THE CONWAY CASE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4307, 16 March 1901, Page 5

THE CONWAY CASE.

FURTHER EVIDENCE AT THE

INQUEST.

(Received March, 15, 4.33 p.m.)

SYDNEY, March 15. The inquest on the body of Patrick Conway was resumed to-day. Fletcher, the chief steward of the Talune, deposed that Mrs Smith joined the Talune at Lyttelton. Before leaving Wellington, she came to him, and said she was short of the saloon passage money to Sydney by a pound, and asked if she could have a saloon passage by giving security over her luggage. This was agreed to. She mentioned she had a draft for £SO, which, by mistake, had been forwarded to Sydney. On the night of February 19th, witness saw ill's Smith going forward about a quarteir past seven. She was carrying something covered with a napkin, it appeared to be a plate with a glass on it. She said she was taking something for a. friend. Witness then described) the death of Conway. From certain remarks made by a passenger, he received tne captain’s instructions to go and see the lady passenger. He went and saw Mrs Smith, and asked her if she knew Conway. She replied that she had known him slightly. Witness said to her that he had been told Conway’s wife was aboard. She replied that sho did not know hei was married. Witness then went back, and on the captain’s instructions saw Mrs Smith again before Conway died. He _ asked her if she knew anything about his people. She replieid that she knew a sister, who lived at Roslyn, Dunedin. Next day witness had another conversation with Mrs Smith. She said that one time she had given Conway the garden to do. up, as he had,been out of work, and was not wall off.

(■Received March 15, 9.13 p.m.) SYDNEY, Marco, 13. In his evidence, Fletolier deposed that when he told Mrs Smith that Conway was dying, she said. “Poor follow.” The day after reaching Sydney, she said she had not been able to cash a draft. Witness explained that the non-payment of the balance of passage-money had caused some annoyance. She said “Wait :i minute,” and brought him two pounds. Witness repeated the story Mrs Smith told him in reference to coming to Sydney to look after insurance money of tiie child Smart. She showed him a medal. She said she received it for saving the child’s life. Fanny McDonald, a stewardess on the Talune, gave evidence that when taking an order for lunch on February 19th, Mrs Smith asked, “ What sort of poison is strychnine?” Witness told her she did not know. Mrs Smith then ■ mentioned about taking a dog to a Christchurch chemist, who gave if something which caused it to drop off in a minute or two. The same evening, at 6.30, Mrs Smith gave an order for half a pint of stout. She said she did not wish to take it then, but witness could bring it then. About 8.30 witness saw Mrs Smith near the foot of the •ompanion way to the main deck, and she told witness she had been to the other end of ihe ship to see some ladies. She often spoke to two ladies who were travelling steerage. Witness heard her tell the chief steward she knew nothing about Conway—only that he helped her aboard with her boxes. Mrs Smith said afterwards that ihe knew his brother and sister slightly, and believed he was a poor man coming to Sydney to seek work. Witness found the stout bottle in the rack in. Mrs Smith’s cabin, and threw it out of the port-hole when they- reached Sydney. She had several times provided Mrs Smith with stout. On reaching Sydney, witness and the other stewardess lent Mrs Smith a pound each to pay the balance of her passage money. The latter left her watch and chain as security. Mrs Smith asked the way to the gasworks, which she said her uncle managed. , Ihe following Saturday she repaid the borrowed money.' (Received March 15, 0.39 p.m.)

Walter Strachan, a greaser on the Taluuo, said that on the night of February 19th, he saw Mrs Smith pass along the starboard alley-way, carrying what ,appeared to be a bottle under a napkin. Ho then saw her seated with Conway on a hatchway, and appeared to hand him what sba had been carrying under the napkin.

Elizabeth Healey, housekeeper at a hotel in Sussex street, Sydney, deposed that Mrs Smith was a boarder at the hotel. In conversation she told witness that she was looking for a Mrs Browne, who came over by the same stermor. She was going to give Mrs Browne some biscuits and fruit, but failed to see her, and so gave them to a Mr Conway. On the night of March Ist, the day detectives had bepn to the hotel, she asked witness to sleep with her. She said she was frightened to sleep alone. During the night she kept jumping up, saying there was someone in the room. Seme days before she was arrested she told witness she had a box at an aunt’s in Paddington, containing two ladies’ and one gentleman’s gold watch, which cost £25. She asked witness to say nothing about the gentleman’s watch. She also told witness she sent £2OO worth of boots to her husband in New Zealand out of, £SOO she got for saving a child’s life. The day after Mrs Smith viewed Conway’s! body she was reading a newspaper, and exclaimed, “Good God; it is supposed to be a poisoning case! All I gave him was biscuits and plums.” The inquest was adjourned till March 28th. All the witnesses so far have described the woman they had seen going forward, and sitting by Conway, just before the fatal seizure, as having been dressed in a brown mackintosh andi black sailor hat.