ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 126, 28 May 1907, Page 5

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEFENCE.

Everything . possible will be, done ia defence of the accused- wlren: the j case comes on for trjal, and affidavits of personal friends of the accused will be sent Home testifying ac to bis peculiarities and Ms general disposition.

A FRIEND'S nCPBESSIONS.

INTERVIEW WITH THE EOS WE BEEHAN. The Hon. W. Beehan, L.C.C having been personally acquainted with the unfortunate man, one of our reporters was deputed to seek an interview. Mr. Beehan readily consented to give what particulars of Crump's past life were known to. him, and as the story is brimful of interest we give it in his own.words: —

"Yes," said Mr. Beehan 3 "I knew Crump very well. He is a nephew of the late Dr. Crump, of the. chief town of Kerry—Tralee—which, of course, is my native place too. In his day Dr: Crump was a- very eminent surgeon, but was considered to be very eccentric in his habits. The' doctor Is dead now some thirty years or more, and my knowledge of him dates back to the days when I was u> boy-in the streets of my native town. I remember a very peculiar trait of his. ■He would be walking along the streets of Tralee when presently would come along- a workman smoking a. short-stemmed 'dudheen. . The doctor would raise, his stick and knock the pipe out of the offender's mouth, explaining, 'Don't smoke pipes, you' will catch cancer,' at the same time handing the man a half-crown with which to buy a long pipe. ' 1 merely mention this incideift to illustrate to what extent his eccentricities, went. Well, the doctor died and left a very large fortune, believed to. be about £40,000 in cash, besides landed properties.

'JACK' CRUMP, as we - -used to call John Langford Crump, was tho doctor's nephew. Aly boyhood' 3 recollections of him are that he early developed a roving disposition. He was many times a€* sea as an ordinary sailor, and for many years lollowed mining in various countries. He was a medium-size man and very hardy.

"The first time I saw him in Auckland was about 27 years ago, when he called on mc here, and I have been well acquainted with, him ever since. Crump related to mc his troubles about his uncle's will, and to my knowledge he has been, brooding over the matter for the past twenty-seven years.

"Busybodies in Auckland, he (Crump) said, had seat letters Home as to his character and mode of living, and these letters he considered had a great deal to do with prejudicing him in the doctor's eyes. He told mc he wae absolutely the next-of-kin, and that instead of being well provided for he was only left a matter of a few pounds— £150, I think it -was—and further .he was debarred in the deed from going to the Old Country —very hard lines>you will say. That always preyed on his mind, and he invariably referred to it in conversation with mc. Of course I refrain from giving the names of those persons ■who wrote the letters reflecting on his character — some of them are dead and some living, and I do not think it would be right for mc to mention their names. John Crump married here a widow lady of very good, family from Home. She had. jt nVinber of .children by the first husband; and two sons were born to-Crump.. One of these is still living, and Crump mentioned to mc that this Mrs. Mori-arty-Crutnp was certain to provide in her will for this son, and , whether his last visit Home was to see about that matter I cannot say. Crump disregarded the terms of the will and went Home several times to try to upset it, but he invariably failed to get lawyers to take up the case, and was unsuccessful in his designs. Crump lived at the Shore and Tamaki, and had a boat of his own, and amused himself by sailing and fishing in the Manukau harbour. Crump, so° far as I knew, was a good-hearted raaif, but of violent temper if put out; and he was easily upset. He always brooded over not getting his. proper share of the uncle's money by the will, and always blamed the busybodies here for interfering in his private affaire I had not seen him for some time up to a few months ago, and he se rned then, to have aged very- much. After that I saw nothing of him, and did not know of Mβ whereabouts until I read in the papers that he was arrested in London for the murder of Mrs. MoriartyCrump. When this lady was left a good slice of the doctor's money she added Crump to her name, but poor old 'Jack , never called her anything but Moriarty. The Moriartys were wll-known in Tralee, and were in some way related, I think, to the Crump family. Crump to]d mc the money was left to distant relatives and soinj to outsiders, and he had but little doubt but that in the state of the doctor's mind and health before his death that he was clearly incompetent to make a will at aIL i SAD ENDING.

"1 have no more to say except that I am exceedingly sorry to see a man like Jack Crump, who lived such a hard and arduous life, in such a predicament. I am sorry, too, for his wife and family here, who are highly respected people, and I cannot but think that Crump's mind was unhinged at the time of the awful occurrence."

UNCLE AND NEPHEW,

A COSTLY QUARREL. An old friend of John Crump stated to a "Star" representative this morning that he was quite sure there were times when the man was not responsible for hie actions. Asked the reason for snch belief, he said: —"I know that Mr. Crump lost a fortune through hie violent temper. His uncle (Dγ- Crump) died worth £170,000, and at one time he had decided to settle £30,000 on his nephew. That was when Mr. Crump was a young fellow. His uncle had got him a commission as lieutenant in the Kerry Militia, at the time of the Crimean \7ar. Well, you know what young fellows are; Jack Crump seemed bent on enjoying himself. One day the --uncle- remonstrated with him about something, whereupon a stormy scene ensued, then the fat was-in- the fire. The result of that outbreak was that "Jack Crump never got the £30,000. His uncle euf him off with £100 a year, and that-only on condition! that he went to the colonies and never set foot in the Old Country again. Asthings have turned out. if s a pity he did j ever.go back- to the Old Country, and but, for that quarrel, I have no doubt but that he would have got the whole £170;000 that his uncle left. A GOOD FELLOW. '•'Apart fronctheea violent fits of nnjjm.i iiiiHn ijjßTJnTij Ifr Toliu Hi imiji wm

as nice a;»Stt as you could' wish to meet Thui is w%, "I say, rdotft think-fcVis responsible for whaf he", has done' this Woula : aliy- man in-his right senses offend an uncle wh<> ms abbut to settle £30,000 on. him 3 INTIERESTfiD 32J; MT^ty^. "".Sfter he 'caiine'- to - the colonies, Sir. •Crump ■wasiHtferiested-to-iaJningj-anfl-hkd a good• deal to donvita-ftoating coinpainies ia ' 7 EVIDENCE FOR tSE DEFENCE. "I only hope,, for his sake, that they will allow time for evidence to be sent Home- for his defence, for it. is a very sad case. Even the death of the woman he-shot does not benefit him in-any way, as I always understood that upon her decease, the money went to Mr: Crump's son- There *is no doubt in my mifld_ that Crump brooded over having lost the money,, until it unhinged- his mind, with the- sad result that he is now charged as a murderer."

SIGKEFICANT IKQDIRIIuS,

(By Cable—Press Asso.inHon.— Copyright.) (Received 0.55 a.nu) HOBART, this day. In connection with the murder by J. L. Cramp, it is significant that some time Ago inquiries were made at the Hobart Registry office, in the name, of J. juan<»ford, from Auckland, with regard to the marriage of the late Mr. Moriarty the husband of Mrs. Crump, who took his wife's name in order to secure certain properties.