LIONEL TERRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81854, 1 October 1906, Page 4

LIONEL TERRY.

THE MAX Willi AN ANTICHINESE "MISSION." LETTER WRITTEN W HILE AT LARGE. The New Zealand Tim's has received, und'-r date , "God's Own Country, September 24th, lqoG," 'lie following letter and copy of correspondence from Lionel Terry, the Englishman who last year was sentenced to death for the murder of a Chinaman in Wellington. It will be remembered that Terry bad his sentence commuted to penal servitude lor life, and after being some time in prison at Lyttetlon was removed to Sunnyside Mental Asylum, from which he escaped on Saturday last, only to be recaptured this week at Sheffield, in Canterbury. His letter to us, and that written to the Premier may or may not be considered to betray symptoms of insanity on the pait of the writer; they, at any rate, show no sign of contrition or regret for his crime, and no intention to abandon what he believes to be his "mission" in life. Whether by design or coincidence, it will be noted that his leter to us was writien on the anniversary of the shooting of the Chinaman at the corner of llaining-street. It is as follows : "Greeting.—l am writing you this in the hope that its insertion in your valuable paper may allay any anxiety my friends may be experiencing regarding my welfare. I enclose copies of correspondence between the Government and myself, to date, regarding my mission. You will observe thai, after waiting a year in gaols and madhouses, I am no 'forrader.' I think I have quite vindicated my claim to the possession of patience, and am going to enjoy the larger life, pending developments. I am in excellent health, and ,am having a right royal time amongst the mountains and forests. Had a dip in a river yesterday; the water is, however, a little too cold at present, and I had to indulge in a good run up hill in order to get. what the silly little medicos call the 'red blood corpuscles' smiling again. I have no settled plans for the future (I think 1 told you once before that I never make plans); my movements will depend upon circumstances—climatic and otherwise. I may stroll down as far as Cromwell and Alexandra, which I believe are rather interesting places. My favorite mode of travelling is 'cross country.' it is so much more natural and interesting than go jng by beaten tracks. If you poor slaves of the city only knew the way t-> live, and could join mc in this sweet sequestered nook, enchanted by bird music and the laughter of a cascade of living crystal. (Quite poetic, eh ?). Well, lam very sorry for you. —With kind wishes for all my friends I am, etc.,

"LIONEL TERRY.''

(Copy of Correspondence!

Sunnyside Mental Hospital, Christchurch, 14th Aug., 'O6. To the Premier of New Zealand, Wellington. Rex. v. Lionel Terry.

Sir, —On 24th September last I killed a Chinaman in Haining strcc;. Wellington. This actio® was under taken by me for the purpose of challenging, by practical tost, the law relating to the presence of race aliens in this country, which law I hold to be inimical to the health, safety, and general welfare of the white inhabitants. and contrary to the British constitution.

