THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1556, 22 February 1887, Page 2

THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER.

Auckland, Feb. 18. , Penn's relative* have visited him. He asked his mother to bring his wife to the gaol, that he might aak her forgiveness for hia conduct to her, and that they might part in peace. This was done, and hia wife, who was deeply affected, freely forgave him. They had not spoken for two years and a-h»lf. Ho has requested that his two children may be brought on Sun* day to him, when a final parting will take place between him and his relatives. Mrs Penn asked her son whether he fired the last shot. He shook hia bend, and also needed, but made no other reply further than “I am quite prepared to die.” Penn senior said to his son, "Icould change places with you, Harry, and die in your stead.” The condemned man’s only reply was, “ I am not afraid to die.” Oaffrey’s sister is up from Opotiki to take a loaf farewell of her brother. The Minister of Justice has agreed that C-ffrey’s friends shall have the body after execution. CONFESSIONS OF THE PRISONERS. Wellington, February 21, At 7.15 a.m. oa January 24 Caffroy asked for an interview with the Gaoler, and told him that Pena would make a statement with him to acknowledge the deed that had been done. He acknowledged the fairness of the trial and the '* zeal of the solicitors. After that he said “ I shall be quite satisfied to meet my fate like a man.” At 9.30 Penn was called into the Gaoler’s Office, and in the presence of Caffrey he made a «tatem6nt, of which the principal portions are as follow : —When they left the cutter they went ashore fo get Mrs Seymour by fair means or foul, At the house he asked foy butter to get them all together, and in order to enable Caffrey to get admittance. He sat down just inside the door, and in four or five minutes in rushed Johnny. He challenged Taylor, and, the latter mfc responding, Caffrey fired one shot. He attempted to fire several times afterwards but the revolver missed fire. Daring that time Lincoln Taylor fried to wrest the other revolver out of Caffrey’s hand. He (Penn) stepped" qp behind Uafjfrey to prevent the Taylors crowding on him, Taylor got away to the bedroom, and

