MAN’S SECRET

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12804, 7 March 1936, Page 9

MAN’S SECRET

MYSTERY BLACK BOX. AMAZING INQUEST STOP Y. DEATH-BED DENIAL OP CLAIM. MYSTERIOUS papers in a black trunk ... a fortune lost in Russia ... a woman’s claim to be the wife of a dying man and his strenuous denial. All these formed pari of a remarkable story told at. the inquest on Joseph Kirkham, 8(1, an electrical engineer, of Gold street, (Stepney, London, who died in hospital after being knocked down by a motor van.

One part of the puzzle—the secret of the black box—will be solved when the police open it. after Mr Kirkham’s funeral.

At the inquest Mrs Olive Sole, the landlady, told the coroner that Kirkham had been her lodger for Twelve months. At one time lie had been in a good position as an engineer.

“After lie had been with me lor about- five mouths,” she went on, “a big trunk came. lie opened it and took out some papers, mostly in Russian, and asked me if I could read them. I said ‘No.’ Then he took out. papers with a Foreign Ofliee stamp on them.”

The landlady added ihat the information she had gathered from the papers was that. Kirkham left Russia in 1909 for I lie benefit of his health, and in 1917 he went hack" to Russia to try to obtain a legal separation from his wife ‘‘lieenuse of her immoral charnel or.” Ho said that lie allowed his wife

nn nniiiin 1 sum up to 15)17, when he gave !ior two factories to soil nr do what sho liked witli. Then lie was in poor cireumst a tiros, and could not do any more. The papers had a Foreign Secretary’s name on them. The Cormier: Bui he lost his money in the Tlussian revoint ion ? —Yes. owned Factories. Tie was m a log way before?—l es. he had two factories. “When I got to the hospital,’’ the landlady continued, “the wife was there. Another person with her spoke for her, and said that- she was his wife.” The Coroner: What did he say to dmt?—He denied it right to ilm day before he died. The Coroner: Did yon imagine that he. had married an Englishwoman or a Russian ?—A Russian. What has happened to this hi.x ? It is still there. UdoNi Kirkham. a white-haired woman. who was accompanied by a Russian interpreter, then went into ihe witness-box. •'die gave tier address as Hamlet Road, Cpper Norwood. Her evidence was translated from Russian. She staled that she claimed to he the widow of the dead man. They were married in 18516 at Kioff, and had riot been separated. A large document. stated io be a copy of the marriage license, was then handed to ihe coroner. The interpreter added: “She got it just as she was going to leave Russia.. .When she attempted to leave she was robbed by the Bolsheviks of everything.” The Coroner: Why was she not living with her husband?—Because he left her in 1900 and went to England. She had not seen him lor fk°> years. The woman slated that, at the hospital Kirkham denied that- she was his wife the first time, hut then asked her pardon. Evidence was given that Kirkham was crushed against a. wall bv a baker’s van. Negligent Driving of Van. William Elliott, 20, of Arbour Square. E., a baker’s assistant, told j the coroner that, he found the van in a. side street. He wanted to move ita little so that he could put. his own barrow there. Tie started up the engine, and when he put ii into goat the van shot forward on to the pavement, hitting Kirkham. The jury returned a. verdict that death was due to the van being dri- J vou negligently' by Elliott, without* sufficient skill or experience, but that : such negligence did noi amount* io manslaughter. After the inquest a friend of the. widow said that Kirkham had once, been very wealthy, and when he came to England he brought* all his money with him.

* 'Ho went out to Russia when ho was quite, young, and did not return until 1900,” the friend continued. “He married in Moscow and had two daughters, and his wife died there. Later lie married the present Mrs Kirkham at Tvieff, where ho had some property. He was a charming and very generous man, and must have had about half a million roubles — that is, £50,000.” The friend added that die had heard that. Kirkham had a large number of Russian war bonds which would now be valueless. It- was possible that they were among the contents of his trunk.

Mrs Kirkham, through an interpreter. said that her husband had carried out contracts for many largo industrial concerns in Russia, and had arranged the illumination of tho Kremlin for tho coronation of tho last. Emperor. ■ “T do not know what, will ho done about tho trunk,” she went on. “Tho police should open it . in our presence so that we can see its contents,