Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-09
Mise seELLANEous
The Most Singular Case of Ciroum-
stantial Evidence on Record.


1t is only within the past century that tho
law has required, in case of murder. the find
ing and Identification of the victim Pre-
vious to that, if a man disappeared, and his
absence could not be accounted for. persou
to whom circumstantial evidence pointed to
as his probable murderer could be arrested
and hanged for the alleged crime. most
extraordinary case, which occurred during
the war between England and France, at the
beginning OF the present century, first called
particular attention to the singular law, and
was ultimately the cause of IT'S being replaced
by the statute as it now stands. The story is
substantially follows
Two Englishmen, uncle aud nephew, took
mp their quarters at well known inn in Ports
mouth. close to the pier They ware we'll re-
ceived by the landlord for they had plenty
of money. in their possession. The uncle.
whom we will call William. suggested to his
companion who shall he called Robert. in the
hearing of the landlord, that they should hand
their money to their host for safe Keeping
Robert objected, and proposed that they
should keep it on their persons. This was
agreed to.
At night they occupied the same room and
the same bed. The inn was an old>fashioned,
irregular building. From their bed room
the two men could enter a long passage which
ran along the end of the house to the pier
They went to their room together about IL
o'clock at night Next morning Robert en-.
tered the landlords room in great haste, and
asked the landlord whether he knew what
had become 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 landlord arose and
suggested that they should 20 to the bed
: n
terrible spectacle met the landlords gaze.
The clothes of the bed, which had evidently
been occupied by two persons, were stained
all over with blood The pillow was satura>
ted with it. The wash basin and the stand
were also despatched with blood. On the
dressing-table lay large jockey or sailors
knife, the handle aud the blade all bloody
Drops of blood marked the floor from the bed
side to the door which opened to the passage
referred to. The landlord told Robert the
case was very suspicious one, and that he
must place it in the hands of the proper au.
thorities, which he did forthwith Robert
was arrested. On being searched his clothes
were found to be bloody Blood stnins were
discovered in the passage from the bedroom
door to the waters edge, where apparently
there had been a struggle. On Robert were
found the purse and papers of the missing
man.
Robert, who manifested coolness and pres
ence of mind, told the following story:
After his uncle and he had been in bed
short time, the former, who lay on the out.
side, complained that his nose was bleeding.
Presently he got up and went to the wash
stand. lie used water freely, but in vain
The bleeding continued and so violently that
the men both became alarmed Robert sug.
gested the application of cold iron TO the back
of his uncle's neck. He took his Jack knife
out of his pocket aud applied it accordingly.
In attending his uncle his hands and shirt
were stained with blood. As the bleeding
still continued, William dressed himself and
said he would go ont at the side door and
walk on the pier in the cold morning air
Before doing so he handed his pocket.book
aud purse to his nephew to keep until his re
turn. Robert fell asleep after his uncle left.
and was astonished when he awoke in the
morning to find that he had not returned.
Robert was indicted for murder. All the
circumstances were against him. The jury
believed that William had been murdered and
his body carried down to the water and flung
IN. robert was accordingly convicted and
sentenced to be hanged, and hanged be was
accordingly in few days.
Two years afterwards the missing man re-
turned. He confirmed every word that his
nephew had uttered in his defence When
William reached the pier on the night of the
supposed murder, he turned to the left, and
had only gone few PAGES when he was
pounced upon by a press-gaug. He was
overpowered and carried to boat, and in an
hour found himself on board British sIoop-
of-war in Southampton waters. The vessel
was getting under way: On her he remained
for three months without chance of writing
. to his friends. Then the sioop was captured
by French frigate, and William spent twen-
ty months in French prison. On his re-
lease he returned to England to find, to his
horror, that his beloved nephew had been ex-
ecuted az his assassin.