THE YARRA MYSTERY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1403, 19 January 1899, Page 31

THE YARRA MYSTERY.

PARTIAL ELUCIDATION

CONFESSION BY A WOMAN

ARREST OF THE PRINCIPALS

Melbourne, January 12

The mystery surrounding the recent discovery of a woman's body floating in a boot-trunk in the Yarra river has been partly elucidated. A young woman, a domestic servant, calling herself Beatrice Jamieson, but whoso proper name is understood to be Dubberke, visited the detective office last night, and made a statement implicating a man and a woman. As a result of the confession a woman calling herself Madame Hcdalski, and a man named Travers Alexander Todd, a house agent, have been arrested at South Yarra.

It transpires that the name of the j woman whose body was found in the I trunk was Mabel Ambrose, and she was J formerly employed as a seamstress in a Collins street establishment. The informant was a servant in the} house of Redalski. She states that the girl Ambrose arrived at liedalski's house about the 10th December in company with Todd, and desired that an operation should be performed. No instruments seemed to have been used, but an electric battery was frequently applied and drugs were administered. The deceased girl was treated by the woman up till 13th Deeeinber. On that day Todd visited her, and the woman Redalski left them together in a bedroom. The woman returned after about a quarter of an hour, and found that Todd had gone, and Ambrose was frothing at the mouth. Redalski attempted to administer brandy, but Ambrose died in her arms. Jamieson made a long statement to the detectives describing how she and Todd placed the body in the box and took it in a buggy to the \arra. A man and a woman were on the bank, and in order to avoid observation they left the box in concealment, tor,]: the buggy back to the place from which they had hired it, and went back to the river at midnight. Then, tying the box with wire and attaching a large stcne, they sank it. The informant states that she has been troubled in conscience ever since, and she could no longer retain the secret. Todd is a member of a highly respectable family, and well known in business circles in the city. He appeared staggered when arrested at his o-llco, and without saying a word allowed himself to be quietly handcuffed. Madame Redalski is a Russian, and advertised herself as " Madame." Jamieson acted as her servant and assistant. The deceased girl Ambrose resided with her mother atSouth Yarra, and was 17 years of age. STATEMENT BY TODD. DETAILS OF THE GIRL'S DEATH. DISPOSAL OF THE BODY. Melbourne, January 12. The prisoner Todd has made a statement to the police. He says that he was intimate with the p.irl Ambrose, and when she became enceinte lie had a conversation with Redalski, who said that for his sake she would remove the cause of trouble. Redalski accordingly took tho girl into her house as a servant. On the day that the girl died, Redalski and Jamieson (Dubberke) informed him that after using some Condy's fluid, the deceased had given a loud scream and immediately fell back dead. Tho two ; women tried to restore consciousness by applying hot water bottles and administering brandy, but without success. Various methods were then discussed, says Todd, of disposing of the body, and finally it was decided to put it into the river, the two women undertaking to remove the clothing from the corpse and place it in a box belonging to Jamieson. Todd further detailed how he and Jamieson conveyed the improvised coffin in a trap to the banks of the Yarra, and threw it into the stream. He alleges that Jamieson subsequently informed him that she had burned the girl's clothes and, with a view to frustrating identification, had cut the hair off deceased's head. The prisoner concluded his statement with the remark that he knew nothing whatever of any arsenical poison having been used. Redalski, in the course of a conversation after the result of the analyst's investigation had been made public, assured him that that officer had made a mistake.

