THE CONWAY CASE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4300, 8 March 1901, Page 5

THE CONWAY CASE

SOME FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS. (Received March 8, 1.8 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 7. A stewardess and fireman of the Talune are coming to Sydney by the Mokoia to give evidence in connection with the Conway case. As the Talune will also arrive at Melbourne on Sunday, probably some more of the crew will come over to give evidence.

The woman Smith, who is in custody, is the wife of Percy Smith, residing in the vicinity of Dunedin.

She made a statement to the police denying the charge, and also told them she was going to travel round the world with a lady and gentleman whose little daughter she had rescued from drowning. It is believed, however, that since she came to Sydney she sought employment as a barmaid.

The police are in possession of information from New Zealand which alleges the following facts;—Percy Smith owed Conway £2oo, for which the latter held a promissory note and the title deeds of Smith’s property. Conway and Mrs Smith left Dunedin about the end of January, and shortly afterwards went to Christchurch. While there Conway made a statement to the police te the effect that he was at a watering-place with a woman, and had a promissory note and the deeds of Smith’s property with him. He had drink, and became unconscious. When he recovered he found the documents gone, and reported the matter to the police/ but the documents were not recovered. This was about a week before he left by the Talune, on which Mrs Smith was a saloon passenger. During the voyage Conway and Mrs Smith were frequently seen sitting together on the hatchway shortly before Conway was taken ill. A Christchurch chemist is en route te Sydney to give evidence. He was given a description, Of Mrs Smith, and declares that it tallies with the woman to whom he sold two lots of strychnine in February. When Conway died there was no suspicion of anything being wrong. The body was sewn up for, burial, but the captain decided to bring it on to Sydney. An officer took possession of arid sealed nip Conway’s belongings.