THE INQUEST IN SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 23

THE INQUEST IN SYDNEY.

THE POLICE EVIDENCE.

(By Our Special Reporter.)

(Specially Telegraphed from Wellington.)

SYDNEY, March 27,

At the Coroner's Court, Ghancery square, the inquiry into the death of Patrick Conway aboard the Talune was resumed yesterday.

Frederigo George Passy, second cook on the Talune, deposed to having seen deceased on several occasions before his death. On the evening the vesFel left Wellington a lady came along the starboard alleyway and asked him whether that was the way to the forecabin. He identified Mrs Smith as the woman who asked the question. He

saw her talking to a gentleman sitting on the forward hatch. They were sitting down. Afterwards he ascertained that the man was Conway. To his knowledge they were there fully 20 minutes. He saw a woman on the following night conversing again with Conway at the same spot. On a third evening he saw them there also. On the 19th Mrs Smith went forward, joined Conway, and sat with him on the hatch cover. Conway had a glass in his hand containing something he could not swear to. He drank the contents. About 7.30 he saw the woman walk aft. An hour later he saw a man in a fit. He went forward, and found Conway apparently in great agony, near the forward hatch, on the starboard side. He saw the captain there. A little later he heard someone ask the man what the matter was. *The man replied, " This is horrible. I never I felt like it before."

E. C. Treahy, police constable, stationed at Sumner, said he knew Conway. He saw him at Sumner on the 10th of February. He called upon him with reference to certain properties lost. He (witness) searched for a handbag containing one £10 note with certain words written on the back, a leather pui'se containing 10 sovereigns, a Jubilee two-shilling "piece, one or two single pound notes, a gold watch .(inside the case of which

were the photos ai a man and a woman), a brass chain, a gold cross pendant with the initials "PC, 1S00 " engraved on one side and "M.C." on the other side, a gold-

handled pen, a book of dates with a red cover, also a promissory note for £20.

CoHnsel for Mrs Smith objected to his describing the promissory note in detail

The court refused to allow the names mentioned thereon to be given. Witness said the other articles searched for were a promissory note for £50, a chamois bag containing seven small nuggets of gold, a gold band ring with a stone missing, a gold ring (15 carat) also with a stone missing, several private letters and papers. Hp had seen Mrs Smith on the 13th of February outside the Supreme Court at Christchurch. He had a conversation with her. She came looking for him. She told him that the reason she did not come and see him before wa.s because she was afraid her friends would hear that the police were making incmiries about her. She said Conway told her on the 11th, 12th, and 13th that he (witness) wished to see her at the Supreme Court. She told witness she met Conway on the 7th at Christchurch, and went by the 4 p.m. train to Sumner. On arriving there they went to a refreshment room and had some tea After this they walked to the sea beach, and sat down for half an hour. Then she told Conway phe felt cold. He said, " Will I get you something to drink?" She replied, " Yes ; r get some brandy and port wine." She' re-

mained on the beach while Conway went

for the liquor. He came back, bringing a bottle with him Both had several drinks

out of the bottle. She paid that Conway

was getting drunk, and she asked him to ■ put his watch and purse into her handbag, so that she could look after them for him.

Conway did so. Then both got up and walked along the beach further, and sat down again. A little later they left the beach together, and went into the hotel at Sumner They came out again, and sat on the seat outside the hotel. She remembered the train coining. It would b$ about §

