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THE PENWORTHAM MYSTERY,
An Alleged Brutal Threat,
[BY TELIGRAPH.]
ADELAIDE, Wednesday Evening,
The Penwortham mystery inquest
was resumed to-day.
The most important evidence was
that given by Rudolph Benno Rohr-
laob, who said that Warburton,
Ninnes' gardener, told him at Stock-
port that he had a girl at Seven Hills
whose father was over 80 years of age.
There was, Warburton said, a rope
leading from the old man's room to an
outhouse, as he was nearly blind.
Warburton said he would shift the
rope to the well and "drown the old
--," as he " could not get married
till the old chap was dead."
The taking of evidence was con-
cluded and the inquiry was adjourned
till to-morrow (Thursday) for the
ooroner's summing-up.
The most important evidonce given
at the inqaest in the closing days of
last week was that of Susan Wyman,
a servant girl employed at Ninnes'
house. She said that on the evening
before the fire Warburton had tea
with the Ninnes family. Warburton
was certainly there. She saw him on
the verandah of the house on the
occasion of the fire. After the fire
had been put out Mrs, Ninnes told
Warburton to go away before any-
one came, or he would be blamed.
Warburton and Mrs, Ninnes both
asked witness to say that the former
was not present at the time
of the fire, and witness replied
that she oould not and would not tell
a lie. The girl was subjected to a
severe cross-examlnatlon at the hands
of counsel for Mrs. Ninnes. She did
not speak to Mrs. Ninnes and War-
burton on the morning of the fatality
became she was afraid to do so.
Nothing oould move her from the
statement that she saw Warburton at
the fire, and that he asked her to say
that he was not there.
Bertie Joseph Stanley Ninnes, 13
years of age, son of the deceased, told
the story of the fatality. He was
oerbain that Warburton was not at his
mother's place on the night of the
fire.
Dr. A. A. Smith, who had made an
examination of the body of the de-
ceased, was of opinion that he had
died from shock, coastquent upon the
burns he had received, Witness
smelt no kerosene on the body. He
had on September 16 attended Mrs.
Ninnes on the birth of her stillborn
child. Mrs, Ninnes asked him to
keep the fact of the birth a secret,
as she feared being chaffed on ac-
count of the great age of her
husband. Joseph Wyman said that
it had been proposed by Warburton
and Mrs, Ninnes that his daughter
Susan should be given a substantial
sum of money to say that Warburton
was not at Ninnes' place when the fire
occurred. Wyman replied that the
girl could not tell a lie for any monoy.
An article in the "Christian In-
fluence" states that the cravlng for
alcoholic drink with a disrelish for
food may best be cured by milk
warmed to the highest degree com-
patible with its being taken in com-
fort. ,A scheme based on this faot is
afoot to help the victims of intemper-
ance.
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