THE TALUNE POISONING CASE;

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 70

THE TALUNE POISONING CASE;

THE INQUEST ON P. CONWAY. THE LADY ON THE HATCHWAY. The Deputy Coroner of Sydney (Dr R. H. Todd) resumed the inquest at the South Morgue oif the 9th inst. touching the death of Patrick Conway, who died on board the Steamer Talune, on the 19th ult., under suspicious circumstances. Mr Tillett, on behalf of the Crown Law Office, appeared for the Crown. Mr Moss, as before, represented Mrs Jane Smith, who was present at the proceedings in custody. CONWAY' S FRIEND ON BOARD. William M'Combie, recalled, explained that the deceased died in one of the fits he previously described. To Mr Tillett: He did not see the lady that came from the saloon atterwards, so as to recognise her. To Mr Moss: He did not know what period elapsed from the time he saw deceased seated on the hides until he joined !him. After tea he sat on the hatchway and then went across to the hides. How long were you sitting on the hatchway? — Fully half an hour. What time did you join him?— lt was 6 o'clock when he was on the hatch■iway. He stopped there for half an hour, and I joined him at about 8 o'clock. What time did the convulsions begin? — Just before I joined him. Where was Conway's luggage, and your own, kept? In a special place? — No, it is usual to keep the luggage, such as handibags, in the berth. Deceased's portmanteau •was kept in an empty berth adjoining his own. Did Conway ever lead you to believe that lie had a large sum of money? — No. I How many were in the steerage? — About 35. The males were teparated from the females, but tke iaUer have access

to the males' quarters by coming out of their door. Where were the saloon passengers situated? — At the other end of the -vessel. Were you often in the company of Conway? — Yes, principally on deck. Would it be possible during that time to gain access to the berths? — Yes. Was Conway ever seasick, or did he complain of illness while on board? — No. A Juror : Did you ever see him in company with a female? — No. Mr Moss : You were in his company more than anybody else, were ycu not? — Yee, and we used to play carels together in the evening. George Watson, undertaker's assistant, gave evidence as to the exhumation of the body. WHAT THE STEWARD SAW. Thomas Murphy, recalled, said he was steward on boaid the Talune on her last voyage to Sydney from New Zealand. He had seen deceased on board. To Mr Tillett : He first noticed him shortly after 8 o'clock on the night of the 19th ult. He was then sitting on the foremost hatch. Was anybody with him? — He was in company with a lady, whose face I could not identify. I remembered her elress Do you see her now? — Yes (pointing- to Mrs Smith), that is the la'\v. How long were they there together? — About 10 minutes. Did either of them have anything in their hands? — I noticed a bottle, resembling a small English ale or stout bottle, in the lady's hand. What happened next? — The lady got up and went aft to the saloon. How was »he dressed'. — She wove a fawn waterproof, and a brown sailoi 1 hat, something similar to the one she is wearing now. Have yon been the waterproof ?ince?— I saw it last Wednesday at the Central Police Court. Was Jane Smith wearing it then? — Yes*. When the lady went aft, did you &co the deceased again'/— Ye.s; after about 20 minutes I saw him in a stale of collap~e being cairied to the hatchway. How did he behave on ib.s &atsjivvft2>~

He worked like a man in convulsions. He was conscious to the last. Did he speak to anybody? — Yes; ho answered all the questions he was asked. What time did he die? — About 10 minutes to 10. Dr Todd: I will not object, Mr Tillett, to admit what spontaneous expression deceased might have used to indicate his condition. The fact of his speaking during his illness is relevant to that fact. Mr Tillett : Did you hear him pay anything about his feelings? — He said he had never felt so bad before, and added, " I am so bad." He said he thought he would be well again. At times, when in convulsions, he looked as if he was in pain. Did he show any signs of fear? — No; ho looked very hot, and perspired freely. After he died, what did you do? — I carried the body, which was wrapped up, on to the bridge. The body was limp. How long was that after death? — About half an hour. "THE LADY ON THE HATCHWAY." When you saw the lady and the deceased on the hatch, how were they seated? — Close together. „ To Dr Todd : There was nobody else sitting on the ha^ch at the time. To the Foreman of the Jury: I do not know whether Conway handed over any property to any of the -stewards. Was that the only pme you saw the lady and deceased together — on the 19lh ult? — Yes. To Mr Moss : It was a fine night, and passengers were on the deck. The forehatch would be a public pait of the boa*", would it not? — Yes. How c^ose were you to them? — About a couple of feet. You were not curious in the matter, wore you ?