TALUNE MYSTERY.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 72, 28 March 1901, Page 2

TALUNE MYSTERY.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, March 27. The inquest on Conway was resumed this morning. Detective McLean stated that Mrs Smith said her husband had borrowed two hundred on their property, the deeds being given as security, but there was no mortgage or any other legal writing. She paid the money, and Conway handed the deeds back. Sho paid the money in the presence of Williams, of Maori Hill. Williams formerly practised as a barrister and solicitor, but did not now. Sho denied ever borrowing money from Conway herself or giving him a promissory noto or other acknowledgment. She had heard Conway was ill aboard the steamer. The chief engineer called at all the ladies’ cabins, asking if there was a Mrs Conway aboard. Mrs Smith told the engineer sho did not know any Mrs Conway. Sho did not go to see Conway when she heard he was ill, because she was attending a young lady in her cabin, who had convulsions. She did not know what caused the convulsions, but said thoy thought thoro might be poison aboard, but it might have been caused-, by seasickness. Shortly afterwards, the stewardess told Mrs Smith that Conway was doad. She admitted meeting Conway at Christchurch and at Sumner. Sho said Conway pressed her to drink first from tho bottle. Sho then lost her memory. She said sho paid Conway monoy a month boforo she loft home. The detective detailed- tho arrest of Mrs Smith, and said sho assorted her innocenco.

MORE IMPORTANT EVIDENCE. THE INQUEST FINISHED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, March 27. Tho Government analyst, recalled, stated that sulphate of strychnino was solublo in water to tho extent of two per cent.; a fatal dose could be dissolved in a dessert spoonful of alcoholic liquor. A deadly dose of alkaloid strychnino could bo dissolved by an unskilled person in half a pint of alcoholic liquor, in less by a skilled person. Brooks, chemist, recalled, said that he had erroneously confused sulphato and alkaloid. It was the latter he had supplied to Mrs Smith.

Edith Huddlcstoue, of Blenheim, who occupied a cabin with Mrs Smith in the Talunc, said that frequently she took stout to her. Sometimes Mrs Smith paid; sometimes she did not. It was usually brought by the stewards, with the cork drawn. She had some the day Conway died, at Mrs Smith’s suggestion. She did not take it with her lunch, but afterwards. She was taken ill that evening between eight and ten, and had a peculiar twitching of the lower jaw, which gradually became stiff. She felt very dazed and ill. After a while her knees and back went stiff. Some days previous to Conway’s death, while the stewardess was in the cabin, Mrs Smith mentioned having a dog poisoned with white powder given her by a chemist. She asked was strychnine a white powder. Witness replied that she thought arsenic was white. Mrs Smith told her she had gone to look for Mrs Brown’s daughter, supposed to be in the steerage. She could not find her, and had given the stout and fruit which she had taken with her for Mrs Brown to Conway. On the evening Conway died witness went on deck with Mrs Smith. Shortly after eight o’clock Mrs Smith went to the steerage, and returned after some timo. That was the evening she had been taken ill. The inquest is now closed.

CORONER’S SUMMING UP. CONSIDERS THAT A MOTIVE WAS SHOWN. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright Sydney, March 27. The Coroner summed up lengthily. He said tho evidence displayed a certain clement of suspicion, against Mrs Smith. He drew the jury’s attention to the conversations which she had had with various persons. She had, ho said, made admissions as to giving plums and biscuits to deceased; also of giving him what sho had taken presumably for Mrs Brown, supposed to be a fore-cabin passenger. Tho jury, said the Coroner, must bear in mind that a crime of this kind was not committed without a motive. Some of the evidence given was such that tho jury rnighj; conclude that the motive was evidently the monetary relations between Mrs Smith or her husband, or both, with the deceased. He commented on the ease with which poisons could be obtained from some pharmacists. The lady in this case apparently had no difficulty in getting strychnine.

JURY OF OPINION THAT MRS SMITH IS GUILTY.

The jury, after 25 minutes’ deliberation, returned a verdict that Conway has died from strychnine administered by Jane Smith. MRS SMITH COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Mrs Smith was then committed to take her trial at the criminal sessions commencing on April Ist.