Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-12-25
THE SECRET CLOSET.


speak with most miraculous organ"
In the year l9-John Smith q use
fictitious names) was indicted for the will
full murder of Henry Thompson. The
case was one of the most extraordinary
nature, and the interest excited by it was
almost unparalleled. The accused Vas a
man of considerable property, residing
upon his own estate. A person, supposed
to be an entire stranger to him, had, late
in a summer day, requested and obtained
shelter and hospitality for the night. He
had it was supposed, after taking some
light refreshment, retired to bed in perfect
health, requesting to be awakened at an
carly hour the following morning. When
the servant appointed to call him entered
his room for that purpose, he was found in
his bed perfectly dead and from the ap-
pearance of the body it was obvious that
he had been so for many hours. There
was not the slightest mark of violence up
on his person, and the countenancc retain
ed the same expression it had borne
during life.
Days and weeks passed on, and little
further was discovered. In the meantime
rumor had not been idle. Suspicious were
vague, indeed, and underlined, and were at
first whispered, and afterward boldly
expressed. The precise object of these
suspicious was not clearly Indicated some
implicated one person, some another but
they all pointed to Smith, the master of
the house, as concerned in the death of
the stranger; and in fine, the magistrates
were induced to commit Mr.. Smith to Jail
to take his trial for the wilful murder of
Henry Thompson. As it was deemed es-
sential to the attainment of justice to keep
secret the examination of the witnesses
who were produced before the ma gistrates
all the information OF which the public
were IN possession before the trial took
place Was that which l have narrated
Such was the state of things upon the
morning Of the trial.
The counsel for the prosecution opened
his case to the jury in a manner that indi.
Gated very little expectation of convic-
ton. He began by imploring them to
dlVest their minds of all that they had
heard before they came into the box; he
entreated them to attend to the evidence
and judge from that alone.
1t would be proved beyond the possibil-
ityof doubt that the deceased died by poi.
aon-poison of a most subtle nature, most
active in It's operation, and possessing the
wonderful and dreadful quality of leaving
no external mark or token by which its
presence could be detected. The ingre-
dients of which it was composed were of
so sedative naSure that, instead of the
! body on which it had.been used exhibiting
any contortion or marks of suffering, is
left upon the features nothing but the
calm and placid quiet OF reposo.
The prisoners family consisted of him.
self, a housekeeEer and one man servant.
The man servant slept in an clubhouse ad-
Joining the stable, and did SO on the night
of Thompson's death. The prisoner slept
at one end of the house and the house
keeper at the other, and the deceased had
been out into room adjoining the house
keepers
1t would be proved by person who
happened to be passing by the house on
the night in question, about three hours
after midnight, that he had been induced
to remain and watch, from having his at
tention excited by the circumstances, then
very unusual, of a light moving about the
house at that late hour. That person could
state most positively that he could distinct
ly see figure, holding light, go from
the room in which the prisoner Slept, to
the housekeeper's room, that two persons
then came out of the housekeeper room,
and the light disappeared for minute
/ Whether the two persons went into
Thompson's room he could not see, as the
window of that room looked another wav:
but in about a minute they returned, pas
sing quite along the house to Smiths room
again; and IN about five minutes the light
was extinguished and he saw no more.
Such was the evidence upon which the
magistrate had committed Smith and
slngularIy enough, since his conmittal the
housekeeper had been missing, nor could
any trace of her be discovered.
Within he last week, the witness who
saw the light had been more particularly
examined, and In order to refresh his
memory had been placed at dark in the
very spot where he had stood that night,
and another person was placed with him.
The whole scene as he had described it,
was acted over again. but it was utterly
impossible, from the cause above mention
ed to assert, when the light disappeared,
whether the parties had gone into ThOmp-
sons room. As if, however, to throw still
deeper mystery over this extraordinary
transaction, the witness persisted in adding
a new feature to his former statement
that after the persons had returned with
the light into Smiths room, and before it
was eXtinguished, he had twice perceived
seme dark objetc to intervene between the
Errht no n n q
the surface of the window itself, and which
he described by saying it appeared as If
door had been placed before the light.
Now, In Smiths room there was nothing
which could account for this appearance; !;
his bed was in a different part, and there
was neither press nor cupboard In the
room, which, but for the bed, was entilel7
empty, the rom in which he dressed be-
ing at distance beyond.