both men fired a *liot r.t him, Caffrey tried tc force the do or open, but fiilecl, and Penn went 10 his maistance. He wan just in the act of shoving, when the door opened, and Caffrey rushed ; nto No. 1 f" bedroom. Taylor caught bold of him and both staggered into No. 2 bedroom Taylor was smothered with blood, Caffrey tried hard to throw him off, but did Dot succeed, and Penn said “ Why don’t you pat liim out of the road at once t” He said, “ I can’t; ray revolver wont go round.” Penn then presented his revolver and find at Taylor, who then released his grasp and fell. Caffrey told him to go and s'op the old woman running about, which he did. They returned to the cutter with the inten'ion of sailing for America. Darirg the time they were in No. 2. bedroom Johnny was much excited, aud it was through that he (Penn) fired the last shot. Geffrey's statement is nearly three times as long as Penn’s, which only covens two sheets of foolscap, and contains minute details of the proceedings. John Caffroy then said : “As I hope to see her.' 1 n I am going to give mj statement >< ■. In starting 1 had two revolver, i•. an had one. 1 also took some cord, and said if Taylor should resist we should make him fast, and, go as he should not tell who done it, that if he made any noise I would cut a bit off his tongue. 1 had no intention of taking a knife for that purpose, but said ‘I will take a knife with me because I migtr - have more than one to lie up. Seymour might be there also. ’” [Marginal note here —Penn denied that Caffrey made this statement at the time of going ashore, but several days after at sea; he also said he would have earmarked him. Caffrey weuld not be certain and said he might have mentioned earmarking him] “As we were leaving the cabin I said to Graham in the presence of Penn, ‘ Don’t look seated Grace, because, though we are taking revolvers, it’s merely to give them a scare. They might also have such things; I believe they will have (meaning firearms) ; it will also prevent them us»ug any.’” After detailing their plans forgetting into Taylor’s house, Caffrey goes (on to say, “I rushed into the house, I challenged Taylor to pul up his bonds (before that, as 1 entered the house, I had noticed Taylor with a piece of iron in his hand. 1 did not know what it was) (Penn here interjected, “a butter skewer ”1) I repeated the challenge several times. Ha said—‘Johnny’ and rushed on me aod caught my left wrist. The boy at the same time caught hold of the revolver in my left hand. His mother and sister, Janie, also rushed on me. While the struggle was going 1 noticed Penn standing between the door and the fireplace. I twice struck Taylor with my right hand, which clenched the revolver. In the meantime the boy wrenched away the revolver from my left hand. Through hitting Taylor, I succeeded in forcing Imu back from m«. As I did so I laid my revolver across his face, and fired bstweea him and bis wife as they stood. It hud the effect of soaring Taylor. I never intended that the shot should hit Taylor or anyone else. 1 never pointed the revolver at the boy. I next saw Penn put a revolver to Taylor’s head, and firs, in the kitchen. Taylor staggered, and rushed for the bedroom. It was my intention of getting Mrs Seymour. _ I rushed to the bed-room and tried to force the door, but could not and asked Penn to assist me. as I entered the room Taylor had been leaning against the door. 1 saw him bleeding. Blood was running down his face, and he clutched hold of me. After throwing him clear, and as I was in.the act of going into bedroom No. 1, I aaw Taylor and Penn wrestling with each other in No. 2 room, near the door. I saw Penn with a revolver to Taylcr’s head, and he fired. Taylor fell, and as be fell I saw a black mark on his bead where the bullet had struck, 1 then rushed into No. 1 bedroom, and Penn followed. I said; ‘Here’s a fix; see * what’s done, and she has got away after all. Let ns hurry, and prevent her getting away altogether.’ He lefc the house, but I returned, and, looking into room No. 2, I saw Taylor in a sitting position, appearfr- ing dead. I looked through the house to see if I could find the second revolver, but did not succeed. I remember feeling strongly tampled to shoot myself, I was i- so much grieved at what had taken place. As Penn and I went towards the dingy 1 then first noticed that both of us had blood on our hands. We agreed to say nothing to Graham. While Taylor and 1 wrestled from No. 1 to No. 2 bedroom bis blood got upon my band, and that is how I got blood on me.” Mr Beaton, the gaoler, appends a statement to (be effect that at the suggestion of the Rev. Mr Hill, ho confronted the two convicts in the clergyman’s presence to give them an opportunity of correcting what appeared to be discrepancies. Caffrey said it was correct they went ashore to get Mrs Seymour by fair means or foul, explaining the latter word to mean that if resisted they would tie up Taylor and Seymour, if the latter were thsre. Jit Penn’s statement that both fired a shot at Taylor, it was possible he fired a second shot, but, if he did, the first shot was as he was struggling with Taylor. He only recollected firing one. Penn, in his supplementary statement, said he would not affirm Caffrey did fire when he (Penn) fired first, but he believed so. Ho knew he wounded Taylor with the shot, but could not say in what part of the head. Taylor sever spoke after *he (Penn) fired the first shot. Saw him attempt to, but he could uot. There was a slight straggle with him and Taylor - before the Inst shot was fired by Caffrey. To Caffrey ; “I went voluntarily f'ith you in the abduction of Mrs Seymour and 3 against the world.”

THE EXECUTION.

Auckland, February 21. The execution of Caffrey and Penn for Ibe Groat Barrier murder took place at 8 o’clock this morning, At a few minutes before 8 the gaol bell sounded, and the procession of ‘warders snd condemned men and the chaplains passed from the refractory yard, As they passed up the yard the Rev. Mr Hill made the remark to Cnffrey that he must not mind the presence of a fow friends who had come to see them, and (he doomed m*.n smiled in response. Behind Caffrey walked two warders, then followed Penn along with Mr Bruckenridge, The solemn procession was closed by the gaol warders and executioner, who wore a band of crape pprqsa his face. H Q * 8 a sp-wely-built young man, wjio seemeid quite at aoea

and with nil the apparatus ready. The prisoners taking their positions upon the scaffold kissed eech other. Then the Clokoli service began. As it concluded the executioner completed his pinioning of the condemned men, and drew the white caps over their heads, finishing np by adjusting the halters round the r necks. The prisoners apparently di"d "Mlhont a struggle, and tha execution was carri 1 out without any incident to heighten the horror inseparable from the sudden launching of two human beings into eternity. No statement of any kind wmh made from the scaffold. Peon was disposed of first, and Caffr»y, standing opposite to him, awaited his turn without a tremor. Almost before the spectator* had lime to bro the the t rap door sprang hack wiih a creaking noise and the prisoner disappeared from view into the enc'nsure beneath. The rope stiffened and i't»n, almost without a tremor, the execuwmb complete. There was hardly a motion in the straightened rope. The. executioner, after a brief pause, ran round to the back of (be scaffold and disappeared fmm vie *’. Some thirty or forty persons collected about the precincts of the gaol, but there was no chance of anybody outside seeing anything of tha execution, as Sergeant Pratt hsd stationed h dozen constables on the only points cf vmtnge, with strict orders to dislodge would be viewers of the scene.