THE CONWAY TRAGEDY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 11 March 1901, Page 4

THE CONWAY TRAGEDY.

Some very Startling Evidence.

Particulars of Previous Proceed ings.

Sydney, March 9

At the inquest Murphy, steward on the Tahmc, deposed that shortly after eight o'clock at night, on February 19th, he saw Conway sitting with a lady on the hatchway. The lady had what appeared to be a small bottle of English ale in her hand. After sitting together some time the lady got up and went to the saloon. About 20 minutes after the lady had gone, he saw Conway in a state of collapse. He failed to identity Mrs Smith as the lady he saw on the [hatchway. Murphy gave similar evidence to M'Combie in regard to Conway's death. Thomas M'Bryde, a passenger by the Talunc, gave evidence that he saw a lady near Conway shortly before he was taken ill, but could not identify her. He had seen Mrs Smith on board the Talune.

The inquest stands adjourned. Early in February (says the Christchurch Press) Mr P. Conway, who is understood to have been a retired butcher in well-to do circumstances, visited this city. He was a batchelor, possessed of a happy temperment, and also apparently of inexhaustible funds. He stayed about a fortnight here, and spent his money liberally. A woman, said also to come from Dunedin, was seen in his company, Very little is ascertainable regarding their movements here. The next scene took place on board the Talune, by which vessel Conway sailed from Lyttelton to Sydney. Tho voyago was not ha'f over when one evening Conway was on deck listening to an impromptu concert. A peculiar proceeding on the part of the woman on board was taking place in another part of tho vessel. She a:-ked ono of ths stewards for a bottle of stout, explaining that it was for Conway, who, slio said, had complained of being ill. Tli9 liquor was brought, but she had changed her mind in the meantime, and told the steward sho had some plums she would give Conway instead of tho stout. Sho then went on the clock, and handed tho plums to Conway, who i 3 stated to have been in bis usual high spirits. Shortly after he had eaten some of the plums he wa3 seized with a fit. It was stated on apparently good authority, that ho was not subject to fits. Ho was attended to, water thrown on him, the collar of his shirt loosened, and he .ultimately recovered, but almost immediately had two other seizures, the last of which proved fatal. It is also alleged that whilst Conway was eating tho plums ho handed some to a fellow passenger, who was standing close by, and this man was also seized with similar symptoms to thoso noticed in Conway, although they were not severe, nor did they terminate in the same way. Some surpriso was felt among the passongers at the fact that when the woman was informed of Conway's death, sho stated that she did not know him, and manifested no interest whatever in what was done with his body. These are the facts alledged to have taken place. Conway, was supposed to have had about £6OO in sovereigns in his possession when he left New Zealand, and as the cable message states, no money whatever was found amongst his offects.