Statement of Kate Rounsefell

Kate Rounsefell states:
I am a single woman and
until recently have been employed
in a Stationary and fancy Goods
store at Brisbane (Q), and at present
reside with Mrs Hirschfeldt at No
19 William St. Balaclava.
My elder sister resides at Bathurst
N.S.W. and my brother at Broken-
Hill. I had been keeping house
for the latter recently and I left
there for Bathurst via Adelaide,
which place I left per s.s. "Adelaide"
on January last. The steamer
came via Melbourne which place
we left on 12th.January. On
route for Sydney and after we
had been a short time at sea
after leaving Melbne., I was
suffering from Mal-de mer, and
the accused was very attentive
and an acquaintance was formed
between us. During the voyage
the accused told me his name
was Baron Swanson; that he was
an Engineer and that he had
recently come from England. He
asked me where I was going and
I told him to Bathurst and
he asked me if I would allow
him to accompany me. On
arriving at Sydney being tired
I

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left Melbourne
12th Janry 92

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"Baron Swanston"

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60

I
determined to stay a night in Sydney
and proceed the following day to
Bathurst. I did so, and the
Central Coffee Palace being full
I stayed at the Wentworth Hotel
until the following day when I con-
tinued my journey to Bathurst.
The accused asked me if I minded
him stopping at the same hotel in
Sydney. I said "No". Whilst at
Sydney we went to Coogee and
he there proposed marriage to me,
and he then gave me the diamond
and sapphire ring produced: He
also lent me the Opal brooch
produced, I said I would wear it
as the pin of my own was broken.
Whilst on our way to Coogee
the accused met an elderly gentle-
man: they stopped and spoke
and I walked on and I did
not hear what passed between them.
I believe Captain Firth, now
present in Court is the gentleman
he spoke to. On accused rejoining
me he told me the gentleman he
had just left was a fellow passenger
of his from England and very
wealthy. As previously stated I
left for Bathurst and accused
accompanied me. Whilst in the
train I looked at a copy of
the

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date?

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61

the
Sydney M. Herald, and seeing my
name in the shipping news and
I remarked to him "for once
they have spelt my name correctly"
but bye the bye I don't see
yours", he said: "Oh that is
very probable I booked on board".
On arriving at Bathurst I went
to my sisters and he went to
Hurleys Royal Hotel. He visited
me and again proposed to me and
I accepted his proposal of marriage
which, on the advice of my sister,
I accepted. He then made me
a present of the two diamond
rings produced, which he said
he had purchased in London for
a young lady whom he had in-
tended to marry. After I had
accepted him he told me that he
had a quantity of ladies clothing
belonging to his sister, but I
declined. He asked me if I liked
riding, as he had a very nice
riding whip which he had
brought from South Africa.
He subsequently sent me the one
produced. He also gave me the
scent spray produced. During
his visit at Bathurst he decided to
go to Western Australia where
he anticipated getting a good
opening

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62

opening
and it was arranged that I would
follow him and get married. He
left Bathurst for Sydney on Sunday
17th January and I received a
letter dated 18th from Sydney in which
he refers to sending the whip
(produced). The next letter I recd.
were dated Sydney 20th 21st. January;
another from Melbourne dated 23rd
Jan. in which he says he was
leaving that day per s.s. "Albany"
for W. Austa., the next was dated
from Perth 8th February in which
he asked me to send him the
Sydney and Melbourne papers and
that he had got a billet at £6
per week as Managing-Engineer,
the next was dated Perth 15th of
February, in which he states he
is leaving for the Mine at Southern
Cross and also gave me directions
re my joining him. I have
recd. various telegrams from him
which I have destroyed, the purport
being to join him. He telegraphed
me £20 thro' the Commercial
Bank, Bathurst, which place
I left on 10th March for
Melbourne to catch the "Oceania",
but on arriving in Melbne on the night
of 11th March I saw Dets Considine
& Cawsey & from what they told me i
remained in Melbne.

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