o'clock in the evening. Slip then lc-t her memory. She next found herself lying on a ■v a-ant section at Sumner about 5 o'clock in the morning. She stated that she did not go to anybody's house or see anyone, but m the morning walked to vfoolston, and bought a veil thorp .She would not tell him the names of her fiiends in Christchurch or Diinedm, r.or did she care to Bay where she was ?toppins> at in Christchurch. She thought if her friends knew the police were making inquiries about her they would think thei c was wrong She said that if her husband, in Dunedin, was to find out she had slent out all night at Sumner, she would poison herself. On Monday, February 11. a' boy brought her her coat from Sumner Her purse wa» in her coat, together with a gold ring with a stone missing, which belonged to Conway. The boy said the coat was given to him at a shop in Sumner where it had been brought by a woman who found it in' some bushes The boy knew her address because her name and address were written inside the purse. She could not give a description of the boy. She said she did not ask him his name. The boy told her he lived in Christchurohk She would know him if she saw him again. She said she saw Conway again on the 11th of February, and infqrmed him the boy had brought ber coat fcom Sumner, and that her purse was in the pocket and his ring. She did not show it to him • She told him (witness) she might go to Sydney. She would give Conway another promissory note for £50 in place of the one which she lost at Sumner. She said 6he had known Conway for a number of years in Dunedin. She lefl^Bunedin two or three days before Conwav by the -express Conway stayed at a hotel in Christchurch, w*hile she stayed -with her friends. She said she saw Conway on the afternoon of the "Bth, and told him 'she had lost the handbag containing his -property, and that she had slept out all night at Sumner. She came back in the morning. She said she did not remember seeing Conwav after 8 o'clock on the previous evening. She imist have lost her memory. She told witness she would go down to Sumner and take Conway with her on the 14th and try to find the handbae-.r She had previously informed him she had been at Sumner with Conwav, walked round the spots previously visited, found the place where she slept all night, but found no trace of the lost handbag. Witness had also searched round Sumner and found nothing, but a pocketbook had been sent to him on Mafoh 9 by Mr J. W. Butters, of Nayland street, Sumner.

C. Mitton Brooks, a chemist, residing in Christchurcb , recognised Mrs Smith as having visited his shop on the Ist February. His apprentice informed him Mrs Smith purchased some articles, and wanted some poison, which he refused to sell, aa witness was out. Next day the woman called and asked witness for some poison for her people in the ISllesmere district. She said thotj they were overrun with cats. He supplied her with 40gr of strychnine. He had not seen ber before the Ist February, but frequently afterwards. On several occasions she used his telephone. Once she rang up the Oxford Hotel, Sumner, and asked whether Conway was there. The last occasion on which he saw her was 10 or 12 days after February 1. She purchased one or two little things. She told him .she was going to Sydney, and that 'her people wished her to send up some more poison. The first quantity had killed a lot of cats and rabbits, but a good few were still left. This time he rubbed up 30gr of strychnine with an equal quantity of dragon's blood. She made some remark as to whether it would be strong as the other. He replied that he had put the colouring in to prevent it being mistaken for salt or sugar. Sulphate of strychnine was the form in which the drug was supplied.

By the Coroner : Sulphate was the salt of strychnine, not soluble in water. It would dissolve in acids.

Witness continued : Mrs Smith did not sign the poison book. He had not got one owing to just having opened in business. He had used great quantities of strychnine during the past few years in the pieparation of poisoned wheat.

The Coroner quoted an authority to show that the salts of strychnine were easily soluble in water.

Witness declined to oppose his views to the authority quoted, though it had been his impression that the salts mentioned were not easily soluble in water.

Arthur Winstone, assistant to the previous witness, said he saw Mrs Smith m the &hop on January 31, when she purchased a quantity of goods from him. She asked for some poison for a small dog with sore eyes ; but as Mr Brooks was out he refused to supply it. He requested her to call again. She did so next day, and was supplied with strychnine. Witness entered the sale in the ca^h sales book, in, the absence of a poisons book. He corroborated Brooks with regard to the use of the telephone by Mrs Smith. He said he did not hear the conversation. Later on she returned, and questioned him about the poison. She said she did not think tho poison so strong through mixing it with the red stuff. Witness replied that it made not tho slightest difference. 3ht answered, " Well, that's all right." She inquired when the next tram left Addmgton, and srid: " I'm going to Sydney for three month'-. I will call and see you when I come back again." She shook hands with him and said bood-bye. Denis Fogarty, licensee of the Oxford Hotel at Sumner, said he knew Conway by sight for about seven year?. Deceased stopped at his hotel from the 28th January to the 15th February, He first saw Mrs Smith on the 7th February in company with Conway. They went for a walk, but Conway did not return till next morning. He next saw Mrs Smith three days, later. She met Conway again, and they had a couple of whiskies each. Conway was, apparently well supplied with money. When paying him he poured oul about 30 sovereigns from a canvas bag, and that was not all the bag contained. He regarded Conway as a very steady man, who enjoyed gcod health. Conway on the morning after being away all night complained of a curious feeling after drinking some port wine and brandy on the previous day. This led witness to a»k where he stopped all night. Conway said he went down with Mrs Smith to the beach, had a drink of something, but remembered no more. He said he had lost some money and documents. Witness told him to place the matter in the hands of a detective. Conway looked as if he had suffered from a fit. He was shaking and trembling. Deteetnc M'Lean, of the Sydney force, said he boarded the Talune and made inquiries with reference to Conway's death. The chief steward introduced Mrs Smith to him. Witness said he had been told she knew Conwey »ud his geottle.. She said,