PRISONERS BEFORE THE COURT. JAMIESON A CROWN WITNESS. Melbourne, January 12. The three prisoners—Todd, Jamieson and Redalski—were before the Court today, Jamieson being separately charged. A remand was granted till the 20th inst. It is understood that Jamieson will be accepted as a Crown witness. Todd was taken to the Morgue to-day, but stated when shown the head of the deceased that he was unable to identify it. Melbourne, January 13. The police authorities are actively engaged in investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the seamstress Mabel Ambrose in connection with which a house agent named Travers Alexander Todd, Beatrice Jamieson and "Madame" Redalski are now in custody, having been arrested in consequence of a confession made by the girl Jamieson. It appears that tho deceased was the j eldest daughter of a widow who has five children. Mrs Ambrose states that the girl was headstrong and beyond her control. She had been away from home before and consequently her absence did not cause any anxiety, especially as Todd told her that the girl had a comfortable place. He called last week and again stated that the girl was all right. Mrs Ambrose was asked to go to tho morgue and view the body, but on the strength of Todd's statements she considered there was no need to do so. Todd's landlady states that he frequently discussed the tragedy unconcernedly. He was to have been married in February to a young lady resident in a country town. Todd, in his confession, states that an injection of Condy's fluid was used on the deceased in accordance with the advice of a medical man. Dr Gaze, of the Polypathic Medical Institute, states tho woman Redalski called on him in the early part of December and consulted him in reference to the condition of Ambrose He declined to attend the girl, but advised the use of Condy's fluid. On the 13th Decemj ber she again called and asked him to 1 see Ambrose,, and he visited the house. ; The woman then stated that Condy's ■ i fluid had been used, and that death had 1 been the result. Dr Gaze replied that > \ such a statement was absurd, as the use * of the fluid could have had no ill effect. ' That was the full extent of his connection ' with the case. i Dr Neild, who made the post-mortem 5 examination of the body of Ambrose, - adheres to his belief that her death was I due to suffocation. The Government Analyst has not finished his examination J of the stomach, and cannot say what b quantity of arsenic it contained, but is i inclined to accept Dr Neild's theory. On 30th December Toad insured his b life for £2OO, and on the day of his arrest fc ho had changed the terms of his policy - from life to 20 years. ' Melbourne, January 14. 1 The woman Radatgske, at whoso house occurred the death of Beatrice J Ambrose, whose body was afterwards J thrown into the Yarra river, states that 1 she came from New Zealand, and that 1 her correct name is Ledebur. Her 1 husband went to New Zealand a few 3 years ago, but subsequently left. J The Government Analyst has com- * pleted his analysis, and found that there was not sufficient arsenic in the girl Am--3 brose's stomach to cause her death. Dr Gaze, of the Polypathic Medical J Institution, who was consulted by Rad- * atgske as to Ambrose's condition and knew of her death, states that he did not report the case to the authorities * because he thought another doctor was * attending her. Melbourne, January 15. 3 During his Tasmanian and New Zea--1 land career the husband of the woman, ' Lederbur (otherwise Radatgske or Re- . dalski) went under the name of " ProJ fessor" Carl Ledebur, and carried on. the profession of a masseur. Christchurch, January 14. The police here say that Madame Radatgske, now in custody in Melbourne for the Yarra tragedy, is identical with * the wife of the Carl Von Ledebur who, i over two years ago, carried on a mas--1 sage and electric healing establishment here, but who in consequence of some revelations in Court made himself " scarce. It is rumoured that he has | just returned to Dunedin. The police 1 think the woman did not accompany him " here. j The confession of the accomplice in the tragedy under notice clears up a i mystery which threatened to corals pletely baffle the Victorian police the 9 whole of the circumstances of the' case 1 having up to the present been shrouded 3 in an impenetrable mystery. The priny cipal difficulty with which the authori- - ties had to contend was the fact that all their efforts to establish the identitv of the deceased were futile. They were 1 thus unable to pick up the first thread e m the tangled skem. The body found in ; the river by a number of boys had been I crushed into a box 2ft 9in long, ug wide and 15m deep. The woman had i light brown hair and fair pvX. ft „ s had fallen a victim tortST te * Woman . Bome uiiskille? pertn %**«* ot t hen, of course, the know*SBLfSS? g titioners have been nniW me S al PracB (apparently le^™^ °* a light was thrown on ttHESfc «f W - days ago by the discovery of the >, eminent Analyst that +K- \ , Gov_ a the deceased contained n i 8 of tity of arsenic, hrg * *™*