The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-12
Trial of Alfred J. Monson,
Charged With Murder,
Begins Today.
STORY OF THE CRIME
The Accused Adheres to His Plea
Of Not Guilty-A Woman
in the Case.
BIZ Gable to the United Press.

tenant Hambrough. The case is popularly
known as the "Ardlamont Mystery and
has excited keen interest in all parts of the
United Kingdom, owing to the prominence
of the prisoner and his alleged victim.
The Right Hon. J. H. A. Macdonald, the
Lord Justice Clerk, President of the Second
Division, presided.
Monson pleaded not guilty His alleged &C
complice, Edward Sweeney, alias Davis,
alias Scott, has not yet been found by the
obtains in the Scotch courts, he was pro-
nounced to be an outlaw.
The case has been discussed at length in
many newspapers, but to refresh the memory
OF readers recapitulation of the crime may
be necessary.
THE ARDLAMoNT ESTATE.
Away up in the Kyles of Butte, in Scotland.
on promontory which juts boldly out into
Loch Fyne, is situated the Ardla-
mont estate. 1t comprises 11,OO0
acres of woodland, moorland
and meadow land, for the most part, only
small proportion of it being under cultiva-
ton. From time so remote that the memory
of the proverbial "oldest inhabitantn has no
knowledge of them, the Ardlamont Estates
belonged to the ancient family of the La
monts of Cowal. There they had lived in
the fullest exercise of territorial rights un-
til the death, not long ago, of Colonel La
mont brought the picturesque property into
the market.
Few men are privileged enough to be able
to expend ES0,O00 on an estate, and as this
was the upset price fixed in the case of Ard
lamont sale was not readily effected At
length, however, an arrangement was
entered into with Mr.. Alfred John Monson
Yorkshire gentleman, who took the shoot
mgS and the mansion house until the peces-
sary preliminaries had been effected with a
view to the total transfer of the property.
Mr.. Monson came to Ardlamont bringing
with him moderate encourage of keepers
servants and other dependents, and about a
month after his arrival was joined by Lieu
tenant Windsor Dudley Cecil Hambrough, a
young gentleman excellently connected, who
would have attained his majority next year,
had he lived. Some sort of a relation
ship had existed between the two men
for some time, and it is now represented
although once it was believed that Monson
acted the role of guardian-that the elder
man was the younger's tutor, and that Lieu
tenant Hambrough'S father Ia man of sub
stance and a justice of the peace for Hants)
had confined his son to Monsons care in the
hope that certain youthful irregularities
might be subordmated to system of hard
study that should qualify the young man
for the honorable military career for which
he had been designed Whether upon the
impulse OF the moment, or whether as the re-
suit Of a carefully considered scheme, young
Hambrough on arrival at Ardlamont, i'm
mediately arranged to become a part pro-
prietor of the estate which Monson was then
about to purchase, the solicitors were urged
to hurry on the preparation of the title
deeds, and they were doing SO when an in
terruption arrived in the form of Lieut..
Hambrough's mysterious death.
THE CAPSIzED BOAT
The Ardlamont estate slopes for a con-
siderable distance gently down to the
waters OF Loeb Fyne, and the fishing here is
excellent. On the morning of Thursday,
August 10, Monson and Hambrough were
out fishing at the somewhat unusual hour of
one O'Clock. Occupied in this way they con-
tinued for some time, when suddenly the
boat capslzed or sprung a leak, and
the two men were thrown into
the water Only the elder knew how
to swim, but Hambrough was able to clutch
a rock and hold on to it, while Monson SWAN
to the shore, procured another boat and re-
turned in it to his rescue. 1t was about six
O'Clock when the two men arrived at the
Mansion House, and notwithstanding the
early hour Monson and his friend concluded
to go rabbit shooting in a neighboring covert
Each man carried gun. For companion
they had an engineer named Scott who had
arrived at Ardlamont the previous day to
take charge of a steam launch which Lien
tenant Hambrough had just purchased
Scott was evidently on familiar terms with
his employer, not merely from the fact that
he accompanied him on his shooting expedi-
ton, but arguing also from his presence at
meals with Mr.. Monson and the Lieutenant.
THE FATAL SHOT.
In one part of the covert is ditch danked
by stone turf covered wall about three feet
high. The shooting took place in the neigh
borhood of this wall. After one rabbit had
been shot Mr.. Hambrough got separated
from his companions. These two were
moving in the direction of the
house when a shot was heard. |
Monson halted, and called out 'sWhat have
you gotw He waited, listening for mo-
ment, but no reply coming he hurried in the
direction whence the report had proceeded, |
and found Hambrough lying in the ditch |
with a gaping gunshot wound in his head, |
two or three inches behind the left ear They |
sent for doctor, whose services where of no |
avail, of course, and returned to the man
sion house silently and sorrowfully
That is the story of Monson and Scott An |
inquest was held, and after it had been ex-
planned that the probabilities were in favor |
Of the assumption that Mr.. Hambrough had |
been walking along the wall and had fallen, |
and that the gun, which was at full cock, |
mad been accidentally discharged behind |
aim, thus accounting for the location of the |
wound, it was decided that the case was /
merely accidental death. The body was
buried, but fresh facts came to light which |
ed to the speedy exhumation.
ROMANCE.
And now, according to popular rumor
comes the romantic part of the story. But
1T this point she is introduced When Ham
orough had conceived the idea of sharing in
5he purchase of Ardlamont he had done so
without having sufficient money in hand to
complete his part in the transaction In these
he came to Mrs Monson, who
being possessed, it is stated, of considerable
means OF her own, agreed to advance 920, 900
IN the security of two life insurance policies
II El0,00O each, to be effected with the
Mutual Life Insurance Company of New
ork. The insuiances, it would seem, were
actually effected-from a statement by
/ representative of the company.
md the policies assigned to Mrs.
donson. Whether or not at the date of his
ieath Hambrough had received the promised
consideration from Mrs. Monson is one of
hose hazy points which the trial will prob
IDLY clear up. 1t was the fact that these
'ollcies were existence and had been dealt
With in the manner indicated that led to the
eopenlng of the case and to the arrest of
donson on charge of murder.
THE TRIAL.
Mr.. Alexander Asher Solicitor General
or Scotland, and three advocates appeared
Or the prosecution, and Counsel Thompson
nd two advocates for the defence.
The courtroom was crowded Monson,
Who was smartly' dressed, was placed in the
lock, and, to all appearance, he was as little
me of the audience
The first witness called was Mr.. Brand,