" Ycd, I knew him in D.medin. where he wii-i a butcher woiking at the abattoirs-. I knew his sister very well." He a=ked hei if the ki.ev. whether deceased left any money or property. She replied that she did not think =o. Ho was a very poor man — m fact, about 12 months ago, he was out of work, and her husband and herself ga\e him a week or two's work in the garden. She «-aid she was quite surprised to pee Conway on the vessel at Wellington. She said, "My gooc'ness. Mr Conway. aie yon here?" Conway said, " Yes, Mrs Smith, I am going to Sydney." She informed witness that Conway helped her on board with her boxes, and she said to him. " I will sec you again." She next saw Conway when she went to inquire for a lady in the forecabin, but found she was not there. On her way back she pa.?scd Conway talking to two others. She asked him how he was getting on. He taid " Splendid." She stated that she only spoke to him once, although she saw him once or twioe from the upper deck, and nodded to him. Mrs Smith questioned witness about the funeral, saying she supposed he was buried as a pauper. Witness replied that he had received a respectable funeral. He offered to furnish her with particulars of where he was' buried if she would give him her address. She appeared glad to hear he bad a decent funeral, and paid she would let deceased's sister know. She informed witness that she was staying with friends, but he could address her at the G.P.O. He said that would hardly do. as some further infgrmation might be wanted about Conway. She then gave her address as the Royal George Hotel, Sussex street. He called on her on Monday, the 25th, and supplied particulars of the funeral. He saw her again on March 1 in company with Superintendent Larkin and Constable Malone. He informed her they had come to make inquiries, as there was likely to be an investigation of the case. She said " I can't see what good an inquiry will do now." He asked her for her full name. She informed him that her husband was named Percy Smith, and was a salesman employed by J. M'Kay, of Dunedin. She had known Conway two years. She stated that she had left Dunedin about a month ago. She paw Conway at the railway station. She remained at Christchurch for about three weeks, and then took a ticket by the Talune to Wellington. She intended staying at Wellington, but eventually decided to continue the" voyage to Sydney. He asked her whether Conway held promissory notes for £251 from herself and husband. She said, " I don't know what that has to do with the matter." Witness replied that perhaps it might not have, but he simply asked the question.

The hearing -was adjourned till Wednesday, i

Mrs Smith maintained a calm demeanour throughout, with the exception of a little impatience at one or two remarks made by Constable Treahy

March 29.

the Coroner' 3 Court, Chancery square, tho inquiry into the death of Patrick Conway aboard the Talune was resumed on Wednesday.

