Sydney Conspiracy Case

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1542, 27 January 1906, Page 2

Sydney Conspiracy Case

A Gullible Witness

At the Water Police Court, Sydney, the

ionßpiracy case came ofl the otbe r lay after many adjournments. It was she oaso wherein Froderick Bnrcher,

ioseph John Eochester, Alma White,

and Constance Oato, were' charged with having unlawfully amongst ihemselvcß, and with ono Dorothy Beimer,

lonspirod together to pervert tho end of

After a constable had testifiod to

he arrest of Alma White, the name of

Dorothy Ksimur wbb called. There was a stir in Court, and a squat woman, almost a dwarf, entered. She was pale and unhealthy looking, and to the first queslfon answered with a> vacuous grin, " Yah,"

and pnsped like a fish out of water, and Mr, Mant, who appeared for the prosecution, explaining that she was in ili-beslih, asked that she might be allowerl to sit, With difficulty it was dragged from her that she was a widow, now residing at Cooperstreet, Bedlern, but at the time of making Captain Lindfors' acquaintance bad lived at Fern Cottage, No, 8, Rußh-Btreet, Woollabra. Lindfors came to stop Bt Fern dottßßß in the last week of Angtißt, 1908, and left on September 29 following, She had never seen him Bince, and understood that be was dead. On September 26 he was hurt, apd seemod to suffer Irom bis back.

Tho witness spoke very low, and in such badly broken English, and at Buch a tremendous pace, as to he almost unintelligible and frequently for minutes at a timo she hobbled along in on inaudible tone, and overybody left off trying to " lake" her, The muoh-tried olerk of tbe court dropped his bands from the keys of hie typor, the reporters put down their pencils, and Mr, Lovien, who appeared for the rest of the accused, ejaculated .frequently " What is she talking about now?" Mr, Mant frequently applied that she should have a Gorman Interpreter, but Mr. Levieu pooh-poohed the suggestion, saying she talked English fast enough to the clients whose fortunes sho told, and had transacted the whole business with the accused in Euglish. Out of a wilderness of fraoiured words, a story was pieced tOftother- to the eflecS that Mrs Reimcr had met Mrs. "Whito casually, while bouse'burning, on November 16th, 1903, and had mot ber again at Norlb Sydney, where wittness had to reside, in the middle of December, 1904, whon !l etc told her her troubles."

Here ulr 'Wiltshire protested strongly about ber inaudible speech. Mr Lovien; You should hoar ber when she's telling fortunes I Witness told White that sho was ongagod to bo married to tbe ciptnin, MrLevien: Ah, that's what killed tho captain 1 Eventually they got her to talk coherently, She said that once Mr Boohester bad threatened to cut her throatif she repeated things Mis White" had said. Butcher had visited bor at ft friend's house and asked her to Bign a paper, Her friend wouldn't let her sign it as it was giving away all hor interests in the will for £IOO to meet eiponses. Oroßß-examined by Mr Buroher, sho described how she Bat in tbe hall outside Mr Rochester's office and saw biin reading from the Lindfors-Janson will copy, and Mrs Whito writing down what he read. She also saw Miss Oato sign the paper Mrs White bad written, and she fairly shouted the statoment that it was written on a yellow paper. Mrßureher; All right, don't jam that dowu my throat. Witness: Don't you swoar, neither. Mrßurober: I did not, Witneßß: Yon did too; you said damn. (Roars.) ' Mr Burcber: I said jam. (Shrieks).

In reply to a question bv Mr. Burohor, the witnosiscreamed: "I did not meet Mrs. White and Mr?. Cato on tho day wb weiotosailby the Victoria. Now I hat you 1 Dts JBt un lid, I stand here for do Crown, und to spbeak der (root, Don't you tink 1 can make' a fool of yon for Bix months, ain't it, yep. Ido not meet dom, I see dem, in liow-choot-or's office, yea," f: Liter on Mr, MBnt complained of tho treatment his witness was being subjected to. Mr. Wilshiro, S.M,: Oli, she's nil right,

A. frw moments later tor. Mant agaiD intorvoncd to protect his wiinese, who was raging and thumping tho lodge of the box m alio furiously attacked Mr, Bur'chor, Ho considered A\a was upset by the bully ing and by Mr, Levien's interjections. •

Mr. Levion: Me ? Why I'm sitting here like a lamb!

Mr. Mant: I must ask your Woish'p to V protect tho Crown witnes?. She is upset. Mr. Lovien: Give her a black draught.

Magistrate nnd lawyer had n spar as to tho propriety of the question "Were you prepared lo entor into forgery, perjury, conspiracy an l ) lying to obtain this estate," and the witness put an end to it by saying " No."

Then what were yon goiug to New Zcß' land for ?

Thoy said, if tlioy could thoy'd keep uie out, • • .

" And if thoy couldn't ?" Den I vouldn't go ? (Roam) Would you havo taken the money if they'd got it? Yah, if do lawyer dero (pointing to Mr. Uurcuer) got it for me. Vy vouldn't I ? (Shouts of laughter). Cnu you tell mo why Captain Lindfora should loavo you his property 1

Dat'a my business. Wore you intimate ?

Dat's my buainesjs. I rofuse tho ques- y tion to answer. You ought to be ashamed! • I would not liavo gono lo New Zealand i,f. I had known tho ca6o had gono over. to' February, I felt rolioved when I bad!tbs|' Mr Wilson all. , . \^g. All the neonsed, as already cabled, tf«e- • commitlod for trial.