The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-07

The Most singular Case of CircumStantial
Evidence on Record.
1t is only within the present century that
the law has required, in case of murder,
the finding and Identification of the vic
tim Previous to that, if a man disappear
ed, and his absence could not be accounted
for, person to whom circumstantial evil
dence pointed as his probable murderer
could be arrested and hanged for the alleg-
ed crime. A 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 ulti-
mately the cause of its being replaced by
the statute as it now stands. The story is
substantially as follows:
Two Englishmcn, 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 possession
The uncle, whom we will call William,
suggested to his companion, who shall be
called Robert, in the hearing of the land
lord, that they should hand their money
to their host for safe keeping. Robert
objected, and proposed that they should
keep it on their person. 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
bedroom the two men could enter 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 landlords
room with hurried, anxious air, and ask
ed 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 go to the
bedroom together. They did so. On en-
tering a terrible spectacle met the land
lords gaze. The clothes of the bed, which
had evidently been occupied by two per-
sons, were stained all over with blood
The pillow was saturated with it. The
wash-basin and the stand were also bespat-
tered with blood. On the dressing table
lay large jockey or sailors knife, the han
die and blade all bloody. Drops of blood
marked the floor from the bedside to the
door which opened upon the passage re.
Tered to. The landlord told Robert the
case was very suspicious one, and that
he must place it in the hands of the author
titles. He did forthwith. Robert was AZ
rested. On being searched, his clothes
were found to be bloody. Blood stains
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 GOODNESS and
presence of mind, told the following story:
After his uncle and himself had been in
bed short time, the former, who lay on
the outside, complained that his nose was
bleeding. Presently he got up and went
to the washstand. He used water freely,
but in vain. The bleeding continued, and
so violently that the men both became
alarmed. Robert suggested the applica.
tion of cold iron to the back of his uncle's
neck. He took his jack knife out of his
pocket and applied it accordingly. In at
tending his uncle his hands and shirt were
stained with blood. AS the bleeding still
continued, William dressed himself and
said he would 60 out at the side door and
walk on the pier in the cold morning air.
Before doing 80 be handed his pocketbook
and purse to his nephew to keep until his
return. Robert fell asleep after his uncle
left and was astounded when he awoke in
the morning to find that he had not return.
ed.
Robert was indicted for murder. All
the circumstances were against him. The
jury believed that William had been muir
dered and his body carried down to the
a1a, Il in, (n1a tod
and sentenced to be hanged, and hanged
he was accordingly in a few days.
Two years afterwards the missing man
returned. 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 bounced upon by a press.
gang. He was overpowered and carried
to boat, and in an hour found himself on
board British sloop Of war in Southamp-
ton waters. The vessel was getting under
way. In her he remained for three months
without chance of writing to his friends.
Then the ship was captured by French
frigate, and William spent twenty months
in French prison. On his release he re-
turned to England to find to his horror that
his beloved nephew had been hanged as his
assassin.
The following dialogue between high.
falutin lawyer and plain witness is good
hit at the fashion of using big crooked
words:
"Did the defendant knock the plaintiff
down with malice prepensea"
mo, sir, he knocked him down with d
hat-iron."
"You misunderstood me, my friend,
wish to know. whether he attacked hin
with any intent m
80, no, sir, it was outside of the tent"
mo, no, wish to know if it was pre-
concerted AFFAIR." ?"
"No, sir, it was not II free concert affair
it was at a circus"
Give the tramps no quarter. -Nea
York HeraH. We don't. We seldom