Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-09-29
CONDEMNED BY A CLOCK.
BY wILKIE COLLINS.

On summer evening, some years $50
man was found murdered in a field near
certain town in the West Of England. The
name of the field was "Pardon's Piece
The man was q small carpenter and
builder in the town, who bore an indiiier-
ent character On the evening in ques-
ton. distant relative Of his, employed IS
farm hailitf hy n gentleman IN the neigh
borhood. happened 10 be passing stile
which led from the field into road, and
saw gentleman leaving the field by way
Of this ssile rather in a hurry. He recog-
niEed the gentleman whom be knew BY
sight only as Mr.. Dubourg.
The two passed each other on the road
in opposite directions. After n certain
lapse Of time-estimated as being half an
hoGr-the farm bailitf had occasion 10 pass
back along the same road. On reaching
the stile he heard an alarm raised, and en-
tered the field TO see what was the mat
ter. He found several persons running
from the farther side Of Pardon's Piece
toward boy who was standing at the
back Of = cattle-shed, in remote part Of
the inclcsure. screaming with terror. At
the boys feet lay, face downward. the dead
body Of a man, with his head horribly
beaten in. His watch was under him,
hanging out Of his pocket by the chain. II
had stopped-evidently in consequence of
the concession OF its owners fall ON tat
half past eight. The body was still warm.
All the other valuables. like the watch,
were left on IL. The farm bailiff instantly
recognized the man as the carpenter and
builder mentioned above.
At the preliminary inquiry. the stoppage
Of the watch at halfpaSt eight was taken
rs offering good eircumstantial evidence
that the blow which had killed the man
had been struck at that time.
The next question wss-if any one had
been seen near the body at half past eight
The farm bailifl declared that he had met
MF.2Dubourg hastily leaving the field by
the stile at that very time. Asked.if he
had looked at his watch, he owned that
he had not done so. Certain previous cir
cumstances, which he mentioned as having
impressed themselves on his memory, en-
abled him TO feel sure Of the truth Of this
assertion without having consulted his
watch. He was pressed on this important
point, but he held to his declaration. at
half past eight he had seen Mr.. Dubourg
hurriedly leave the field. At half-past
eight the watch Of the murdered man had
topped.
Had any other person been observed in
or near the field at that time
No witness could be discovered who had
seen any body else near the place. Had
the weapon turned up with which the
l. II n L.
found. Was any one known robbery hay-
ing plainly not been the motive Of the
crimel TO have entertained grudge against
the murdered man. IL was no secret that
be associated with doubtful characters,
male and female; but suspicion failed TO
point to any one Of them in particular.
In tins state Of things there was no al
tentative but TO request Mr. Dubourg-
well known, in and out Of the town, ss a
young gentleman Of Independent fortune,
bearing an excellent character-to give
some account Of himself
He Immediately admitted that he had
passed through the field. But, in contra
diction to the farm baihH, he declared that
he had looked at his watch at the moment
befUre he crossed the stile, and that the
time by ii was exactly quarter past
eight. Five mi0utes later-that is 10 say.
ten minutes before tie murder had been
committed, on the evidence OF the dead
mans watch-he had paid visit to lady
living near Pardon's Piece, and had re-
mained with her until his watch, consulted
once more on leaving the lady's house, in
formed him that it was quarter 20 nine.
Here was the defense called an "alibi."
1t entirely satisfied Mr.. Dubourgs friends
To satisfy justice also it was necessary TO
call the lady as witness. In the mean
time another purely formal question was
put to Mr.. Dubourg. Did he know any
thing of the murdered man
With some appearance Of confusion, Mr..
Dubourg admitted that he had bsen in
duced (by a friend) to employ the man ON
some work. Further interrogation ex-
tracted from him the following statement
Of facts:
That the work had been very badly
done; that an exorbitant price had been
charged for it; that the man, on being re-
mopstrated with, had behaved in grossly
impertinent manner; that an alteration
had taken place between them; that Mr..
Dubourg had seized the man by the collar
of his coat, aud had turned him out OF the
house; that he had called the man an in
fernal scoundrel being in passion at the
time), and had threatened to "thrayh him
within an inch Of his lifen for words to
that effect if he ever presumed to come
near the house again that he had sincere
ly regretted his own violence the moment
he recovered his self-possession and lastly,
that, on his oath, (the alteration having
occurred six weeiSs ago), be had never spo-
ken to the man, or set eyes on the man,
since. -
As the matter then stood, these circum-
stances were considered as being unfortu-
nate circumstances for Mr.. Duboure-
nothing more. He had his stalibin to ap-
peal to, and his character to appeal to; and
nobody doubted the result
The lady appeared as witness.
Confronted with Mr.. Dubourg on the
question Of time, and forced to answer.
she absolutely contradicted him, on the
testimony OF the clock ON her own manteI-
piece. In substance, her evidence was SIM
ply this. She had looked at her clock
when Mr.. Dubourg entered the roem,
thinking it rather late hour for visitor
to call on her. The clock regulated by
the maker only the day before) pointed to
twenty-five minutes to nine. Practical
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