Detective M'Lean, continuing his evidence, said Mrs Smith told him her husband borrowed £200 ~on the deeds ot a property from Conway. The latter held the deeds as security. There was no mortgage or any legal writing. She subsequently paid the money, and Conway handed back the deeds. Her husband had the deeds now. She paid over the money in the presence of a friend. Witness asked her who the friend was. She said it was Mr Williams, of Maori Hill. He asked her what Mr Williams was. She said he was a barrister and solicitor, but added that he was not that now, but used to be. She paid Conway £208, including interest. He asked her whether she borrowed anyjnoney from Conway. She answered " N™ v nor had she given him a promissory note for any money. She did not give him any other acknowledgment. Asked whether she had heard Conway was ill, she replied, " Yes," and that the chief engineer had called at all the ladies' cabins and asked if there was a Mrs Conway on board. Mrs Smith told the engineer she did not know of a Mrs Conway. Witness asked her whether she went to see Oonway when she heard he was ill. She said " No." She was busy attending a young lady in her cabin. The lady had convulsions. He asked her whether she knew what gave the convulsions. She said she could not say, bm thought it might have been poison on board, but t ne y might have been due sea-sickness. The stewardess shortly afterwards told Mr 3 Smith that Conway was dead. Witness asked her whether she had met Conway in Christchurch. She said " Yes," twice in the street ; but she had no conversation with him, but merely nodded to him and bade him the time of day She admitted she had a meal with him, adding, " Worse luck." He asked her how was that? She said one evening she went to Sumner and had tea with Conway. Afterwards Conway went to a hotel and got Is worth of brandy and port wine. He asked her to have =ome, but fV told him she did not care about it. He paid : " Do have some first, Mrs Smith, and I will drink after you." She had some out of the bottle, and then remembered no more until next morning. Witness asked her how she got home. She said she did not get home at ali. She found herself somewhere on the beach. Conway next day spoke to her out side the fence of the place ?he was staying at. He told her he had been robbed of everything. Mrs Smith said she lost her puree at the same time. Conway, she said, reported the loss to the police, and told Constable Treahy about it. After that she did not see Conway till two days' out fiom Wellington. She was very surprised to see him aboard the ship. Witness asked her when she paid over the money. She said =he had paid Conway a month befoie she left home. Ha\ing got the deeds back when she paid the money, she considered that the best proof that thp monfey was paid. There was no mortgage or promissory note for the money, she said, but an acknowledgment was written on a bill head. Witness saw Mrs Smith again on the sth March in company with Superintendent Larkins and Constable Malone. They called at the Royal George Hotel and saw Mrs Smith. Witness tolcl her he had a unpleasant duty to perform, that he must arrest her on a charge of causing Conway's death. He warned her that whatever she said might be used in e\idenee for.or against her at the inquiry. She remarked': "I have told you the truth, I can't say any more." He then conveyed her to the police station, and charged her with causing Conway's death on the high seas on the 19th February. She said : " I never did anything like that ; lam as innocent of it as you are." Mrs Smith attended the South Morgue on the 2nd March, and identified Conway's body. Witness a=bad her if Conwav had made any pretence to her. She replied, " Never in his life." He asked her if he ever gave her any property to mind for him. She eaid, "«loj but if you think I

ha\e anything you can ha\ c a look througN my luggage." He did look through her, luggage, but saw nothing but what waa apparently her own propertj-. Hamlett, Government analyst, reeallcc',, said sulphate of strychnine was soluble in, wpter to the extent of 2 per cent A fatal' dose could be dissolved in stout or alcoholic?' liquor^. A deadly dose might be dissolved' in a de-scrt spoonful of beer, stout, or water. A deadly dosa of alkaloid strychnine could be dissolved in half a pint of porter, beer, e or a mixture of wbisk3 r and water, but not in water. A chemist might dissolve it in k- 5 time. It would take about 20 minutes to dissolve the alkaloid. Half a. grain to two grains would prove fatal, depending on tbe strength of the man.

Brook, the Christchurch chemist. re-= called, said he bad erroneously stated that it was sulphate of strychnine he sold to Mr-s Smith Jt was alkaloid.

Edith Huddlestone. residing in Blenheim, and a passenger by the Talune. said she occupied a cabm with Mrs Smith. Remembered a man dying. She had stout for dinner on the day of the man's death. She? could not say who gave i+ her. She took ill on that particular day. It would be between 8 £>nd 10 o'clock in the evening-. Her symptoms were a peculiar twitching of: the lower jaw, which gradually became stiff. She felt ->'cry dazed and ill. After a while i her knees and back went stiff. The stewardi ess brought the stout to the cabin. Sh« remembered some conversation about poison | previous to (he man's dea-th. The steward - ! c&s, Mrs Smith, and herself were in tl»e cabin at the time. Mrs Smith, mentioned 1 having taken a dog to a chemist to be | poisoned. The chemist gave it a white powder Mr 3 Smith asked what strychnine .was like: if it was a white powder. Wiiaifiss replied that she thought arsenic was a white powder. Mrs Smith also drank stout. Sometimes witness paid %>r it, sometimes Mrs Smith. The stout was generally brought in with the cork drawn. On the evening she took ill Mrs Smith suggested that theyshould have stout after dinner, and not with it. She spoke of ha* ing met Conway aboard. After Conway was dead she told witness she had given him stout and fruit which she had taken to the forecabin for a Mrs Brown She frequently mentioned Mrs j Brown's name, but coiild not find them aboard. This was why she gave the articles to Conway. On the evening the man died! witness went on deck after 8 O'clock. Mrs Smith went wi*h her. Mrs Smith left her and went to the steerage, but returned after some iime. Witness was taken ill* the samo eve-iing

