The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-06-12
The Secret Closet.

"For murder, though it have no tongue, will
speak with most miraculous organ"
In the year 18-John Smith I use fcti-
tious names) was indicted for the wiltul
murder of Henry Thompson. The case
was one of most extraordinary nature,
and the interest excited was almost un-
paralleled. The accused was a gentleman
of considerable property, residing upon
his own estate. A person, supposed to be
an entire stranger to him, had, late in
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 per-
feet health, requesting to be awakend at
an early hour the following morning.
When the servant appointed to call him
entered his room for that purpose, he was
found in his room perfectly dead; and
from the appearance of the body it was
obvious that he had been so tor many
hours. There was not the slightest mark
of violence upon his person. and the
countenance retained the same expression
it had borne during life.
Days and weeks passed on, and little
further was discovered. In the mean
time rumor had not been idle. Suspicious
We're vague, indeed, and underlined, and
were at first whispered, and afterward
boldly expressed. The precise object of
these suspicious was not clearly indicated ;
other; 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 essential to the attainment
Of Justice to keep secret the examination
of the witnesses who were produced be-
tore the magistrate, all the information of
which the public were in possession be-
fore the trial took place was that which ]
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 in
dicatcd very little expectation of a con-
viction He began by imploring them to
divest 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 posi-
bility of doubt that the deceased died by
poison-poison of most subtle nature,
most active in operation, and possessing
the wonderful and dreadful quality of
leaving no external mark or token by
which its presence could be detected.
The ingredients of which it was composed
were of so sedative nature that. in stead
Of the body on which it had been used ex
hibiting any contortion, or marks OF sut-
tering, it lett upon the features nothing
but the calm and placid quiet of repose,
The prisoners family consisted only Of
himself q housekeeper and one man SER
want. The man servant slept in an out
house adjoining the stable, and did so on
the night of Thompson's death. The
prisoner slept at one end of the house and
the housekeeper at the other, and the de-
ceased had been put into room ad dioining
the housekeeper's.
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
attention excited by the circumstances,
then very unusual, of a light moving
about the house at that late hour. That
person would state most positively that
he could distinctly see figure, holding
light, 90 from the room in which the
prisoner slept, to the housekeeper's room,
that two persons then came out Of the
housekeeper's room, and the light dis
appeared for minute. Whether the two
persons went into Thompson's room he
could not see, as the window of that room
looked another way; but in about a
minute they returned, passing quite along
the house to Smiths room again; and in
about five minutes the light was extin-
guished and he saw it no more.
Such was the evidence upon which the
magistrate had committed Smith; and
singularly enough. since his commital
the housekeeper had been missing, nor
could any trace of her be discovered.
Within the 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 on that
night, and another person was placed
with him. The whole scene, as he had de-
scribed it, was acted over again, but it
was utterly impossible, from the cause
above mentioned, to assert, when the light
disappeared, whether the parties had gone
into Thompson's room. AS if, however,
to throw still deeper mystery over this ex-
traordnary transaction, the witness per-
sisted in adding new feature to his for
mer statement--that after the persons
had returned with the light into Smiths
room, and before it was extinguished, he
had twice perceived some dark object to
intervene between the light and the win
dow, almost as large as the surface of the
window itself, and which he described by
had hoo
placed before the light.
Now, in Smiths room there was moth
ing which could account for this appear
ance; his bed was in a different part,
and there was neither cupboard nor press
in the room, which, but for the bed, was
entirely empty, the room in which he
dressed being at a distance beyond.
He would state only one fact more,
said the learned counsel. and having done
his duty, it would be for the jury to do
theirs. Within few days there had been
found in the prisoners house the stopper
Of a small bottle of very singular ap-
pearancc; it was apparently not of Eng
lish manufacture, and was described by
the medical men as being used by chemists
to prevent those liquids which are most
likely to lose their virtue by exposure to
the air. To whom it belonged, or to
what use they had been applied, there
was no evidence to show
Such was the address of the counsel for
the prosecution; and during its delivery
l had earnestly watched the countenance
OF the prisoner, who had listened too with
deep attention. Twice only did l per-
ceive that it produced in him the slightest
emotion. When the disappearance of the
housekeeper was mentioned smile, as
OF scorn, passed over his lip; and the
notice of the discovery of the stopper OBJ
viously excited an interest, and thought
an apprehension; but it quickly subsidized
| need not detail the evidence that was
given for the prosecution; it amounted in
substance to that which the counsel stated
nor was it varied in any particular The