THE YARRA MYSTERY.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 382, 14 January 1899, Page 2

THE YARRA MYSTERY.

CONFESSION BY A WOMAN

TWO PERSONS ARRESTED.

STATEMENT BY A PRISONER,

[united press association]. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT). Melbourne, January 12. The mystery surrounding the Yarra tragedy has been partly elucidated. A young woman, a domestic servant, calling herself Beatrice Jamieson, whose proper name is understood to be Dub berke, last night visited the detective office and made a statement implicating a man and woman. As the result if this confession a woman calling herself MatUme Redalski, and a man named Travers Alexander Todd, house agent, have been arrested in South Yarra. The name of the woman whose body was found in a trunk was Mabel Ambrose, formerly employed as a seamstress in a Col-lins-street ett'iblishment. The informant was a servant in the house of Redalski.

Miss Jamieson states that the girl Ambrose went to Madame Redalski's house about December 10th, in company with Todd, and desired an operation performed. IS'o instruments seem to have been used, but an electric battery was frequently applied, and drugs were administered. The girl, it is alleged, was treated by the woman up to December 13th. On that day Todd vis ; ted her, and the woman left them together in the bedroom, The woman returned in about a quarter of an hour and found Todd had gone and Miss Ambrose frothing at the mouth. Madame Redalski attempted to administer brandy, but Miss Ambrose died in her arms.

Miss Jamieson made a long statement to the detectives, describing how Todd and herself placed the body in a box and took it in a buggy to the river Yarra. Another mau and woman were on the bank, and in order to avoid observation they left the box in concealment, took the bugey back to the place from which they had.hired it, went back to the river at midnight, and tying the box with wire and attaching a large stone, sank it. The informant further states that she has been troubled by conscience ever since, and could no longer retain the (•ecret.

Todd is a member of a highly resDectable family, and is well-known in business circles in the city. He appeared staggered when arrested in his offioe. Without saying a word he allowed himself to be quietly handcuffed. Madame Redalski is a Russian. She advertised herself as "Madame." Miss Jamieson acted as servant and assistaut. Miss Ambrose resided with her mother in South Yarra. She was 17 years of age. Later. Todd has made a statement, in which he says he was intimate with tho girl Ambrose, and when she became pregnant Madame Redalski said, for his sake, she would remove the trouble, and sho took the girl into the house as a servant. On the day Miss Ambrose died, Madame Redalski and Miss Jamieson informed him that after the former had used some Condy's fluid, Miss Ambrose gave a loud scream, and fell back dead. They tried to restore her with water-bottles and brandy. He then discussed with both women various methods of disposing of the body, and decided to put it into the Yarra. Madame Redalski and Miss Jamieson undertook to remove tho clothing, sew the body in baggiug, and place it in a boot-box belonging to Miss Jamieson. Todd then details how he and Miss Jamieson, with a trap, conveyed the body and thrwv it in the river. Subsequently Miss Jamieson informed him that she had burned deceased's clothes, and cut her hair off, as she thought thus to frustrate identification. Tpdd concludes with the remark that he knew uothing whatever of the use of any arsenical poison. Madame Redalski led him to believe that the analyst had made a mistake.

The three prisoners were before the Court to-day, Miss Jamieson being charged separately. It is understood that the police accept her as a Crown witness. They were remanded till the 20th iust.

Todd visited the morgue yesterday, and stated that he was then unable to identify the head. Mrs Ambrose is a widow with five children, of whom the murdered girl is the eldest. She says the girl was headstrong and beyond control, and had been away from home before, consequently her absence did not trouble her, especially as Todd told her the girl had a comfortable place. He called last week and told her mother that she was all right. Mrs Ambrose was asked to go to the morgue and view the body, but on the strength of Todd's statement she considered there was no need to do so.

Todd's landlady sta'.es that he frequently discussed the tragedy unconcernedly. He was to have been married in February to a young lady, a resident of a country town.

The medical man who advised the use of Condy's fluid says it could have had no ill effects.

Dr. Neild, who made the post-mortem examination on the body of Ambrose, adheres to his belief that death was due to suffocation. The Government analyst has not finished his examination of the stomach, and csnnot say what quantity of arsenic it contaiued, but is inclined to accept Dr. Neild's theory.