THE CONWAY CASE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4299, 7 March 1901, Page 5

THE CONWAY CASE

ARREST OP A WOMAN. STARTLING REVELATIONS PECTED(Received March 6, 10.35 p.m.) SIDNEY, March 6. Jane Smith, aged 32, understood to be a resident of Dunedin, was brought up at the Police Court to-day and remanded to the 13th inst., on a charge of being concerned in causing tho death of P. Conway on the Taluno. The woman, who was arrested last night, will appear at the Coroner’s inquest on Friday. A rumour is current, which, however, lacks official confirmation, _to the effect that the analyst found strychnine in Conway’s stomach. xhe woman Smith is described as a married woman. Tho police are in possession of what they consider strong circumstantial evidence. Startling revelations are expected at the inquest. (Received March 7, 0.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 6. It is understood that evidence will be submitted at the inquest bearing ti'ansa-clions between the woman (smith and Conway, with regard to certain promissory notes and a bill of sale, money and valuable*? which were in Con--way’s possession aboard the Talune, and which, it is alleged, disappeared. Then value is stated at between three and four hundred pounds.

Tli© deceased, Conway, was a slaughterman, and belonged to Kaikorai \ alley, near Dunedin. Early in February he visited Christchurch, and seemed to be possessed of a considerable amount of money. He was a bachelor, but a woman said to bo from Dunedin was seen in his company. Conway sailed from Lyttelton by the Talune for Sydney. The voyage was not half over, says the Christchurch ‘Press,’ when one evening Conway was on deck listening to an impromptu concert. A peculiar proceeding on the part of a woman on board was taking place in another part of the vessel. She asked one of the stewards for a bottle of stout, explaining that it was _for Conway,' who, she said, had complained of being ill. The liquor was brought, but she had changed her mind in the meantime, and told the steward she had some plums she would give Conway instead of the stout. She. then wont on deck, and handed thej plume to Ccnway, who is stated, to have been in his usual high spirits). Shortly after he had eaten some of the plums he was seized with a fit. It is stated, on] apparently good authority, that ho was not subject to fits. He was attended to, water thrown ,on him, the collar of bis shirt loosened, and he ultimately recovered, but almost immediately had two other seizures, the last of which proved fatal. It is also alleged that whilst Conway was eating the plums he handed some to a fellow-passenger, who was! standing close by, and this man was also seized with similar symptoms te those noticed in Conway, although they were not so severe, nor did they termnate in the same way. Conway’s body, instead of being buried at sea, was placed m a wooden box, and for a time was stowed behind the wheel, but later was put in cue of the ship’s boats. Prior to this,! however, some surprise was felt among the passengers by the fact that when the woman was informed of Conway’s, death she stated that she did not know him, and manifested no interest what-j ever in what was done -with his body.] Conway was supposed to have had about £3OO in sovereigns in his possession’ when he left New Zealand, and, as a previous cable message states, no money whatever was found amongst his effects. ' I