THE TREVANION CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15252, 15 March 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TREVANION CASE.

EPFEaONATB ECCENTRICITIES. 1 » REMARKABLE EVIDENCE. T_— evidence given at the second inquest on Mr. Hugh Eric Trevahion was full of interest, and some curious disclosures were made. Mr. Trevanion, who was a relative of the Earl of Strathmore and Sir Daniel Cooper, inherited a fortune of nearly £100,000 six years ago, and at the time of his death from veronal poisoning in a sumptuous flat at Grand Avenue-Man-sions, Hove, last September, this amount had dwindled to nearly a half. His will, leaving almost the wholo of his fortune to Mr. Albert Edward Roe, a friend who resided with him in tho flat, is now in dispute. At tho first inquest a verdict of misadventure was returned, but Mr. Trevanion's mother was not satisfied, and owing to her representations tho body was exhumed, and the director of public prosecutions secured from the High Court an order for a second inquest. It was shown ; in evidence that Mr. Trevanion was a man or peculiar temperament. He spent his money freely—-his expenses averaging about £8000 a year— appears to fcavo been of generous disposition. He dyed his hair, painted his face, wore white satin «hoes with heels six inches high, a wedding ring* a bangle, and silk gowns and jnightclothe» and he was an inveterate Virug-taker. Dr. Sandiford said ho was telephoned tfor on September 10 and found Trevanion insensible. He thought lie had taken morphine as well as veronal. Asked by the coroner if Roe had done fcis best for Mr. Trevanion, the doctor .replied, " He had done everything a doctor amid wish. He has kept him from drink and drugs as well. Mr. Boa's Story. When Mr. Roe was called the coroner cautioned him. The oath was administered, the words being repeated by Mr. Roe in a clear firm voice. i. He said in the year 1906 he wan appointed fourth officer of the Orotava, of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, trading between Tilbury and Australia. It' was on his first journey thai he made the acquaint* ance of Hugh Eric Trevanion, who was travelling to Ceylon. " It) was my duty as fourth, officer," said Mr. Roe," patrol the sleeping quarters daring the night to see that everything was in order. After we had been' about a week ■at sea, one V night I heard something like a moan from the cccupant of one of the cabins. >v-. I 'knocked at the door, and I was invited to go in. :On entering I found that Mr. ' Trevanion was sitting beside *? his bunk moaning and crying "m if veryi^ depressed and upset. His head was resting oh the honk, and the remainder of his body was on the floor. %■•, He was quitealone, and :> told me he was very; depressed and; felt very neglected because of the treatment of his brother and a friend on board. Doctor Recommends! Drag. About eight months later he, accompanied by Mr. Charles Montgomery, met me .again.. Ho invited me to tea at his flat. A few'days after I received ,*■ '■' telegram from his aunt, Miss Cooper, ask- ' ing mo to call upon her. '' I called on Mr., , Trevahion and told .him I had received this wire. He said,. Ob, I expect it is something about m«. " You had better go down and see her." I did. She;tokt me " that ' she and - the family were a little , upset at Eric's drug-taking habits. She* said that he had spoken of me in! very favourable terms, and asked me to use my "( influence with him to stop it. -" ■•■■. I, pro-! mised to do so whenever I could, ;but I! J- pointed out that we did not meet very ! often. After that I was drafted oh the La' Plata, and he used to meet me when : airy boa* arrived*' at Southampton. ' -In December, 1907,' a new ship; had been v built called the Astutias, and I' was sent to Belfast to join her as second officer. She was making her maiden trip from Tilbury* to Australia and backhand- Mr.-Tte-vanion expressed a wish, to go as far as Egypt with me. On my return I-. saw . , (Trevanion, v and. he and his brother travelled on the. boat to Port Said. ■„ ' '-. ; That •. " was about September, ,1907. At that time ;'. he was very ill. He came down tft train, ' to the boat on a couch. . His mother accompanied him, and told me that he had : - been, very ill, and asked me to" give - him as much attention as-1-could. ■; I said I would, and. got him a better cabin than { that originally' arranged. - In the first , three days he remained very ill, but by the time we arrived at Port Said be '■■ was ;,; fairly well, *—' landed ; there ~ with his brother Claude. . On the return journey. I was taken very ill from blood-poisoning. I continued to correspond with* him. In ■ March, 1911, I was well enough to go to work again, but the doctor advised me :■-•:'. not to go to sea. I got a letter from v him asking me to go to Pari* to him, as he had : been taken very: ill there. When *, I saw him I thought be was going to die. He said he had been "going on too strong,'' as he had been out late skating, • and : on* tiling and \ another, and :ho was : a complete > wreck. ; ■He offered me £200 to go and 'act as his companion. : I discussed the proposal with him, and eventually' said I was prepared to enter into it, on condition that it was done with. :' the full consent of his solicitors. He said .' that would be all right, and he Would , \ arrange with them. ? After finishing up my term I came to London and left with him for Egypt, Mr. Hubert Montgomery accompanying us, and one evening in [Paris I went into his room and saw him v stupefied. , I \- asked Mr. Montgomery .what it was and he-said "'Veronals Dyeing Bis Hair. "Daring the time we were in Egypt he , said lie did not like the idea of the people in the hotel thinking that I was in a different position to what he was in. He .; proposed - to '"■■> settle on me £10,000. vl ■ : ; at first demurred, and told him it was a lot of money, and that I was quite satisfied as I was. ; He said, 'It will be all right, and I intended seeing you put right, anyhow." I told him I would consent, provided it were done through his solicitors. During that time Mr. Trevanion for about six weeks abstained from drugs. He used to dye his hair and I told him be would have to drop that or drop me. He expressed a wish to go abroad again, as. he did not like to get into the ' atmosphere '• of his relations. I accompanied fiim to his flat at Miss Geneete's. Ho was of a very nervous disposition, and insisted on someone sleeping in his room. I always treated the boy as a younger brother. Besides dyeing his hair, Mr. Trevanion . used to wear a great deal of jewellery. I objected to tins, and he told me to put the jewellery in the bank, in mv name. It has not been used by me since. He suggested, my being joint tenant at tho Hove flat, but I didn't want to take the responsibility. He then said I had my £400 a year, and I was to pay *,he rent and he would pay all other expenses. All the financial arrangement* were made through the solicitors. . On July 9 Mr. Trevanion had a knife in one*hand, and with it he cat the telephone wire and then fell into a chair in a state of collapse. r I rushed over to him, and he dropped a ■■i ■ hypodermic syringe. I called to Mrs. ana Miss Geneste. The doctor was sent for and we administered hot coffee. Artificial respiration was kept up and the stomach pump was used right up to the morning. On that occasion he nearly , died. ' I asked him after he had been brought round why he. had cut the telephono wire He said he had no recollection of it. I suspected morphia. I found four or five tubes of that drug in an old umbrella stand, and I gave them to Dr. Sandiford. After Dr. Sandiford hid gone Mr. Trevanion smiled. asked him the reason, and he replied: . ' The , doctor thinks he has -got the lot.'' I, reprimanded him. - . Eventually I found more tubes in bis safe—two boxes of twentytwo. ' I .them away, and on the trip to Cornwall I asked Mr. Trevanion if he hid any veronal with him. and he said, *NoA but I ! . found same •• when we .were *$ Newquay. r $3ft» jury Teturned an open verdict, findywmniivo^^'?evMknce?to show bow