— No. How close is the hatch to the steerage bar? — About 10 yards, reckoning from where they were sitting. Was there any light thrown on the hatoli? — Only the light from the steerage door, eight yards away. Would you swear that nobody else was sitting on the hatchway ?— I would swear that no person was on the starboard side, or within five yards of the couple. To the Foreman : I did not hear deceased say that anything he had drunk or eaten had caused the convulsions. To Dr Todd : Ido not recognise the lady in court as the lady I saw on the hatchway. I did not see that lady on the" Talune at all. To Mr Tillett : I cannot recognise the lady in the court as the lady on the hatchway. 1 recognise her as the lady I saw in the Central Police Court, wearing a fawn mackintosh. Did the lady you saw on the forehatch resemble the lady ill the Police Court? — Yes. In what way? — In her dress. She was also similar in height and general build. Would you swear that the lady in court is not the lady who was with Conway? — No. To Mr iMoss: T saw her for five or six seconds when she was walking away. The lady on the boat might have been an inch or an inch and ahalf taller or shorter. WHERE ALLEN COMES IN. William John M'Bryde (recalled), a passenger by the Talune on her last trip to Sydney, said h© sailed from Lyttelton. He had seen Conway daily on board the steamer. He appeared to be a healthy man. To Mr Tillett: I saw him on the 19tli ult., at about 9 p.m. He was on the starboard side of the ship. Was anybody with him? — No, I did not «cc anybody. Was anybody close to him? — I saw a lady abreast of him. How far away was she? — From where I was standing I should say 6f. Could you identify her? — No, I did not notice how she was dressed. Where did you go after seeing her? — I went into the bar, and when I came out, after 9 o'clock, Conway was still sitting on the bags, but the lady was gone. Do you know a man named Allen? — No. but I believe there was a man on board of that name. Have you ever seen Allen? — Yes, if that is his name. Did you see Allen that night? — Yes, I saw him sitting beside Conway after I came out of the bar. Tho bags they were sitting on were about 4ft high. ' After you walked alon^ the deck, did you see Conway do anything'? — I ijaw him take a fit. Before he became ill I noticed that he -was lying on his back with his legs hanging over the bags. Were you present when he died? — Yes. It was at five minutes to 10 by my watch. Have you seen the lady in court before? —Yes. on board the Talune. Could you say whether or not she wa\,.the j lady you saw speaking to the deceased? — No. At this stage the inquest was adjourned until next morning at 10 o'clock, at the South Morgue. On resuming on the 12th inst.. William Mogford Hamlet. (-Jovernment analyst, said he had examined the contents of the stomach, also one kidney, tho left side of the heart, and portion of the lncr of the deceased, and chemical analysis showed alkaloid Ptrychnme in all tho organs mentioned in quantities amounting to very nearly three-quarters of a grain. Dr Todd : Dees the finding of threequarters of a grain of strychnine in some j portions of the body indicate that there was a deadly dose of poison in that body? Mr Hamlet : Yes ; it docs. [ By Mr Tillett (who appeared for the ( Crown) : Sufficient of the alkaloid could easily be dissolved in beer or alcohol to cause death. The largest quantity of strychnine \uv in the liver. The ne^t largest was in the hpart, and the smallest in the contents of tl'e intestines. Dr Taj lor. Government pathologist (recalled) now stated that Convray's death «a« caused by strychnine poisoning. By Dr Todd: Tl'e t'isco\ery of tlirccquarLer-* of a grain in tlip \iocGra indicalcJ that a laigo quantity had been taken into the body. Half a grain of strychnin? would kill a man in the ' May described by witnesses. By Mr Mcs* (who ap^arcd for Mrs Smith): It would be easier for Conway to take '-tiycljiiiiip undetected afttr eating chillipo in the wpy he cßt\, and racier for him to tako lie poison tFTan in the axio of a man ■who propeily masticated hi* food Alfred Alien, who i= employed on the Talune, «id that when Conway was sitting on the h.itch a lady wearing a long fay, n nTackmtc-li and a hat, who seemed to liaio «.omplh- : ii<i under her mackintosh, ',\i down beside him. He saw Conway put somc-tliing to his vrmith, pnd ho appeared to bo drinkin?. They sat together for half dm lioai. VTiu.cjs and a man uamed

