Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-06-13
Singular Case Of Circum,
stantial Evidence.

century that the law has required
in case Of murder, the finding and
Identification of the victim
Previous to that, if a man. disap.
peared, and his absence could moi
be accounted for, a person to whom
circumstantial evidence pointed
as his probable murderer, could be
arrested and hanged for the alleged
crime. A most extraordinary
case, which occurred during the
war between England and France,
at the beginning of the century,
first called particular attention to
the singular law, and was ulti-
mately the cause of its being re-
placed by the statute as it now
stands. The story is substantial
ly as follows:
Two Englishmen, uncle and
nephew, took up their quarters at
a well known inn in Portsmouth,
close to the pier. They were well
received by the landlord, for they
had plenty of money in their pos
session. The uncle, whom we
will call William, suggested to his
companion, who shall be called
Robert, in the hearing of the
landlord, that they should hand
their money to their host for safe
Robert objected, and
proposed that they should keep it
on theirperson. This was agreed to.
At night they occupied the
same room and the same bed
The inn was an old.fashioned, ir.
regular building. From their
bedroom the two men could en-
ter long passage which ran along
the end of the house to the pier.
They went to their room together
about II o'clock at night. Next
morning Robert entered the land.
lords room with a hurried, anx.
ious air, and asked the landlord
whether he knew what had be-
come of his uncle. The landlord
said he did not. At the same
time he observed to his horror
that the hands OF Robert were
stained with blood. The land
lord arose and suggested that they
should go to the bed room togeth.
er. They did so. On entering a
terrible spectacle met the land
lords gaze. The clothes of the
bed which had evidently been oc-
cupied bytwo persons, were stained
lll over with blood. The pillow
was saturated with it. The wash |
basin and the stand were also be.
spattered with blood On the
dreSsing-table lay large jocky |
Or sailors knife, the handle and
blade all bloody. Drops of blood !
marked the floor from the bedside
to the door which opened upon
the passage referred to. The
landlord told Robert the case was
q suspicious one, and that be
must place il in the hands of the
authorities. He did forthw.th.-I
Robert was arrested. On being
searched his clothes were found to
be bloody. Blood stains were
discovered in the passage from the
bed room 10 the water 'sedge, where
apparently there had been a strug.
gle. On Robert were found the
purse and papers of the missing
man.
Robert, who MA infested cool
ness and presence of mind, told
the following story After his
uncle and himself had been in
bed a short, time, the former, who
lay on the outside, complained
that his nose was bleeding. Pres
emily he got up and went to the
washstand. He used water free
y, but in vain. The bleeding
continued, and SO violently that
The men both became alarmed
Robert suggested the application
If cold iron TO the back of bis
lncle's neck. He took bis jack !
Anife out of his pocket and ap-
olied it accordingly. In attend
ng his uncle his hands and shirt
we're stained with blood. As the
still continued, William
dressed himself and said he would
90 out at the side door and walk
IN the pier In the cold morning
lir. Before doing SO he handed
lis pocketbook and purse to his
nephew to keep until bis return.
Robert fell asleep after his uncle
eft and was astonished when he
lwoke to find that be had not re-
.urned.
Robert was indicted for mur-
Ter. All the circumstances were
against him. The jury believed
hat William had been murdered
md bis body carried down to the)
water and flung in. Robert was