The Coroner, summing up, traversed tl'a evidence at length. He said it showed the intimacy which existed between Conway and Airs Smith, both in New Zealand and; on the Taiuxie. The evidence displayed? certain elements of suspicion against Mrs Smith. With regard to these suspicions, he thougnt"*it right to draw attention -to the conversations which she had had with various persons. She had made admissions about giving plums and biscuits to deceased, alsA to giving him what she had intended for Mrs Brown. The jury must bear in mind a crime of this kind was not eomAitted without motive There had been some evidence from which the jury might conclude there was a motive. Evidently there hatlbeen some money relations between Mra Bmith or her husband, or both, and deceased. He could not help commenting on the indiscriminate way some chemists sold poisons. This lady had apparently no difficulty in getting strychnine The jary retired at 2.30 p m., and after 24- minutes' deliberation returned with a verdict tliat Patrick Conway died of strychnine poison administered by Mrs Smith on February 19. The jury comolimented Senior Sergeant M'Lean and his officers on the way the case had been worked up.

Accused was committed foi- trial for murder, and will be tried at the criminal sessions commencing on April 1.

SHE CARRIES IT WITH HER,

When Mrs Mary Wren is about to start on a trip to Sydney she always packs m her bag a bottle of Mother Seigel's Syrup. Of course, sha is careful to put it where it is not likely to get broken, as she does not want to waste the medicine, neither does she want to spoil her thing?. So far, lam glad to say. she has carried her precious bottle without an accident.

And when she gets home to Acacia Cottage, Bridge street, Muswellbrook, New South Wales, she has always reason to be thankful that she took the syrup with hei. For you must know that on the 20tli day of September, 1899, Mrs Wren was 75 yeara old. and 50 of them she has spent in the town of Muswellbrook. She has had 15 children. 10 of whom are still living ; certainly a l coord of which she has a right to be proud. Now, to make this little tale run straight, and to keep the kinks out of it, we shall havo to hark back to the place where it properly starts. Better still, perhaps, to let tr-e good ol 1 lady tell it herself, as <-he doe- in a letter datod 21--t of Septembci (nc-.t da., itter hoc birthday), 1899.

"Most of my lite,"' so she ccrs r^ '"I bid. suffered from indigestion ard wind on the stomach. I ha\e often been up half the night trying to relieve the terrible paa.s caused by the wind.

'" I «pent a lot ct money on th«» c-sciilo ot singer and other things, but they all failed miserably. Tne ej-sence of gine^r would warm, me for a few minutes, and then the pain 3 would be on again ; just as a barking dog begins again after you have hit him with something. That's the way it was with me. " About five years ago I had a very bad time with influenza ; and when I was slowly getting over that the indigestion came on worse than ever. We couldn't do anything for it. or with it; no more could the doctors. '" Then an old friend happened in, and she said, 'Why don't you take Mother Feigel's Syrup?' I told her I didn't believe m any of the adverti=ed medicines. She went on imploring and entreating, and I taid she nvghfc as well sa\c her breath, for &he_ couldn't move me an inch out of mj own opinion?. " What does that woman do, but co and buy a bottle without my knowledge, and fetch it to me? Then I gave in and began tiving it. That very bottle helped, and, after taking a few bottles more, I wa* as well a- anybody wants to be. "Since using Mother Seigel's Syrup I have got lid of all my pains and aches, and to make sure of keeping them away T carry a bottle with me wherever I e;o."— M\RY Weex. Mr William John Davison, Saddle and Harne.« Maker, of MugwellhroiA, write, that ho has known Mr, Wren for 30 ye?rs, and the public may put full faith in e\ery word «ho &ays.

At Thursday's meeting of the Southland Education Board, on the motion of Mr T Mac Gibbon, it was decided, m answer to communication from the Education depart ment, that the Gore School be raised to the status of a district high school.