THE ARIADNE CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 18, 22 January 1902, Page 2

THE ARIADNE CASE.

PEB PBBSS ASSOCIATION. Chbistchurch, January 21. At the Supreme Court this morning Captain Willis, crow-examined by Mr Skerretb, said he was sot engaged collecting evidence regarding tho wreck at the the time of nautical inquiry at Oamaru, but was subsequently requested by Mr Denniston, Lloyd's rep-1 resentativo at Dunedin, to collect evidence. He engaged Datect : ve Fitzgerald to make enquiries, and when he left Chriatchurch for Dunedin on the occasion of his meatiog Mumford, he he knew Fitzgerald was arranging an interview between him and Mumford. I In communicition between witness and Fitzgerald no reference was made to means of extracting information from Mumford. Fitzgerald was a detective in tbe police force, and witness had not obtained the permission of the police authorities to make use of Fitzgerald so long as he was not paying hi>n any money. At the interview with Mumford at the Grand Hotel, Dunedin, on the night of May 28th, Mumford whs evidentially distressed, and witness was careful not to take undue advantage of him. At the interview next morning, when a verbal confession was made, witness insisted that no promise of reward or remuneratioa was made, the statement by him in the lower court that such was the case being incorrect as to the interviews that day. I'. «br at a subsequent interview that .£4OO was promistid|jif Mumford pat a confession in wri'iog. At the first interview Mumford mentioned that Warner, the cook of tbe Ariadne, had overheard the conversation, and would know something about the agre>ment to oast the yacht away. He did not montion this in the lower court, or yesfcpr lay, as it had escaped his memory. Would swear he hid no reoollaction of asking Mumford about any document or letter incrimioating Kerry at any interview on May 29tb, Mr Skerre' t cross-examined Captain Willis, who said the agreements were shown to him on June 7th by Mumford, He aeked Mumford to reconoile the agreement with the letter be wrote to Kerry. Mumfqrd replied that the letter referred to tbe fact that Kerry had refused to give'a second agreement at Oamaru when the first was thought to be lost. Oa June 8"h Mumford allowed witness to take the agreement to be photographed. Witnoes finally returned it on June 11th. The document was clean on the face, but soil«ri and frayed on the back. The document wan produced in Court, but it had been gummed oa to a sheet of blue paper in tbe lower Court, and tbe baok could not be seen, Witness examined the agreement critically at the time, but had not noticed some words. The agreement read: "Sydney, Fe >iu-i with G. Mumford to pay as wages tlm sum of £l2 per mouth for services a<> master of the yacht Ariadne from the date of signing articles at Sydney, and a written sum of 4400 if tbe vessel be totally wrecked. (Signed) T. C. Kerry,! own r j E. J, H, Freke, witoie.-s," Using a magnifying glass, witness failed to see Sgos of retracing. Before June Btb, witness repeatedly cross-examined Mumford as to his statements. He paid Mumford £IOO in gold on May 30th, £l5O on June 21st, on July 29th another £l5O, and in August, September, and July £lO, £7, and £2O 7s for hoard and pocket money in Ohristehuroh. Witness detailed his knowledge of Mumford's movements, And his mee lug with Wynd, a member of the crew, who overheard an incriminating conversation between Kerry and, Mumford on May 30tb. Later Wynd made a statement (produced) in German. Mumford was arrested on October B'h. Witness recommended lawyers to him, guaranteed costs, and offered to share in providing bail. He went to Sydney about the middle of November, and saw Mibß DowsiDg at a detective's office, and arranged pecuniary term* with her. He saw Warner and Pollock, and asked the fatten for a valuation of the Anadpe, hut could get none. Any letters or copies of letters handed by witness to. the Crown must have heen handed to him by Mumford, After evidence had been taken as to the valuation and navigation of the Ariadne, a dooument, produced by Mr Harper (for Mumford) was acknowledged by witness. It held Muihford free from any consequences of statements made in connection with tha loss of the Ariadne, and was dated May 30th. He bad been assisting Mumford since the latter's arrest because, his hand having been foroed„ he felt bound by his agreement to help tha man.

Jjoobnets, a G«rm<in suitor, ode of the crew, gave evidence as before as to the removal of goods from the Ariadne before sailing from Sydney, the equipment of a life-boit, and the wreck of the yacht, William Hemy Ivts, proprietor of Daws Point swimming b/tths,'aaid that at the end of Febriyiry, 1901, acoused Kerry came one morning to witness asking permission to leave some goods he was bringing from the yacht in Neutral Buy, about a mile and ft half away. Witness said he aould leave the goids if he amoved them next morning, Kerry brought the goods in a fair sized ship's boat that evening, with four or five men. Witness saw the goods unshipped, including portmanteaux, boxes, b*ga, barometer, and s"me sails or awninps. La'er he notice d & chronometer in one box, two binnacle lamps, and some rides. Altogether there was about a ton of goods. Some packages were very weighty. Mary Beok repeated her evidence given in the tower Court as te storing goods, and Herman Wynd, another member of the yacht's crew, gave evidenoe as to hearing a conversation on board between Mumford and Kerry as to the. agreement. j Thomas Henry Olarkson, a new wit-j nflfe, captain of tbe ship Sir Henry, • said that on March 22nd last he wax oft' Biuks Peninsula and paw ft pchooner inshore of him sailing und*r so very sheri canvas that he stood for her for two days to help if needful. H* did not know her name. Witness thought she wanted sails, and asked if if she was in trouh'e but got no reply. Had he been in the same onse he would have asked for assistance. It was not safe to proceed along the coast in the state the schooner was in. A. H. Bosworth, banbe'erk, said the signatures on the a I leg id agreement w ith T. Q. Keny and on the nautical ii'quiry d"p a : t,ions were written by the same person. i