50 years ago

THE Premier, Mr. Hamer, has rejected any possibility of meeting the parents of convicted murderers, Christopher Russell Lowery and Charles Ian King, to hear a personal plea for mercy. Mr. Hamer said yesterday that the Government had never met parents in capital cases in the past and would not do so now. Mr. Hamer’s statement follows Mr. King’s indication that he would like to meet the premier to make a personal plea for his son’s death sentence to be commuted. Mr. King said he felt sure Mr. Hamer would know how his family felt as the Premier was also a family man. Mr. Hamer said the prerogative of mercy was not his but the Governor’s. “I do not think it would be proper for me or any State Minister to meet any parents,” he said.