asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the new facts which are coming to light regarding the case of Alexander Campbell Mason, now under sentence of death for the murder of a London taxi-cab driver; if he is aware that Mason received a letter inviting him to come to London for a particular job; that that letter was not produced at the trial but, on the contrary, the sender of the letter was a witness against Mason, and gave evidence which is in some vital respects contradictory to the terms of the letter; and if, under these circumstances, he will advise a postponement of sentence and a further inquiry into the facts of this case?

The Secretary of State for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Bridge-man):

The prisoner has applied to the Court of Criminal Appeal for leave to appeal against his conviction, and I must, therefore, decline to discuss the case.