THE CONWAY CASE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4317, 28 March 1901, Page 5

THE CONWAY CASE

CONTINUATION OF THE INQUEST. FURTHER EVIDENCE. STATEMENTS MADE BY MRS SMITH. SYDNEY", March 27. The inquest as to the death "of Patrick Conway on the steamer Talun© was resumed this morning.

Detective McLean, under further examination, stated that Mrs Smith told him her husband had borrowed £2OO on their property and the deeds were-’ given as security, but there was no mortgage or any other legal writing. She paid tho money, and - Conway handed tho deeds back. The payment was made in the presence of Mr Williams, of Maori Hill. Williams formerly practised as a barrister arid solicitor, but did not do so now. She paid £2OB, including interest. She denied that she ever borrowed money from Conway herself, or gave him a promissory ■ note ■ or other acknowledgment. She had. heard that Conway was ill aboard the steamer. The chief engineer called at all tho ladies’ cabins asking if there was a Mrs Conway aboard. Mrs Smith tola the engineer she did not know of any Mrs Conway. She did not go to see Conway when she heard he was ill because she was. attending to. a young lady imher Cabin who had convulsions.., She dhl not, she said,'know what' had caused tho convulsions, “but we thought there might be poison aboard; but, it might have been caused; by , sea-sickness;” Shortly afterwards. a stewardess told Sirs Smith that. Conway was’"dead. She admitted meeting Conway in Christchurch., At Sumner, : -she-said, Conway! pressed her to drink first from a bottle, j She then lost her memory.' She paid* Conway the money a 'month before she loft home. , The detective described the details of the arrest. , Mrs, Smith asserted her innocence.

EVIDENCE OF THIS GOVERNMENT ANALYST. NARROW ESCAPE OF A BLENHEIM RESIDENT. (Received March 27, 3.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 26. The. Government Analyst, recalled, stated that .sulphate of strychnine -was soluble in water ■to tho extent of 2 per cent. A, fatal- dose could be dissolved in a dCssert-spoonful of alcoholic liquor. A deadly dose' of, alkaloid strychnine could be- dissolved by aii unskilled person in half a pint of alcoholic liquor; by a 'skilled per-uri in loss. , C. M. Brooke, chemist, of Christchurch, recalled, said he had erroneously confuted" sulphate' and alkaloid. It was the latter he- supplied to Mrs Smith.

Edith Huddlestbne, 'of ' Blenheim, who occupied a- cabin with Mrs Smith - in the Talund, said -she frequently . took ~ stout.. Somei:rnes Mrs Smith paid for it,' arid sometimes she- did not. ; It ‘was usually brought by the .stewards,-with the cork drawn. She.had some- on- the day Conway died. ATT Mrs’"Smith’s suggestion she did not take it with 'her lunch, butf aftefwiarcls. Slid was taken ill that evening between- eight and ten. She had. .a., peculiar, twitching .of tlio lower jaw, which - gradually became stiff. She felt very dazed arid ill. After a while her knees.and back went stiff. Some days previous to Conway’s death, while the stewardess was in the cabin .’-Mrs Smith mentioned having a dogU; poisoned with a. white powder given her by a chemist. She asked if strychnine was a, white powder, "Witness replied that she" thought arsenic was; whiter ' Mrs Smith told: her she

had gone to look for . Mrs Brown's daughter, who was supposed to be in the steerage,’ but) she, could not find her. She had given' the stout and fruit which, she had taken .with-her for,’ .'Mrs ’ Brown to Coiiway./ On ( tM.«Vemfag latter died witness ;.went .on deck , with Mrs Smith.; Shortly after .eight o’clock Mrs Smith -went ■■to.-the; steerage and returned after some time. That- was the evening she was taken; ill. ' This closed the" ease." '’ ""

VERDICT OP MURDER AGAINST . . MRS ,SMITH. : , (Received March 27, 5.53 p.m.) - SYDNEY, March 27-.’ ; The Coroner summed up at length. He said the evidence displayed a certain element ofsuspicion,;against Mrs Smith,, and drew the jury’s attention to conversations which she had with various persons. She, had made admissions that sfie had given pluitls and biscuits to deceased, arid had also given him wliat she had taken 'pi J esumabl3' for “Mi<§ .Brbyri,” who pyas supposed to be a forecabin passenger. The jury must bear in. mind.’that a. crime of this

kind was not committed without some motive Some- evidence Was given from which the jury might conclude’ that the motive Was evidently the monetary relations between Mrs Smith or her b u.vband, or, both, with the _ deceased. He commented on, the. ease with which poisons could be obtained from some pharmacists. The lady in this case apparently bad no difficulty in getting the strychnine. ' . t The jury, after twenty-five, deliberation, returned a verdict to the effect that Conway died, from strychnine administered by June Smith. , Mrs Smith was then committed for trial at the criminal sessions on April Ist. ■