THE ARIADNE CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 320, 22 January 1902, Page 1

THE ARIADNE CASE.

[By Telegraph—Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The Ariadne trial was resumed a' the Supreme Court at 10 o’clock this morning, when Captain Willis’s crossexamination by Mr Skerrett was continued. He said he was not engaged collecting evidence regarding the wreck at the time of the nautical enquiry at Oamaru, but was subsequently requested by Mr Denniston, Lloyds' representative at Dunedin, to collect evidence. He engaged Detective Fitzgerald to make 'inquiries, and when lie left Christchurch for Dunedin on the occasion of his meeting Blumford knew that Fitzgerald was arranging an interview between him and Blumford. In communications between witness and Fitzgerald no reference was made to the means of extracting information from Mumiord. Fitzgerald was a detective in the police force, and witness had not obtained the consent of the police authorities to make use of Fitzgerald, which was not necessary so long as he was not paying him any money. At the interview with Mumford at the Grand Hotel, Duned’in, on the night of Blay 28, Blumford was evidently distressed, and witness was careful not to take undue advantage of him. At the interview next morning, when a verbal confession was made, witness was insistent that no promise of reward or remuneration should be made. The statement by him in the lower Court that such was the casp was not correct. There were two interviews that day, and it was at the subsequent interview that £4OO was promised if Blumford put the confess sion in writing, At the fipst interview on Blay 29th, among the matters pientioned by Blumford was a statement to the effect that Warner, cook of the Ariadne, had overheard a conversation and would know something about the agreement to cast the yacht away. He had not mentioned that fact in the lower Court or yesterday, as it had escaped his memory. Asked by witness whether he had any letter or document from Kerry, Blumford said he had written several letters to Kerry, complaining of his conduct, and said he would write another and show it to witness. He had not mentioned the fact of the two interviews on Blay 29 in the lower Court or yesterday in his evidence in chief, as he did not consider the matter of importance. He would swear that lie had no recollection of asking Blumford for any letters or document incriminating Kerry at any interview on Blay 29th. The request was made on the 30th, and Blumford’s reply was that he had one, but had mislaid it before or after the wreck. He also said he had mentioned the circumstance to Kerry at Oamaru, and Kerry replied that Bluniford then had no hold on him. Witness at the time expressed surprise that Blumford should lose so important a document. Between the interviews on May 29th witness saw Lloyds’ representative at Dunedin, and from him obtained authority to offer Blumford up to £4OO for a "written copy of his confession. At the ’interview in the afternoon of Blay 29th Blumford wrote a letter purporting to go to Kerry, in which Mumford wrote that Kerry did not hold all the trumps, hut that others knew of the arrangements between them, and Kerry had better not try on any funny business. The paper on which the letter was written Blumford took from his own pocket. Whilst the letter was being written no conversation passed between himself and Blumford. When finished, the letter was handed to witness, who read it, and asked permission to copy it. Blumford went away,

leaving the letter with witness. He took the letter at once to Mr Dctiniston and said : “ Here’s a letter Mumford has volunteered to write Kerry. It is an extraordinary document-." Mr Dennislon perused it-, and a press copy or type-written copy was at once made. Witness got the original letter back the same day, and handed it to Mumford the following morning, telling him he had copied it. and suggesting he should post it. The letter was signed Kettle," and when witness remarked on the strange signature Mumford stated it was the name known between inem. The letter asked Kerry to pay up by the return mail, and a postscript was added insisting on Kerry replying by cable. Copies oi the letter were put in evidence. Continuing, witness said he first saw the

agreement between Kerry and Slumford on June 7at Christchurch. It did not strike him that the document had been folded up and the back was somewhat soiled. He had examined the wording of the agreement under a magnifying glass, and could pot; see anything pointing to the fact that some words were written over twice. On June 7th Mumford was staying at the Occidental Hotel, Christchurch, under the name of “ Capt. Stephens.” That was Mumford's owp suggestion, and it was for the purpose of keeping Kerry from tracing him. He made several money payments to Mumford in Christchurch when -Mumford was arrested, and witness guaranteed a solicitor on his behalf-