THE CONWAY CASE.

Waikato Argus, Volume X, Issue 913, 27 March 1901, Page 3

THE CONWAY CASE.

(Received March '26th, 6.5 p.m.) Sydney, March '2O. THE Conway inquest was resumed today. Constable Treahey, of the New Zealand police, stationed at Stunner, said he saw Conway on February 10th in reference to the lost handbag containing a sum of money, a gold watch and trinkets, a promissory note for £2OO and another for £SO. W ltness subsequently had a long conversation with Mrs Smith about tbe matter, and her explanation was that she went to Sumner with Conway and sat, on the sea beach. They had several drinks, and as she saw Conway was getting drunk she asked him to put his watch and purse in her handbag so that she could look after them for hiiu. They then went back to the hotel and she remembered sitting Oil a seat outside till about eight o'clock in the evening. She then lost her memory and found herself lying on a vacant section of ground at Sumner about five o'clock in the morning. She objected to give the names of her friends or say wliere she stopped. Mrs Smith told witness that she might go to Sydney and would give Conway another promissory note for tho £SO that she owed him. Mrs Smith said she would go to Sumner with Conway and try and find the missing property. Witness had searched but found no trace of it, but a Sumner resident had found the pocket book. Mr Brook, a chemist from Christchurch, recognised Mrs Smith as a woman who visited his shop on February Ist. He supplied her with u() grains of strychnine, which she said she required to poison cats and rabbits. Subsequently she bought a second quantity of the poison, and this time he rubbed the strychnine up with dragon's blood to prevent it being mistaken for salt. Smith did not sign the poison book because he had not the book, just having opened up business. Mr Fogarty, licensee cf the Oxford Hotel, Sumner, said he knew Conway for seven years. He remembered Conway and Smith coming to his hotel, where they had two whiskies each. Conway had plenty of money on him. Conway told witness, when asked where he had been all night, that he had had a drink of port wine and brandy, and remembered nothing alter, but felt very ill- Conway was shaking and trembling when he returned to the hotel, and looked as if he had had a fit.

Detective McLean said Mrs Smith told him she did not think Cod way left any money, as he was a poor man. When asked whether Conway heii £250 worth of promissory uotes from herself and her husband, she said, " I don't know what that has got to do with the mutter." The inquest was adjourned till tomorrow.