The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-01-26


the question of time. and forced to
answer, she absolutely eontiadieted
him, on the testimony of the clock on
her own mantle-piece. In substance,
her evidence was simply this. She had
looked at her clock when Mr.. Dubomg
entered the room. thinking it rather d
late hour for q visitor to call on her.
The clock. regulated by the maker
only the day before, pointed to twenty
five minutes of nine. Practical ex-
pertinent showedt that the tine required
to walk the distance, at q .lapid pace,
from the stile to the lady's house, was
just five minutes. Here, then was the
statement Of the farm bailiff. himself
respectable witiass. corroborated by
another witness Of excellent position
and character. The clock, on being
examined next was found to be right.
The evidence Of the clock-Inaler
proved TINT he kept tile key and there
had been no necessity to set the clock
and wind It mp again since he Ind per-
formed both those acts on the day pre-
ceetling Mr.. Dubourg's visit. The
accuracy of the clock thus vouclled
for, the conclusion on the evidence
was irresistible, Mr.. Dubourg stood
convicted of having been In the field
at the time the murder was COM
mitted; Of having, by his own a1mis-
sion, had a quarrel with the murdered
man not long before, terminating In
an assault and 4 threat on his side;
and lastly, Of having ATTEMPTED to set
up an alibi by a false statement Of the
question Of time. There was no alter
native but to commit him to take his
trtl at the Assizes, charged with the
murder Of the builder in "Parlon's
Place"
The trial occupied two days.
No new facts Of Importance were
discovered In the interval. The evl-
dence followed the course which il
had takenat the preliminary examina-
tions-with the difference only, thai
| 1t was more carefully sitted. Mr.. Dn
bourg had the double advantage o.
securing the services Of the leading
barrister in the circuit, and Of moving
the irrepressible sympathies Of the
Jury, shocked ut his position and eager
for proof of his innocence. BY the
end Of the first day the evidence told
against him with such irresistible force
that his own counsel despaired Of the
result. When the prisoner had taken
his place in the dock on the second day
there was but one conviction In the
minds of the people in court; every
one said, "rhe cock will hang him. "
It was nearly two IN the afternoon,
and the proceedings were Ti the point
Of being adjourned for half an hour,
when the attorney for the prisoner
was seen to hand y paper to the coun-
sci for the defence.
The counsel rose, showing signs Of
agitation which reused the curiosity Of
| the audience. lie demanded the I'M
mediate hearing Of new witness,
whose evidence in the prisoners favor
| he declared to be too important to be
delayed for a single moment. After q
short colloquy between the judge and
the barristers on either side, the Court
| decided to continue the sitting.
The witness appearing in the box,
proved to be young woman in deli
cate health. Tn the evening when
| the prisoner had paid his visit to the
lady, she was in that lady's service as
hollsemaid. The day after she had
been permitted, by previous arrange
ment with her mistress, to take q
weeks holiday, ard to go and visit her
parents in the west of Cornwall.
While there she had fallen i'll. and had
not been strong enough since to re-
turn to her employment. Having
| given this preliminary account OF her.
| Self the house maid then narrated the
| following extraordinary particulars in
relation to her mistress clock.
On tile morning of the day when
| Mr.. Dubourg had called at the house
she had bcen cleaning the mantlepiece.
She had rubbed the part OF it which
was under the clock with her dustef,
| had accidentally struck the pendulum
and had stopped it. Having once be-
fore done this she had been severely
reproved. Fearing a repetition of
the offence, only the day after the
| clock had been regulated by the maker,
might lead perhaps to the Withdrawal
of her leave OF absence, she had de-
| termined to put matters right again,
| If possible. by herself.
| After poking under the clock In the
dark, and falling to set the pendulum
going again properly iii that way, she
next attempted to lift the clock, and
give it a shake. 1t was set in a mar
6le case, with q bronze figure on the
ton. and it was so heavy that she was
obliged to hunt for something that she
could use as a lever. The thing prov
| ed 10 be not easy 20 find on the mo
ment. Having at last laid her hands
ON what she wanted, she contriyed so
| TO lift the clock n few inches and to
drop it again OH the mantle-piece as
| to get 1t going once more.
'fhc next necessity was, of course,
to move the hands on. Here again
Size was met by all obstacle. There
was a difficulty in opening the GAS
case which protected the dial. After
uselessly searching for some instru-
mcnt to help her, she got from the
footman, without telling him what slle
wanted It for, a small chisel. VITA
this she opened the case-after acci-
IDENTIFY scratching the brass frame Of it
and set the hands Of the clock by
c,,ess. She was Hurried at the time,
fearing that her mistress would DIS,
cover her. Later in tue day she found
tl,at she had over estimated the inter
val Of time that had passed while she
| was attempting TO put the clock right.
| She had, in Elet, set it exactly q
quarter Of ai hour too fast.
No safe opportunity Of secretly
putting the clock right again had