Walker spoke to Conway, who laughed antl said that the woman was his " missus.' Conway gave each a red plum, and said that they had been given to him by " hi 3 missus " Witness laughed, and said, "It seems funny that the lady should tiavel Ealoon and you forward," and the deceased replied, " You can always save money ; you can. never be too careful." He also said his missus had brought him a drink. By Mr Moss: At the time Conway and the woman were sitting on the hatch there was a light on the forestay, about 30ft from them. Witness admitted that if deceased had held a beer bottle in his hand when he raised his hand to his mouth he would have noticed it. The inquest was further adjourned. The Melbourne Age, in giving particulars of the visit to Melbourne of Detective M'Lean, of Sydney, to collect evidence, says:— 'Mrs Smith has asserted that her object in going to Sydney was to take a position as companion to a wealthy couple who were about to make a tour. Yesterday Fletcher, chief steward of the Talune, stated that on the trip to Sydney Mrs Smith had a conversation with him, in which she related a strange story setting forth her reasons for visiting Sydney. She said that some years ago she had been instrumental in saving the life of a child named Smart. To mark their gratitude towards her the paretit3 of the child had insured its life in her favour for £500. Latterly she had heard by letter that the child was dying of consumption, and she was proceeding to Sydney with a view to claiming the money from the insurance company. The police will of course make use of these assertions in piecing together the circumstantial evidence, and if they are true they will go far to discount the presumption that fehe went to Sydney for evil purposes. Fletcher will be called as a witness, "the Union Company "having afforded the police every assistance for producing him and Liardet at the inquest. Detective M'Lean admits having secured important evidence." (From Ottk Own Coeresfondent.l (Specially telegraphed from Wellington.) SYDNEY, March 16. The inquest concerning the death of P. Conway, who died suddenly on the s.s. Talune on the voyage between Wellington and Sydney, was continued yesterday. Meantime a number of witnesses had arrived from New Zealand by the Mokoia. Some of these were examined. James Fletcher, chief steward of the Talune, residing in Wellington, said Mrs Smith joined tho ship at Lyttelton, having a single ticket passage to Wellington. He could not say whether she left the vessel at Wellington, but she was on board when they sailed from that port, and interviewed him about an hour before they sailed about her passage. She said she was short of her saloon passage money to Sydney by £lj that she did not want to travel steerage; and asked if he** could arrange for her to have a saloon passage by giving security over her luggage. He told her it was an unusual thing, but as the office was closed on Saturday afternoons j he would consent. She then proceeded on board. After leaving Wellington the tickets were collected about half an hour after they left the wharf, and he was the one who went to Mrs Smith. She told him that she wished to keep the sovereign she had, as it was a Jubilee sovereigu. As ehe was already short of £1 he did not see that it made much difference, and collected £4, leaving £2 to be paid in Sydney on arrival. In the course of conversation, she raid she had a draft for £50, which, by some mistake, had been forwarded on to Sydney, and should have been cashed in Wellington. She remarked when paying the money that s-he hoped to have a good time on the way over. On February 19 he met Mrs Smith immediately after dinner, about a-quarter past 7, coining from the saloon and going forward in the starboard alleyway. As he passed she said she had something for a friend, and added, " You don't mind, do you?" Witness replied, " Certainly not." She was carrying something in her hand covered with a napkin. Though completely covered, it had the appearance of a plate with a glass on it. He did not