Mv trial, for which I supplied every facility in the matter of evidence, took place in Wellington on 2isti\ovember last, before the Chief Justice for the colony, and I was found guilty of breaking the said iaw. and wjis sentenced to death. Subsequently, without my permission, and against my express wishes as set forth in my statement to the Court, the said sentence of death was substituted for one of imprisonment with penal servitude for life. This alteration 1 clearly and definitely refused to accept, and I notified the Miniser for Justice to that effect, pointing out, at the same time, that only a direct issue could adequately meet the ease. To this protert I re<*fved, indirectly, an unsatisfactory and evasive reply. * Subsequently, I laid the matter, in writing, before the 'ate Premier, and was led to believe by the late Governer of Wellington Gaol that the case was under the consideration of the Government. I have, however, never received an acknowledgement of, nor a rep'y to, this document. Although for some time prior to my removal from the Wellington Gaol I suspected that wilful deception was being practised by the late Government, with a view, presumably, to averting a public scandal in the matter of Asiatic immigration, such suspicion was not definitely confirmed until after my arrival at the Lyttelton Gaol, where I re alised, principally by questions regarding abstruse subjects, put to me by the gaol surgeon and others, that an attempt to represent me as a lunatic was in progress. I was, therefore, not surprised at my subsequent transfer to the Christchurch Asylum, though I was deeply disappointed that such a disgraceful and cowardly subterfuge should have been resorted to, and it is. Ip my opiniop, still more deplorable that this could not have been accomplished without the instigation of certain organs of die public press to publish false and mischievous statements reflecting upon the mental health of members of my family. Since, however, I am dis: posed to make the fullest allowance for the ignorance so plainly displayed by the legislators of this country of the importance of the question involved, to which ignorance may. perhaps, be attributable the discourtesies and inconveniences to which I have been subjecied, I am more than willing to overlook my personal grievances if the present Government 'S piepared to recognise its responsibility in protecting the interests 0 f the people of the colony. Ueing desirous, therefore, of placing the matter before you in the plainest possible light, in order that you may appreciate the great responsibility which rests upon you as the head of the Government regarding the administration of justice, I trust you will respect the following statementslf the laws of a country are designed for the benefit of its people, as they sltou'd be. there should bo -no hesitation in administering them The failure to execute a law is certain proof that 't is imperfect, or unjust, and it must inevitably be Regarded with contempt bv the people as a natural consequence The law admitting race aliens into this colony is either a just and beneficial iaw, or an unjust and injurious law. If it is held to be just. I lutein exercise my right as a British subject in demanding that it shall be executed in accordante uilh the sentence passed upon me at the trial If il held to be unjust, then by the same right I demand its abolition and mv own freedom. If, however. I, as a British subject, am refused mv right to justice, then I, as a British subject, am refused my rights to justice, then I, on my part, must refuse to remain a British subject, since I cannot even pretend to resppct a nation which withholds justice from its people. nor is it reasonable or natural that I should Trusting that, in the interests of the people .of jhis country, you will give this matter the attention it demands, and expecting an early reply, ■I am, etc., LIONEL TEKKY. P. 5...1 may inform you thai tlie prepuce of Asiatics in this ctmntrv is fraught with a lar greater danger than is realised by those responsible; and though I do not consider it advisable to impart th<- information which I possess, f I m ,. j l|tv to warn you that any hesitation exhibited by the Government in dealing with the matt>r may be followed by the most serious consequent es.— 1,. T. * Note.—The reply from tit' Minister for Justice referred to in my letter was conveyed to rue through the Wellington Gaol authorities. The Minister tlier'in exprcs-, d the opinion f t) ilia' my at tion had been too strong, and that l_\t 1 should have to abide by its consequences. With regard to th" first statement, it is clear that in order to practically :eit a law,

that law must bo broken, and, therefore, since my object was to test the law, no oilier method was possibe. Moreover, if my action was strong, so also was the sentence prescribed by the law and passed upon me by the Chief Justice, and, therefore, since the law is designed to nioei stum; actions by equally strong" i .'incssive measures, it is difficult to see why the Minister responsible for the administration of justice should have raised the point. Regarding the statement tha; I must abide by the consequences of my action, that is precisely what I desire to do, and, therefore, I insist that the law which prescribes the death penalty as the consequence f my action must not be evaded or interfered with, but must be put into execution, or, ; n defau't, abolished.

+ Note.— A man should bo tried by his intellectual peers. I was not, and, therefore, I did not feel it incumbent upon me to reveal the knowledge I have gathered regarding this subject, more especially as, in the rpinion of ignorant men, such a course might have been considered an attempt on my part to palliate my supposed crime. This knowledge, in spite of its vital importance, I intend to retain until approached by those whose bounden duty it is to be acquainted with it. in that respectful manner becoming to' those who seek guidance.—L.T. Prime Minister's Office, 20th August, 'oG Mr Lionel Terry, Sunnyside Mental Hospital, Chriscchurch. Dear Sir, —I am in receipt of your letter of 14th inst. dealing with your caso and, in reply, have to say that as the matter is one under the control of the Hon. Mr McGowan, Minister for Juscice, I have referred your 1 communication to him for his consideration. Yours faithfully, (Sd.) J. G. WARD,