Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-03-25
CONDEMNED BY A CLOCK.
BY wILKIE coIIIHs.

On summer evening, years ago, q
man was found murdered in field near
acertain town, in the west of England
The name OF the field was s'Pardon's
Piece"
The man was small carpenter and
builder in the town who bore an in
different character. On the evening in
question distant relative of his, en-
ployed as farm bailif by q gentleman in
the neighborhood, happened to be pass
ing stile which led from the field into
the road. and saw a gentleman leaving
the field by way of this stile rather in a
hurry. He recognized the gentleman
(whom he knew by sight only as Mr..
Dubourg. #AR #
They passed each other on the road
in opposite directions. After certain
lapse of time-estimated as being q
half hour-the farm bailiff had occasion
to pass back along the same road. On
reaching the stile he heard an alarm
raised and entered the field to see what
was the matter. He found several per-
sons running. from the further side of
Pardon's Piece toward boy who was
standing at the back Of q cattle shed, in
remote part of the enclosure, scream
ing with terror. At the boys feet lay,
face downward, the dead body of man
with his head horribly beaten in. His
watch was under him hanging out of his
pocket by the chain. 1t had stopped
evidently in consequence of the concus-
sion of its owners fall on it-at $50. The
body was still warm All the other
valuables, like the watch, was left on it.
The farm baiiff instantly recognized
the man as the carpenter and builder
mentioned above. H.s.-z
At the preliminary inquiry, the stop
page of the watch at 80 was taken as
Offering good circumstantiai evidence
that the blow which had killed the man
had been struck at that time.
The next question was, if any one had
been near the body at s 80? The farm
bailiff declared that he had met Mr.
Dubourg hastily leaving the field by
the stile at that very time. Asked ii
he had looked at his watch, he owned
that he had not done SO. Certain pre-
vions circumstances, which he men
toned as having impressed themselves
on bis memory, enabled him to feel
sure of the truth of this assertion without
having consulted his watch. He was
pressed on this important point, but he
held to his declaration. At $50 he had
seen Mr. Dabourg hurriedly leave the
field. st $50 the watch of the MUIR
dered man had stopped.
Hsi any other person been observed
in or hear the field at that time2
No witness had been discovered who
had seen anybody else near the place.
Had the weapon turned up with which
the blow had been struck +? Ii had not
been found. Wes any one known (rob-
berry having plainly not been the mo-
tive of the crime) to have entertained
grudge against the murdered man It
was no secret that he associated with
doubtful chara, ters, male and female;
but suspicion failed to point to any one
of them in particular.
In this state of things there was no
alternative but to request Mr.. Dubourg
well known in andort of the town as
q young gentleman OF Independent for
tune, bearing an excellent character
to give some account of himself.
He Immediately admitted that he had
passed through the field. But, in con-
tradiction to the farm bailiff, he declared
that he had looked at his watch at the
moment before he crossed the stile, and
that the time by it was exactly 8.15.
Five minutes later, that is to say. ten
minutes before the murder had been
committed, on the evidence of the dead
mans watch-he had paid visit to
lady living near Pardon's Piece, and had
remained with her until his watch, con-
suited once more on leaving the lady's
house, informed him that it was 8.45.
Here was what the defence called an
''alibi." # entirely satisfied Mr.. Du-
bourg's friends. To satisfy Justice also
it was necessary to call the lady as
witness. In the meantime another purely
formal question was put to Mr. Du-
bourg. Did he know anything of the
murdered man9
With some appearance of confusion,
Mr.. Dubourg admitted that he had been
induced by friend to employ the man
on some work. Further Interrogation
extracted from him the following state.
ment of facts .r,5s -tt.,-r
That the work had been very badly
done that an exorbitant price had been
charged for it; that the man, on being
demonstrated with, had behaved in a
grossly impertinent manner; that an al
tercation had taken place between them;
that Mr.. Dubourg bad seized the man
by the collar Of bis coat, and had turned
him out of the house; that he had called
the man an internal scoun6rel (being in
passion at the time) and threatened to
'sthrash him within an inch of his life "
(or words toGhat effect), if he ever pre-
sumed to cune near the house again !;
that he had sincerely regretted his own
violence the moment he recovered his
self-possession and lastly, that, on his
oath (the alteration having occurred
six weeks ago., he had never spoken to
the man, or set eyes on the man since.
As the matter there stood, these cir
cumstances were considered as being
unfortunate circumstances for MIR. Du
boug-nothing more He had his
alibi " to appeal to, and his character
to appeal to; and nobody doubted the
result.
The lady appeared as witness.
Confronted with Mr.. Dubourg on the
question Of time, and forced to answer,
she absolutely contradicted him, on the
testimony of the clock on her own man.
telpiece. In substance, her evidence
was simply this: She looked at her
clock when Dubourg entered the room,
thinking it rather late hour for q
visitor to call on her. The clock (regu-
1ofoI hu III 70 N, Hor o,,t,, ~ Jo.z IoexxoN