see her return. Afte- 8.20 or 5.30 he was sent for, a man having been taken ill on No. 2 hatch. When witness arrived the' man was in convulsions. On his reviving he said, in reply to a question as to what was the matter, that he did not know, find that he had never had anything like it in his life. Thinking it was- a fit^ witness administered the usual remedies, giving water and ice, and chafing his hand?. From certain remark? made by a passenger, he received instructions from the captain to go to a lady passenger. Ho immediately went down to Mrs Smith. She was in her cabin. When asked if she \ knew the passenger Conway, she replied that she knew him slightly. Ho had a=sisled her j with her lugpage on board. Asked if cbe knev any of his people or could tell h ; m anything about Conway, she asked why he made the inquiry. Witness told her he W3s il'. Witness said he had been told his wife was on board. She said she did not know that he was married. She did not s^o up to &es Conway. Conway, when witness went back, said he wps not suffering from pain, but could not describe the feeling he had. His face was livid, his eyes wide open, and teeth clenched. During the convulsions ho an peared to be in dread of Fomething he could not express. Witness was not present when Conway dind. Tho body was sewn in canvas and placed on the flying bridge iu-t abaft the main wheel. The captain took no--'ession of the luggage for tho night. The pockets of e'eceased were not searched till the following morning. He met Mrs Siiiith on tlso night of the 19th at tlie corner of tlio saloon bar. On the instructions of the captain, before Conway' s» death, I*o say MrSmith again. Hf> a=kcd her if ghf ccukl V. them know finyihing r.boul Convay's people. Sho said. "Wll3'; is lie woive? " When lie told her lie was dying, she passed tho ramork, "Poor fellow." Shp said she knew a sister of hi-* who li\pd at Roslyn, near Dunedin. Tup day the vcs-el arrived in Sydney, tho 20th. he had another conversation, when sho said that at one time sho had give» Conw.iy some employment doing her jjard« n up, as ho had been out of work, and v.os not too woll off. She led him to suppose she was only slighHy acquainted v, irh Conwav. Mis Smith v.a? on board at 12 o'clock on the 21«t. He did not know when s-l-e went a^'iorc. Prior to lea^ ing for Newcastle at 5 o'clock the some evening, ho saw Mr-s Smith in the saloon . Sho explained that =ho had nH been able <o ra«h her draft. When he taid it annoyed their not to be able to pay tie money into the office, she wnl, " Vcrv oil, .Mr Fielchn": v. oil a I miiitHu." She returned ia a m.:;u.e o*- i\±o

with £2. They sailed a short time after. • Mr a Smith's luggage wa3 left behind. H» could not s?y whether she took anything ashore here. On the 23rd he saw Mrs Smith again. He told her a detective on board wished to see her. He introduced Detective M'Lean to her, and left. She came to his door and said good-bye, but he did not see her leave. On one occasion Mrs Smith told him something about saving a child's life, that she had a medal for it, which she showed him, and that there was a policy taken out on the child's life in her favour. She said she was to get the money when the child died, that it was dying then of consumption. The child's parents, she said, had offered her a free trip round the world if she chose to take it : The lwme of the parents was Sraait, and the amount of the policy £500. Sometimes female passengers went to the bar, but ifc was unusual. His first visit to Mrs Smith's cabin was about 9 o'clock. She was sitting on the couch in a blue dressing gown. She seemed calm, and not put out about anything. When he saw her the second time she was in bed. She did not seem at all agitated. The navigating 1 bridge where the body was placed was not open to anyone but the officers navigating the ship. No question was asked ' deceased as to whether he had taken anything or been given anything that disagreed with" him. Fanny M'Donald. stewardess of the Ta- ! June, stated that she knew Mrs Smith as a saloon passenger on the last trip. Mi=s Huddlcston was the other occupant of the> cabin. She remembered Mrs Smith speaking to her about midday on February 19 m the presence of Miss Hucklleston. When she entered the cabin to take the order for lunch she recollected Mrs Smith sayine to her, "What sort of poison is strychnine?" She could not 6ay if there had been any conversation in the cabin previously leading up to this. Witness replied, "Oh. I