Litchfield enquirer., 1872-04-18

tion; and at lastshe replied in the same low, agitated voice, "Yes, I have been"
 ''I know you have. Mir. Silas Thorn dyke, believe, was your bail on this oc- casion, and the matter was, understand, compromised d-arranged-at all events the prosecution was not pressed. Is not that sop 1 s! @@
 "Yes-no-yeS.
 ''Very we'll: either answer will do. You lived also, I believe, with Mir. Thorndyke, as his honsekeeper of course, when he was in business as concocter and vender of infalhble drugs and pills?" e
 s'Yes."
 ''He was held to be skillful in the pre- paration of drugs, was he not-well- versed in their properties?"
 ''Yes-I believe so-I do not know. Why am asked such questionsg R. ''You will know presently. And now, woman, answer the question I am about to put to you, as you will be compelled to answer 1t to God at the last great day. What was the nature of tho drug whiah you or he mixed with the medicine pre- scribed for the late Mrs. Thorndyke?"
 A spasmodic shriek, checked by des- perate effort, partially escaped her, and she stood fxedly gazing with starting eyes in my face.
 The profoundest silence reigned in the court as I iterated the question.
 "1ou must answer, woman," cried the judge sternly, "unless you know your an- swer will criminate yourself"
 The witness looked wildly round the court, as If in search of counsel or sym- pathy; but encountering none but frown- ing and eager faces-Thorndyk she could not discern in the darkness-she became giddy and panic c-stricken, and seemed to loose all presence of mind.
 ''He-he-he, she at last gasped-''he mixed it. I do not know But how, , she added, pushing back her hair, and pressing her hands against her hot tenn pies, ''can this be? What can it mean?"
 \ movement amongst the bystanders just at this moment attracted the notice o1 the judge, and he immediately exclaimed, '"Ehe defendant must not leave the courtr' An officer placed himself beside the wretched murderer as we'll as forger, and 1 resumed the cross examination of the witness.
 ''Now, Mrs. Tucker, please look at this letter." It was that which had been ad- dressed to Mary Woodley by her son. '"That,. believe, is your sons hand writing?"
 "Yes."
 The body of this will has been written by the same hand. Now, woman, an 'swer. Was it your son-this young man who, you perceive, if guilty, cannot es- cape from justice-was it he who forged the names of the deceased Mrs. Thorn dyke, and of John Cuamins attached to it?'
 "Not he-not he!" shrieked the wretch ed woman. ''It was Thorndye-Thorn- dyke himself" And then with a sudden revulsion of feeling, as the consequences of what she had uttered flashed upon her, she exclaimed, ''Oh, Silas, what have l said?-what have I done?"
 Hanged me, that's all, you accursed devil!'' replied Thorndyke, with gloomy ferocity, "But deserve it for trusting in such an idiot: dolt and fool that I was for doing so.'
 The woman sank down in strong con- vulsions, and was, by direction of the judge, carried out of the hall
 The anxious silence which prevailed the court during this scene, in which the reader will have observed I played bold tentative, and happily successful game, was broken as the witness was borne of by a loud murmur of indignation, fol lowed by congratulatory exclamations on the fortunate termination of the suit. The defendants counsel threw up their briefs, and verdict was at once returned for the plaintiff
 All the inculpated parties were speedily i'll custody; and the body of Mrs. Thorn dyke having been destroyed by bi-chloride of mercury, of which considerable quan- tity was detected in the body. was not present at the trial of Thorndyke and his aecomplices-he for murder, and Headly for perjury-but I saw by the public prints that he was found guilty, and ex- ecuted: Headley was transported: the woman was, if I remember rightly, ad mitted evidence for the crown,
 Mary Woodley was of course put into immediate possession of her paternal in- heritance; and is now-at least she was about four months ago, when dined with her and her husband at Dale Farm-a comedy, prosperous matron; and as happy as 8 woman with numerous progeny and an easy-tempered partner can be in this, according to romance writers, vale of grief and tears, expect to be. The service was fortunately enabled to render her forms one of the most pleasing reeollec- tions of my life.