The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-08 00:00:00

moned to the other world to render an account of their actions,
and that the former always maintained a reputable character
in society, while the latter was always suspected of being
somewhat beneath the standard of a paragon of virtue.
In consequence of the discovery above alluded to, and the
suspicion which had been awakened, an inquest was held on
the bones by E. Cowcher, Esq., on Tuesday se'nnight, when
Viner was examined on oath relative to the mysterious tales
he had propagated. He appeared alarmed at the position in
which the fearful discovery had placed him, and was parti.
cularly cautious what he said ; but in answer to several ques-
tions put to him, arising out of the foregoing-relation, he ad-
mitted that the poker was heated, as he had said, but he
could not charge his memory with the cause for such a pro-
cedure, nor for what purpose it was intended to be used. He
deposed also to the fact of having been placed in a certain
place to watch, while the Scotchman, Chapman, and Hedges
went on for about forty yards, indeed to the very. spot where
the skeleton was found—that they remained there an hour or
more--that they had a spade, which he could hear them use,
but he said that he never suspected that a murder had been
committed until he was arrived at years of discretion, and
that, although it was true, as he had said, that his master gave
him some money when they got home on the night alluded to,
yet that such money was not given for the purpose which he
had stated it was, but that it was an act of spontaneous gene-
rosity on the part of his master. The jury, under all the cir-
cumstances of the case, were satisfied that the bones were those
of a murdered man, but they were not satisfied how he came
by his death, and they returned their verdict accordingly. It
is a remarkable fact, that when Viner has been telling these
tales to persons conversant with the neighbourhood, they
could always tell within a very few yards the precise spot
where he intended to lay the site of this murder, and that was
exactly where the skeleton was found. Another indication
that Viner was cognizant of the murder is the fact
that he and another man were once employed to scour out this
identical ditch ; and that, when they came to this spot, Viner
said, " Suppose a man should be buried here." His companion
called him a fool for his extravagant supposition ; but Viner
observed that he might not be quite so wide of the mark as his
fellow chose to think him to be; and acting, as it were, on the
correctness of his impression, he dug very shallow in that par.
ticular spot, and obtained the deficient quantity of mould by
digging it from one side of the ditch, as it may be seen at this
day. It appears very probable that this tragical event took
Place at a less remote period than that to which Viner has as-.
signed it, which would throw it back fifty-three or fifty-four
years. Indeed the general opinion is, that it was not so long
ago, and that the old villain, who has confessed enough to ren-
der him an accessory in the eye of the law, was a principal in
the murder; who, although urged by his conscience to confess
his guilt, has been so far influenced by the fear of the conse-
quences, as to mingle up so much falsehood with the truth, as
to render it difficult to distinguish the one from the other.