don't know anything about strychnine, but I believe it js much used in making up medicines, as * have seen it on the face of bottles." Mrs Smith then asked, "Is it a white powder?"' Miss Huddleston said, "No, I think it is arsenic *hat is white.'' Mrs Smith went on to pay, " We once had a little dog in Christchurch which had sore eyes. We wanted to get rid of him. I went to a chemist and got something. The chemist said, ' Oh, you bring the dog along to me. I will give him something to put; him out of the way.' We took the dog to the chemist, who gave him something. He dropped off in a minute or two." Nothing else was said then about poison, and it was never referred to again. On the evening of that day, between 25 minutes and halfpast 6, Mrs Smich gave her an order for R pint of stout, and said, " I do not \\ ish to take it just iiom . but you may as well bring it now." Brought a pint bottle of stout. The cork was removed at the bar, and replaced. This was the usual thing to do. Witness took their dinner to Mrs Smith and Miss Huddleston little later. Miss Huddleston had not been up. but Mrs Smith had just returned from deck to have dinner. Witness removed the dishes from the cabin after dinner, abcus a quarter to T She did not see the stoufc bottle then. There were always two glasses in the cabin, but witness did rot notice whether either had been used for taking the= stout. Witness saw Mrs Smith about :t quarter or half-past 8 near the companion, way. Witness was coming from the upper deck. Mi' 3 Smith was at the foot of th» companion on the main de^k. She said shra had been alone a f the other end to see some ladies. She had often 6poken to two ladies travelling steerage, who were friends — the Misses Brown. She was dressed in ;v light mackintosh cloak and a sailor hai, similar to vhr»t she had on in court. Wiiness understood Mips Brown hal travelled from Lyltelton to Wellington, and came from Dunedin. There was a Miss Drown a stee:age paseugcr to Wellington that trip. Mrs Smith never spoke to wkne«s about Couwa>y. She remembered Conway dying. When the chief steward psked Mi 9 Smith, in witness's presence, if sho knew Conway or a person in the forecabirt she replied, "Oh, I don't know anything about him, only he helped me on with mv boxes." She said afterwards "she kr.ew hit brother and sister slightly in Dunedin. Nexf; day ehe raid her husband had employed Conway on odd jobs in the garden for a. week or two. She also said she believed he was only a poor man coming to Sydney to> look for work. After some questions by the chief steward, the witness had a look round the cabin iipxl day about 9 or 9.30 o.m , when Mrs Srarrh was in her berth, but did not see anything of the stout bottle. She did not make a search, but later, when. Mrs -Smith had gone up. she noticed a stons bottle in the rack above her b?iUi. It remained there till after they arrived in Sydney, when she threw it out of the porthole. Mrs Smith went ashore about 133 p.m. on the 21st inst. with the other stewaidess and herself. Mrs Smith wished to know wheie Kent sheet was a v .il thegdsworkd, an.l witness directed hor Jowaid* them. She took nothing Pshore that v. itnew noticed. Mrs Smith "came about 10 minutes to 5. They a«ked if she had found her uncle. whom she had told them wa 1 * manager of the ga.nvoik*. She stated that when she got there Le v. a- not there. Sh<» had gone to tho private iCMd.-nco in Pai ldington, but found they were all out. Wiine.- 3 f-aw her on the following NatmcUj. The other stewardess nm] ho;s°'f had J^nfc her a pound each to p«y her passago moi\ r -y before the ship sailed for Newcastle, «ha leading her watch and chain P3 security. On the Saturday afterroon she repaid thn loan of £2 in notes, Ihc ono paid to herself being on the Austra'i.m Joint Stool.- Bank. She took her cabin lu.^as-e fi-Vre on Ftic'eiv, but wihie«! tciW uc. say anything about any other luggage. Replying +o que«tion = , witness c .ud Mis Smith started on the question as to stryebniiie without anything leading; up to it. Wines- could not say whether tlnne wa<? miy other conversation, then. She w?i Minpl,' a-ked to .--c if Mrs Smith had had anything, and looked for the stout bqit'e. Mi- Smith did ".ol _up pear agitated at Conway'si death, but f-?id it was sad. At lunch, time on the 19th fruit (plums ehe believed) wos served. M;s Smith had said nothing about a £50-draft, and that the money had! by some mismanagement been sent back from Wellington, but would be waiting for