Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-08-14

should have remembered him it was the pris-
oner who stands there" Heather retired
some distance, and sat down under the shad-
ow of a tree, where he waited three or four
hours, watching for the light. And at last he
saw light in room which he would have
thought was hers, but that it had one window
in it. The light disappeared after a minute
or two, but almost directly it shone in Miss
Thorolds room. He distinctly saw shadow,
which he believed to be that Of man, on the
blind, which he supposed to be that OF Mr.
Thorold, and part Of the shadow of second
figure, which he supposed was that Of his
daughter, which came behind the first, when
the light was turned round and the shadows
disappeared. Feeling sure that this could not
be the signal which Miss Thorold had prom
ised him, he hesitated to approach the house,
although greatly tempted to do 80; but he
feared that, if seen by anybody, it might cause
his father TO be dismissed from his situation
as bailiAf and be the ruin of his family. He
fingered, accordingly, but few minutes after
he had seen the light disappear from Miss
Thorold's room and reappear in that from
whence it had started, and then went home
The next morning he heard of Mr.. Thorold's
death and of his daughters disappearance
The ladder he found under the tree where he
had placed it, from whence he removed it to
the garden. Had Heather made the whole of
this statement at the inquest, it is presumable
that he would have become an object of gra-
yer suspicion than Durand.
Among the articles found in Durands port
manteau were several letters enclosed in an
elastic band. The style indicated that they
had been written by woman, and one in the
habit of expressing her feelings without re-
serve; but the hand writing was to all appear
ance that of man. The envelopes in which
they had been enclosed originally were mis-
sing, and there was no expression in either OF
them, with one exception, which could point
to the writer; but this was thought sgnifi-
cant. 1t ran thus: "Beaglescombe is the
nearest station, but it would be more prudent
to go to the next beyond and return by way
of Beaglescombe, where, if you love me as
dearly as you affirm you do, I should think
you might remain for few days. There is a
nice quiet inn 1 have often passed between
the station and West Tennyham, where |
should think you could live little while
very comfortably" These letters were shown
by the police superintendent to persons who
knew Miss Thorolds writing, but these de-
MED that they had ever seen such writing be-
fore. However, the post-mistress at Seton,
which was the nearest village to the Grange,
the handwriting as being the same
she had seen OH one or two letters every day
for some days before Mr.. Thorold's murder.
Some of them, she could remember, were ad-
dressed to Scarborough, and she thought she
could remember the name of Wolverhampton,
also, but was not sure. She had several times
wondered who it could be who wrote in such
a curious hand, but had come to the conclu-
sion ut last that it must be some gentleman
who was atthe Grange. On Heather conclu-
ding his evidence one Of the letters was placed
in his hands, and he was asked if he knew
the writing. He looked as if he were about
to faint when he first saw it, but after reading
a few lines he became reassured, and said,
after good deal of hesitation, that Miss
Thorold sometimes wrotein that hand. Being
asked if he had received any letters from her
in similar handwriting, he admitted he had
and, being further pressed as to whether he
had kept any of those letters, he at last an
swered in the negative. Being asked if he
knew where she wrote those letters, since none
of the servants had ever seen her write in
such an unladylike hand, he answered that he
believed she wrote them in the summer-house,
in the shrubbery.
These letters told heavily against the pris-
oner, otherwise the evidence in his favor was
almost equal to that against him. He denied
in the most solemn manner that he had ever
seen Miss Thorold, or heard her name before
his apprehension on the charge Of numbering
her father. That his motive in coming to
Beaglescome had nothing to do with that fam.
lily, though he declined to say what that mo-
tive was. He also refused to account for his
possession of the letters, though he affirmed
they had not been addressed to him. Neither
would he then, or afterward, give any infor-
nation as to who he was, nor could anything
be discovered respecting him. The evidence
in his favor was that Of the people at the ho-
tel; all Of whom swore that he never left the
house from the time he entered it until about
two hours before the policeman took him away.
In the face of evidence so positive as this the
Jury would not have hesitated to acquit him,
in the belief that it was remarkable case Of
mistaken identity, had it not been for the let
ters. At the conclusion of the examination
of the witnesses, it was so late that the judge
his intention to defer the summing
up till the following morning.
He had not begun the summing up when
the counsel for the prosecution rose and said
that he had some additional evidence to offer
which had come to light since the court had
rose the preceding evening. The evidence
was that of policeman, who after Heathers
examination had been despatched to make
search in the Summer-house where he had sta
ted Miss Thorold wrote her letters. The
search was not without result. On lowering
one of the back shutters, two or three sheets
of blotting paper were found; and scattered
among the mass of laurels and other shrubs
some very small pieces paper, which proved
to be part of an envelope. These bits of
paper were arranged, and it was then seen
that the handwriting OH them was the same
as that Of the letters found among the prison.
ers luggage; nor was this the most important
part Of the discovery, for it turned out that
the letters written formed the greater part Of
the prisoners name. Durand, on hearing
this, showed great emotion, and every eye was
turned upon him to see if he were going to
make any observation but he did not utter
a word. The judge then proceeded to sum
up; and it was evident that he, and the jury
also, were much relieved by the discovery
which had been made. The verdict was given
without even that hesitation which juries usu-
ally consider it decent to affect even when
they have thoroughly made up their minds
before the close of the trial it was "Guilty"
and he was sentenced to be executed in the
usual form.
immediately after the conviction he was