve. They were, however, thore is reason to believe, privately informed of the decision not to interfere with the penalty, and some of thorn exhibited signs of deep dejoction. This is, however, stated not to have been the case with the prisoner Hill, whose bearing is stated to have been characterised by impudent bravado. The prisoners were visited last evening by the sheriff. The prisoner Hill was at the time smoking, this indulgence being permitted by the prison regulations to those under sentence of death. His conduct was marked by an assumption of coolness ana indifference which is said to be only a didguiee to his true feelings. Statement by a Prisoner. On Wednesday afternoon the prisoner Duffy, who for some time past has declared his intention of making a solemn declaration which would exonerate certain of his companions, did so. This declaration was to the following effect :— That Hugh Miller and George Keegan, two of the men who have been reprieved by the Executive Council, were innocent of the charge, and also that the lad Nesvman, condemned to die, and others also awaiting death, but whose names are not given, were innocent. Ho states that he makes thia declaration in favour of the prisoner Newman in order that His Excellency, in considering the question of exercising his prerogative, may have the advantage of this statement before him. This declaration was placed in the hands of the Sheriff (Mr C. Cowper), who at once despatched it to tho Colonial Secretary (Mr G. K. Dibbe), who received it at halfpast sevieu p.m., and immediately, with out comment or remark, forwarded it to His Excellency the Governor. In Newman's case it is stated that during the late investigation made under the personal supervisio 1 of the Colonial Secretary for the.information and guidance of the Executive Council, the prisoner protested hia innocence, and maintained that he could prove an alibi if certain witnesses could be secured. Every endeavour waa made to get these witneasess, and in the case of some of them considerable difficulty was experienced, the assistance of the police having to be called in. One witness stated that Newman had been in his company during certain hours of the morning. It was also stated by a witness that in tho forenoon he was on a certain 'bus, but the driver of the 'bus denied that this was so. However, no testimony was pro cured which proved that Newman, during the time the outrage was committed, was elsewhere than at the scene of the terrible crime.

Cardinal Moran's Appeal, In speaking as one of a deputation^ tha r waited upon His Excellency the Governor on behalf of the prisoners, Cardinal Moran said he had already taken the liberty of addressing to His Excellency a lettor on the subject, and he had little to add to the substance of that communication. He would specially appeal to His Excellency to make use of the prerogative of mercy towards these young men ; for it appeared to him that under the law of the land there was wisely given to the Crown that prerogative of mercy when special reasons were ehown to justify its exercise. He thought, that at the present moment the cry for blood that appeared in the daily journals was a disgrace to the journalism of this country; and that in a moment of excitement or public frenzy the supreme penalty of the law ought not to be inflicted. Thia was a cape in which His Excellency ought to make use of the prerogative that had been so wisely granted. He had seen pome of these unhappy youths, and had administered to them some of the consolations of the Church, and had found, as he learned through the public press, that they were all of youthful years and all in the very depths of ignorance. He did not know that he had over met persons of their age showing greater ignorance, and this to Mr mind lessened the malice of the crime that had been committed. If there had boon anything like organisation for the commission of the crime, he would have been the last to ask his Lordship to exercise the prerogative of mercy. It appeared that if men were likely to combine together for the commission of tne crime of rape, or of any other crime of [a no character, the only proper punish* meot won d be to lay the $uo at the root.

But in the preeent case he had hoard there was no such organised association. It had > been said that the ringleader was not among these culprits under sentence of death, ana it would be a parody upon justice if these men in their youth were to receive the penalty which he, the ringleader, justly deserved, but had escaped irom. The cry for blood in this case somewhat reminded him of the story told in the life of our Saviour, where, upon a woman taken in adultery being brought to Him, it was said, " Mo^ee in the law commanded that such should be stoned, but, what sayeet thou? " and He answered, •' Ho that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone." Many ot those who cried out for the execution of these men should be the last persona to de=ire the administration of such & punishment. Lord Carrington's Reply. His Excellency, replying to the deputation, said : -" I am, of course, anxious to give the fullest consideration to the application of thia important deputation, which, I understand, requests me to extend the royal prerogative of mercy to the six prisoners . no\^ lying under sentence of death. I would Jike" here to take the opportunity of thanking my right honourable friend, Mr Dalley, for the sympathetic way in which he referred to the terrible duty imposed on me by the Constitution, I need hardly cay that according to my oath I will do my duty fear;epsly and will act without partiality, favour, or fear. It appears to me that your present application involves this important constitutional difficulty. I am being requested, in direct opposition to the advice tendered to me by my confeUtutiunal advisers on December J6, to exercise the prerogative of mercy as to all these prisoners on the ground, as I understand it, that the punishment of death should not bo awarded for this crime of rape. Mr Dalley : Not exactly that. We say that in this case there are exceptional circumstances, which, we contend, are reasons why the punishment fchould not be ivIlicted. "is Excellency : If in tbis instance I accede to your application, it seems to me that 1 must nece^arily do so in all future cases, for a worse case tHau the present can ycarcoly be imagined. In go doing, shall 1 not, in effect, be repealing the present 1-iw, and setting my own arbitrary action against the deliberate decision of the people of the country as expressed by their own elected represent itives in the Legislative Assembly aes-embled, and by the Legislative Council as well ? It seems to me that the prerogative of mercy, if extended, should only bo exercised on tne individual merits of each particular case, upon grounds altogether different from those in the main submitted by this deputation, and which have received every consideration. Cardinal Moran asked if His Excellency had taken the extreme ignorance and youth of the prisoners into consideration ; for these, he thought, were particular circumstances which applied to the present case, but which might not apply in other cases. His Excellency replied that he hoped Cardinal Moran would not consider him wanting in respect if he pointed out that be would not now discuss the case.