THE ROUGIER MYSTERY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 138, 25 May 1928, Page 3

THE ROUGIER MYSTERY

ANOTHER SUSPECTED POISONING. MORPHINE IN EXHUMED BODY. (United Press Assn.—By CableCopyright.) [Australian and N.Z. Press Assn.) London, May 23. Following up the sensational development in the Pace murder case, in which Mrs Pace is accused of poisoning her h usband, public interest centred in an inquest on Hilary Rougier, 76 years of age, a bachelor farmer at Woking. The case has taken a remarkable turn owing t 0 the examination of William Lerwill, a well-dressed man in the. early thirties, in whose house Rougier was living when he died on August 14, 1926. The body was exhumed two months ago and an inquiry ordered by the "Home Office. Lerwill, in evidence to-day, admitted he had received between £5OOO and £6OOO from Rougier by cheques. Othe r evidence was to the effect that when Rougier was exhumed morphine was found in the body. Lerwill said he had no idea how the morphine came there. He had a recollection that Rougier asked him to get laudanum for a dog suffering from eczema He admitted that many of the cheques were in his handwriting but the signature was Rougier’s. He did not know that Rougier had only £l5 left after he had received the £6OOO. This was mostly in the form of gifts as Lerwill was in financial difficulties. Mr. Hardwick, a sold ’or, gave evidence that he pers inally met Rougier and explained that Lerwill was in financial difficulties Rougier said he had known Lerwill since boyhood and was willing to helo him to avoid bankruptcy. Mr. Hardwick added that he thought Rougier must be wealthy in view of the free manner in which he gave money.