TRUDGEON'S STORY RIDICULED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 16

TRUDGEON'S STORY RIDICULED.

Wellington, May 18. The pil: c? fcere ridicule the confession of Tlftrt'ford in Sydney, and decUre lhab from a yho^o of the prisoner there Le is ideaticul with Simuel Trudgeon, a horne-stt-aler, who broke out of pritoa at Gioytown in 1891-. Further, their recordi show that Trudgeon was on Ffbruary 26 1889, vwhen only 13 years and eighfe months old, charged with larceny here aud sent to the Burnham Industrial School until he attained tbe age_of 15 yenra. Htwkios was murdered on May 31 188^. This opinion as to thrt fallacy of the confession is confirmed by a letter which Eliza Trudgeon, _ the mother of Ssumel Trudgeon, has written to the editor of the Times to-night. She says r " Allow me to contradict the statement in 'your paper this morning with regard to Samuel TiucSgeon. lie was' never employed by Hawkins, aud his age is ouly 21 years (yesterday, the 17th, being his birthday). Go that at the time of H>-v, kind's death he would ouly be 14 years of age, and, besides, he was in the Bumhara Industrial School at the time. I thiuk it is high time such bogus aseertion» should bs discontinued, for they cannot do good for either side."

Mrs Havrkina knows of no one named Harcfoni or Trud&eon having been in her hmHand's employ. There was a lad named Marad'en. employed up to tbe end of February, but she remembers no casual hand previous to the murder. Mrs Chc-inis knows no one named Tmdgeou or Hareford who worked for Hawkinf, but aays a boy in his employ had st>tid to C^emi* his intention of "doing for" Hawkins when he became a man, on account of his illtreatment.