November 19, 1896.1
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
remember a visitor coming to your the middle of the day. Did they do so --They that afternoon P-I do time ?---Two o'clock.
to the door yourself, did you not P- first. I was sitting in the dining- riting, and to a summons at the door. I the Chinaman saying “ Arimasen no have Thinking that the China boy was mak- ing a histake I myself went to the door.
Who
did you see there f-There was a lady there who to me was an apparent stranger. When she saw me she came into the ball and said, “Are you Mrs. Carew?" I replied in the affirmative, and she then said she wished to see Mr. Walter Carew. I said I was very sorry he was not at home, but that if she would leave me her name or card and told me the nature of her business I would tell Mr. Carew. She said that was impossible, and that she would see him herself. If she could not that afternoon it must be the following morning. She refused to tell me anything further beyond giving me a card. I at once wrote
Mr. Lowder Stop one moment, please. I produce a card marked in writing with the initials M. J. and having in the right-hand corner, as you face it, "A. L. 1888," with two notes of admiration afterwards, and ask you if that is the card P---Yes, that is the card.
did, as well as Mr. Porch and my husband. The conversation turned upon the lady who had called the previous day.
Was it a serious conversation ?-Quite the reverse.
4
In fact, you were joking your husband about the mysterious woman in black P-I was under the impression that the lady was more or less of a hoax or a myth, and that she had no busi- ness with my husband, as she did not keep her appointment.
I understand that these joking allusions to this mysterious lady went on till Monday, 19th October, when you heard something definite about her from your husband ?—Yes.
Witness said that after her husband's death she found among his papers the following letter marked "Private "and addressed "Walter Carew, Esq, No.5, United Club, Yokohama."— I must see you. Why have you done nothing since you got my two cards. Or perhaps she never let you get them. I cannot meet her again; she makes me mad when I think of what might have done for you. I cannot give you any address. I am living wherever I will, as I know you will, for the sake of old times. can find shelter; but you can find and help me if you
ANNIE.
The letter was undated, but the date on Tell me where she produced that card from Por 17th witness received an envelope containing the stamp was 13th October. On the 16th It was a bag. As far as I remember she the following letter in her husband's hand- took out a packet of cards and, opening them, writing addressed to Miss Annie Luke, Post gave me that card.
Office, Yokohama :-
Will you to the best of your ability describe her appearance before you go any further P--- She was slight, tall, but was very heavily veiled, so that I am not in the least prepared to describe her face. The only conversation that took place between us was in the hall. She struck me as being fair rather than dark.
If you were to see her again could you re- cognize her otherwise than by her dress? Could you recognize her by her face P-I should not like to say that I could!
Have you ever to your own knowledge seen the A. Luke referred to P-No, not to my know- ledge.
After this conversation with her you wrote a letter to your husband which, after his death, yon discovered amongst his papers?—Yes.
Mr. Lowder-I had better read that letter, which I now propose to put in. It is in the handwriting of Mrs. Carew. (To Mrs. Carew): Was that card which you have just put in en- closed in that letter to your husband P-It was. Mr. Lowder-The letter mentioned is marked "argent" and addressed-W. H. R. Carew, Esq., No. 5, Yokohama United Club, or the Boathouse. It read as follows:+
Dearest Walter,-A most mysterious lady (?) came here just now and asked to see Mr. Walter Carew. I told her you were not in, when she said she would call again early this evening, about 4.30, as she must see you. She would give me no name nor any reason for her visit. She came about ten minutes ago (2 o’e) and seemed much dis- tressed at not finding you in. I pro- -(here a bit of the letter is torn off) to let you know, and said you would be ba (the letter is again torn here) then. She said this after- -(another tear) or to-morrow morning I must see him. I shall go round to Mrs. Walter's about the tennis cakes at any event. I think it is too wet to go down to the boathouse, but may come if it clears. Will you be back to see your Woman in Black?" If not, what message shall I tell Rachel to give her. Enclosed is her card. Yours,
EDITH.
Baturday. Did you go down to the boathouse that after- noon ?--Yes.
And there you met Dr. Wheeler ?—Yes; and - he gave me a prescription.
Did you meet your husband at the boat- honse ? Yes.
· And did you speak of this woman ?—I mem- tioned before half-a-dozen people of the visit of this mysterious lady, and he was subjected to very much chaff on that occasion.
You chaffed him, I suppose P-Yes; we all did. Did you ask him if he was going up to keep his appointment at half-past four?--Yes; he d me he received my note and that he had plied to it. I must have missed the messenger on the way. He said he would go up at half- ast four I remained at the boathouse myself a couple of hours. I was subsequently given tand that the lady did not keep her
how following day was Sunday, I believe, it was customary for the nursery governess and the children to lunch or dine with you at
Miss Annie Luke,
Post Office,
Yokohama.
I feel greatly distressed about you, and ever since I got your card last Saturday have been endeavouring to find you. I wish to, and will, help you if I can only find you. Meet me this evening at 5130 p.m. on the Bund, opposite the Club Hotel.
Wednesday, 14th Oct.
W.
The letter was sent anonymously. She also received the following anonymously
beware dare to speak one word of the truth and you shall never leave japan aliye.
