THE ARIADNE CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 5

THE ARIADNE CASE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—rEESS ASSOCIATION.] ,'-..;;' Chhistchubch, Thursday.; THE trial of Kerry and Mumford,' charged with casting away the- yacht Ariadne-, was resumed at ten o'clock this morning. Detective Gouider was recalled and examined regarding conversations with Mumford on January 4 and 5 of this year. His Honor pointed out to the jury,that no admissions made by Mumford were evidence against Kerry.

Witness deposed that Mumford told him i registered letter was about to be received >y Dorwood containing another letter, which >yaa not what it purported to bo. : If he pleaded guilty bo would want tho letter stopped, and the whole truth would come out; if not guilty, he would wast the letter to go on, and nothing said about it, and it he (Goulder) mentioned what he had said Mumford would deny all about it. : Subsequently Mumford said that the letter was a fake; that it contained a letter written by himself, and had a false date on it. __It was supposed to bo correspondence with Mrs. Downing at Sydney, telling her what she was to say and do on his behalf. Mumford told of another registered letter in the possession of a firm of solicitors in Christeliurcn, purporting to contain a letter which Mumford had written to a lady in England before the wreek of the Ariadne. " ,-* ' By Mr. Skerrett: Did not ' tell Mumford it would bo better for him to hold his tongue, but did not pump him. Mum-ford also told him that the object of faking a letter to Mrs. Downing was to show that ho and Mrs. Downing had been working together, so as to prove that Kerry had been concerned in wrecking: the yacht. - Mr. H.W. Bishop, S.M., said he had issued a search warrant in connection with, the case, and as a result was handed a registered letter intact \ addressed to Captain Mumford. Witness handed the letter, to Mr. Stringer, who passed it on to Mr. Harper., The Judge- interfered,' and directed that as the letter was seized by the Crown it was their duty to retain it till the right, courso was determined. Mr. Harper, counsel for Mumford, said it was a privileged document, and the Crown had no right to seize it. The point was ultimately reserved, and the letter in the meantime was ordered to be retained. Charles H. W. Willis, master of tho Ariadne on tho voyage from Cherbourg to Sydney, said when he loft the vessel in Sydney tho Ariadne's condition was not good. Her sails were out of repair, and her rudder was not in good order. Most of the permanent fittings had been taken down and stowed in the after-cabin. Captain Willis, Lloyd's surveyor, recalled, said before he was arrested Mumford suggested if that by any chance he was convicted in connection with the case the underwriters should pay him so much per year. No amount was mentioned, and witness never made reply to the preposterous proposal. Mumford told him he had written a letter to a lady friend in England before the yacht loft Sydney, telling her of the intention to Vwreok the Ariadne. His reason for so doing was that, should anything happen to him, this friend would have a hold over Kerry a«d get the money promised Mumford for wrecking the yacht. Witness suggested Mumford should write to his friend and ask her to return the original letter and envelope in a registered cover.'' ■ - .

John Mill, of Port Chalmers, who purchased the wreck of the Ariadne, gave the value of the yaoht afloat for commercial purposes of breaking up at £2000. He had saved 28 tons of lead, 20 tons of pig-iron; and 20 tons of lead and 80 tons of iron were still in tho shingle. . ■ / „, By Mr. Hanlon: He thought the Ariadne would cost £30,000 originally. She would depreciate 10 per cent, in value each year. This closed the case for the prosecution. Mr. Skerrott, in opening for Kerry, referred to the extraordinary fact that the alleged agreement between Kerry and Mumford was :so long in the possession of Willis and the Crown without being discovered to be a forgery. Mumford's letter to Olson two days after the verbal confession to Willis, in which Mumford expressed regret that Olsen was not with them ,as mate, for, as he knew tho coast, they might have got along without being wrecked, had rcforence to the letter written to Kerry , and given to Willis to copy. Counsel drew attention to the faot that there was no record of tho envelope, and said tho letter was never intended for posting, and never reached Kerry, which would be, proved in evidence. , •