"Conviction as Result of Trial Without Jury Quashed London, Nov. 19.
Five Law Lords, sitting as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which is highest court in the land, concluded to-day, the hearing of an appeal by Dr. Benjamin Knowles against his conviction in 'Ashanti for the murder of his wife, Harriet Knowles, who was formerly) 'a musical hall' artist known Madge Clifton. 1 The Lord Chancellor, Lord Justice Sankey, announced the decision of the court in the following words:
fe propose humbly to advise His to allow the appeal and tion. Our reasons will be given later'
Dr. Knowles was convicted and sentenced to death in November la the acting circuit judge at The sentence was afterwards commuted by the Governor of {he Gold Coast to imprisonment for Dr. Knowles obtained leave to appeal to the Privy Council and was Drought to England. He is at present lying ill in Maidstone Prison.
The questions before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council were, whether there was jurisdiction to try the case without a jury, and whether the verdict was justified by the evidence. According to the
with a revolver while she and Dr. evidence, Mrs. Knowles was abet Knowles were in. their bedroom at their bungalow. According toa dying statement made by Mrs. Knowles, put in at the trial, the affair w an accident caused by her sitting the revolver. The prosecution cot tended that this statement was made by Mrs. Knowles to shield her husband.—British Wireless through Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.