DEATH PENALTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1922, Page 5

DEATH PENALTY.

SENTENCE ON ASSASSINS. MURDER OF SIR H. WILSON. PRIDE IN THEIR CRIME, By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 19, 5.5 p.m. London, July 18. The trial of Dunn and O’Sullivan, charged with the murder of Field-Mar-shal Sir Henry Wilson, was held to-day. When asked to plead both answered: “I admit shooting Sir Henry Wilson.” Judge Shearman said he would treat that as a plea of guilty. The men are of a very different type. O’Sullivan has a fresh complexion and open forehead, while Dunn has a low forehead, rough hair, colourless eyes, and a hard mouth. The Attorney-General, opening the prosecution, asked the Judge to permit the witnesses to be called by numbers I instead of by names. The Judge: That is rather unusual. The Attorney-General: There is a 1 valid reason. An assurance has been j given that witnesses’ names will not be J given in the open Court. The Judge: That alters matters. Witnesses similar to the Police Court proceedings described the tragedy. , The opening of the defence waA sensational. Mr. Artemus Jones asked that Dunn be allowed to read a statement to ' the jury from the dock before counsel : addressed the Court. ' When the statement was handed to , Judge Shearman His Honor said it was I a political manifesto, justifying the I right to kill. It was merely anarchist 1 propaganda, and he could not allow the Court to be used for such a purpose. , but Dunn could give evidence. . Argument arose between the Judge and the defending counsel, who stated | that in view of the Judge’s attitude the prisoners had instructed counsel to withi draw from the case. The Judge said the prisoners had now , placed themselves in the position of un- , defended prisoners, and he must treat ■ them accordingly. ; A verdict of guilty was returned. After the verdict Dunn said he was proudly conscious of being an Irishman, and he added: “My motive for killing Field-Marshal Wilson was no different | from those animating men in the Euro--1 pean War. I am no mean assassin. I , received no money for this business.” He asked that sentence might be postponed for fourteen days in order that his mo- • tives might be judged by the Court of i Arbitration, which dealt with the rights and wrongs that had rid the human ’ world of a scourge. I O’Sullivan, folding his arms, exclaimed in a loud voice: “What I have done I have done for Ireland, and for Ireland I am proud to die.” Both prisoners were sentenced to death. Dunn clasped O’Sullivan in farewell while being removed from the dock.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.