THE ARIADNE SENSATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 253, 2 November 1901, Page 2

THE ARIADNE SENSATION.

ACCUSED COMMITTED EOIi TiU'AL.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, last night. The Ariadne case was continued before

I Mr McArthur, S.M., this morning, Frank Cochmitzki, the first witness s i culled, asked for a German interpreter, • j but as the man had given evidence at i ! tho nautical inquiry in English, it was > j decided to go on without an interpreter, ; i The witness said ho was an able seai man, and joined the Ariadne a few days ) before she left for New Zealand. lie - was one of tho hands in the boat which > took ashore heavy packages from the i Ariadne, and on this point he gavo similar evidence to that of the witness Att wood. On the evening tho vessel went ; ashore he came on deck at 8 o'clock, and saw tho breakers. As he passed tho cabin he called out, “ Captain, wo are pretty near the shore.” The captain did not reply. The course was not altered, and soon after the ship struck. Cross-examined by Mr Napier, witness said he did not hear Kerry say when they were taking tiie boxes ashore in Sydney that the goods were his luggage, which he was landing, as lie did not intend going in the yacht to Now Zealand. The yacht went ashore so far up on the beach that they were able to reach tho land by wad- ! iug in tho water a little above their knees. | She had been tacking all the afternoon, I and his previous statement that from 4 o’clock she was heading for the shore was wrong. Herman 1\ ind, A.lk, stated that ho overheard Kerry say to the captain : “ Do you remember our agreement—..£4oo for you if you make this right. For God’s sake, don’t make a mess of it; pile her up somewhere ; do anything to get rid of her. I have paid that much insurance.” Kerry then said something to witness that lie did not understand, and then: ‘‘l have got your word for it.” Witness did not hear Mumford’s answer. Claude Ferrior, surveyor for tho Bureaux j Veritas, deposed that when lie inspected the wreck of the Ariadne on March 28th, all tho fittings seemed to have been taken out of tier. Tho sails also were m bad order. When he asked Mumford for tho chart used, the latter said it had | been burnt by a lamp falling on it. Mumford also said the plate, etc., was in the lockers, but when witness had the lockers brokc-n .open lie found next to nothing in them. Mary Beck, of Sydney, gave evidence 1 of Kerry hiring a room and taking a lorry i f ;1I of goods there. These consisted of ’ uivas bags, trunks, bags, a valise, and 1 '-wo cases ot whisky. Tho canvas bags ( contained something heavy, as did also 1 the /boxes. All the accused were committed for trial.