0
On the 1st November she received the follow ing :-
A. L.
|
I have done what I can for you: True, I have made you suffer, but I have written to Mr. Hall and to Mr. Lowder. Yokohams will be troubled no more by
der and the Coroner were also put in evidence:— The following letters addressed to Mr. Low-
Mr. Lowder, I do not know you, probably have never seen you, but I gather from Saturday's papers that you will be acting on behalf of the wife of the man who was to me the world and more than the world. Dead men tell no tales; no, nor dead women either, for I am going to join him. Do you know what waiting means for eight long weary years. I have watched and waited, watched till I knew he would grow tired of her, that silly little fool, and then I came to him. What is the result? We, between us, electrify Japan. I have never professed to be a good woman, but, for the sake of a few lines, I do not see why I should let a silly innocent be condemned for what she knows nothing about, and for what she never will know anything about, and for which, when you get this, no one on this earth, could enlighten her. She is a silly fool, otherwise she would not have treated the last two weeks as she has done. By the time you get this I shall be well on my "way" (?) to join him, my twin soul. You may call this what you like, but I think deep down in my heart I write this for the sake of the boy who is so like his father. Let his mother take heed that he enter not into temptation. I shall write to the Coroner.
A. L.
29th October.
Hall, Esquire,
The Coroner,
The English Court, No. 171,
Yokohama
Mr. Hall, I have finished a letter to Mr. Lowder so cannot begin this to you in quite the same way. Shall I begin it with the truest and wisest saying on this earth "woman is at the bottom of every thing," in this case it is so, for between as we have bamboozled the lot of you 1. the chemist, 2. the doctor, and last but not least that fool his wife. I stop here because my last act on earth shall be a merciful one, and as I am going to join him, my twin soul. I will exonerate that little fool from any share in helping us to meet each other. I have done my work well, and am taking good care to escape the lot of you and the law. My 2 letters will not be posted till Sunday morning when I shall be?
The world will call me mad. I am, however, sane enough in.what I have done and what I am going to do and sane enough to accomplish my end that as we were divided in life we were not in death. I wonder whether thize with me who goes out to meet her maker. out of all this community there is one who can sympa-
29th October.
A. LA
891
The inquest was continued, on the 5th No vember.
Mr. H. V. Dickinson said that years ago, when Mr. Carew was living at Zushi, -he told witness that on one occasion when living i the Straits he had nearly killed himself by a accidental overdose of arsenic. On the day of Mr. Carew's funeral witness was going into the Club by the back entrance in Water Street when he noticed a woman listening near the en- trance. She was in great distress and had been crying. She was a fairly tall woman, 5 ft. or 5 ft. 5 in. and slim. She was more fair than dark.
Mr. M. Kaufmann said-On the evening Tuesday, 13th October, I was playing a gam of. billiards with Mr. Carew. I believe evening I met him at the Club after dinner, and he seemed to me to be in rather spirits, just as a man would be after having glass or two too much. We then had a game of billiards, which he was perfectly able to play well enongh; and during the game somehow or other, I cannot tell the reason why, he always repeated the French sentence, "Le moment est arrivé ou il faut fair la chose." He repeated that over and over again; I do not know how many times, but I should say twenty or twenty- five times during the two games we played.
¦
The Coroner That means, gentlemen of the Jury, The moment has come when it is necessary to do a thing when the thing` must
be done."
Mr. Lowder (to witness)-Did you under- stand that to have reference to the game of billiards he was playing ?-Decidedly not.
You did not know to what he was referring? -I did not. I thought it was simply showing a kind of tipsiness.
Mr. Lowder: I would call your Honour's attention to this fact, that this phrase was made use of on Tuesday, the 13th, when the supposition is that the deceased received the first letter which is signed "Annie." That is the reason why I have introduced this evidence. (To witness): Do you recollect some time ago meeting Mr. Carew or being at the same time with Mr. Carew in the urinal of the Club when he appeared to be suffering pain -Yes.
Did he at that time make any remark to you about arsenic poison?-He mentioned to me-I cannot exactly repeat his words because it was some time ago that he was in the habit of taking more arsenic than an ordinary man could stand or something to that effect, He may have said "the average man," but it was some- thing of that kind.
Mr. Porch, brother of Mrs. Carew, was recalled and spoke to hearing a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Carew in their bedroom on the 20th October. Mr. Carew asked Mrs. Carew if she had had a visitor. Mrs. Carew. said "Yes. Guess who it is." Mr. Carew said he could not guess, and Mrs. Carew told him it was Annie Luke. She also added that she knew where she was living and that she would do her best to help her. I never heard Mr. Carew ever refer to Annie Luke again.
Kobayashi Beika said that about a year ago he was tiffining at the Club and Mr. Carew hap- pened to be sitting at the same table. How the conversation drifted into that channel he did not know, but they began to speak about taking medicines; and among other things witness told Mr. Carew that he had had medicine for what was called "bucking you up," containing strychnine. Mr. Carew then said, "Oh ! that's nothing. I take enough poison to kill six men. I am obliged to do so." Then the conversation drifted away.
"
$
The inquest was continued on the 6th Novem- ber
Edward Owen, of the P. & O. Co., said that on the 18th October the deceased came to his office and asked whether a lady, of whom he gave a description, had been at the office that day. Witness said no such lady had been there, Deceased said the lady had been to the house and seen. Mrs. Carew; he wa
was greatly, mystified as to who this person could be, and told witness he thought it was possibly the lady to whom he had been engaged in England. Witness did not remember a passage having been booked any one resembling the person Mr. Carew talked about.
George Kircher said he received com the Coroner on the 3rd No
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.