The Herald of Wales. — 1888-03-03 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE DATE OF EXECUTION FIXED. REES HOPES FOR A REPRIEVE.  Wednesday, the 14th of March, has been fixed as the date for the execution of David Rime, the prisoner convicted of the murder of the postman, Thome Davies, at Oaten, though it is just possible that, in view of the Cilaurreanshire Aesizee, and the likelihood of prisoners I charged with capital offences theta being oonvicted, the date may be postponed for a week or so, in order that Berry, the publie executioner, may travel through South Walea on a tour of execution. Two years ago next Thureday (by date), Berry was hews before and executet Nash in Swansea one morning, and Roberts, the Cowbridge murderer, at Cardiff on the morning foil ',wing. It has been suggested that before definitely arranging with Berry the murder cases ; in Glamorganshire should be heard, though the postponement of the execution at Carmarthen, in the face of there being no hopes of a reprieve, would simply amount to the prolongation of the mental torture of Rees, and the feelings of a hopelesely condemned man are as much entitled to cnsideraticn as the oonveni. ence of the executioner. The prisoner Rees eats well and sleeps well, and seems to have trot somewhat resigned to his poeition. Warders are closeted with him in his roomy cell night and day, and since Sunday he has ceased to parade his innocence before them, though even now he appears to entettain some faint lopes of a reprieve. It would be well if this hope were finally dissipated by his friends and rein. tives, for it is evident that Mr Justie. Stephen, in sentencing him, had no doubt whatever of his guilt, as he expressed his thorough concurrence with the verdict of the jury. It has been suggested that Reue' profession of ignorance ot the fact,that he had been sentenced was a trick. If it was a trick, Rees is a far cleverer man than anyone would imagine, and has proved himself to be one of the most accomplished actors that ever appeared in the felon's dock. I think it quite possible that he did not know he had been sentenced to death until he had the sentence trenslated to him in Welsh, and my reason for thinking this is an intimation that Rees had got into his mind the idea that a man concerning whose guilt a doubt existed, would not be hung, but detained in prison: Mr Justice Stephen, in summing np, first went deed against the prisoner, but towards the close of hie address, he adduced point after point that told in the prisoner's favour, and he spoke louder in eummine up than in pawing sentence. The Carmarthen court is lofty, and sound does not travel well in it; this the press representatives, who were far more favourably situated than the prisoner, soon found out, for they could not hear too well. Then, again, Rees had never been in an assize court before, and not being a newspaper reading man would have no idea of the procedure of courts. It is all very well for people who live in a town where assizes are held to express astonishment at ignorance of this kind, but they have only to go into country districts to learn that most extraordinarily erroneous views of judges and courts are entertained by those who