The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-06-27

through the open window, but il was
far more probable that it escaped her
in the sudden fear that possessed her
ut finding some one at the foot of the
ladder and SO cutting off her escape,
While an innocent person would GER
tainly have raised an alarm, and, with
natural horror, described what she had
seen above, instead of fighting with the
man like wild cat Ito use his own
words and SO escaping him, not trace
of her being found for two whole days.
But on the third night she returned Sc
cretly to the Red Hall, supposing that
the nurse, in whose confidence she ap-
peared to be, would admit her; but Lord
Lowell. who was sitting up with Mr..
Eyre's sick child, opened the door, and
seeing her disordered condition and
hand deeply gashed and stained with
blood, in the name Of mercy, and posi-
bly, on account Of thepast relations that
had existed between them, babe her
escape while there was yet time, and
before Mr.. Eyre should awaken from
the living death in which he lay, to de-
nounce her.
But in the prisoners perverted heart
q ray OF goodness was to be found in
the affection she had always borne the
dying child, in whom she found some
fancied resemblance to the one for
whose murder Janet Stork had in that
court been tried in May last; but GER
tain evidence would be produced to
show that even this pure affection was
touched with guilt, as she long ago had
made her plans to steal the child, and
go away with him, and in the teeth OF
danger was returning for that very pur-
pose, when she found that the little one
hU fn
whom he had loved above all else on
earth. 1t would be shown that the
prisoner was doubly jealous of the vic
tim. both by her belief that Lord Lowell
secretly adored. while he profoundly
hOnOred, Mrs. Eyre, and because she
was unable to detach the child's super
ior love from his mother to herself, thus
mixing the basest alloy with that pure
affection which might have been her
saving, had she permitted it full play.
Early next morning the child died, and
in the same moment Mr. Eyre awaken
ed from the deadly stupor that had held
him in its grip, and his just impulse be-
ing to bring to justice the slayer of his
beloved wife, and instinct guiding him
in the right direction, he mustered
strength to descend to the hall, where,
unknown to him, the constable waited
with warrant for the apprehension OF
the prisoner in his hand. Within five
minutes she was arrested with the little
dead child on her knees, and on being
led away and searched in Jail, there was
found in her pocket long, narrow
knife, with slender handle, and cor
responding stain of blood in the pocket,
proving that it must have been placed
there when wet and dripping with the
blood of the victim. But there was one
piece of evidence more damning than
all, which irrevocably chained the ac-
cused to the deed; it was this. The
housemaid who had been deputed to
set the room in order after its unhappy
mistress's death, had, in the natural
fear and horror of the situation, per-
formed her duties but carelessly, so that
she had overlooked fact that the de-
tictive had the next day discovered,
viz, a torn piece of q wOman's dress
caught in projecting nail on the back
of the chair in which the victim had
been seated when surprised by the MUIR
derer. This fragment Of clothing had
been found to exactly fit a piece miss
ing from the front of the prisoners
gown. while the cash on her hand an
swered to the width of the knife found
in her pocket, and might be conjectur-
ed to have been accidentally inflicted
on herself. while stabbing at the poor
young lady. That she should have en-
tered the room, and left it before the
murder had been committed, was prov
ed to be an impossibility, by the fact of
her having the dripping knife in her
possession, unless it was to be supposed
that she had willfully, and for the pur-
pose of attracting suspicion to herself,
in cold blood, have inflicted the wound
upon her own flesh.
If he were obliged to anticipate the
defense, it was because he was entirely
in the dark as to what might be set up;
and if it was urged that the prisoner
neither gained by, nor could have any
motive for the crime, he would reply
that such was the intricate constitution
of the human mind. that there were
motives no one could conceive. Per-
haps the prisoner had thought that, her
honorable, beloved rival once removed,
she would be first in Lord Lovel's af-
fections, and in the heart of the child
she profoundly loved; but If she had no
motive, who could have had one?
True, the jewels Mrs. Eyre wore that
night had disappeared; but when it was
to be remembered that crowd of SER
wants had been let loose in the room,
altogether demoraliZed by the confusion
Of the situation, it was impossible to
say that, beneath that temptation which
creates thieves, the diamonds had not
been snatched up and hidden away, to
appear in other form when the hue and
cry after them was past. The commit
tai of the man Digges had been blum
der of justice for which there was no ac
counting; had he been guilty, he would
not deliberately have shown himself to
the assembled household at moment
when all eyes naturally were seeking
for the murderer.
1t would be said that the evidence
was merely circumstantial, and this
was so; but if all the parts. if each
atom, of the evidence were complete, he
thought it was as conclusive evidence
as could be had. The parts of evidence
must not be considered separately, but
taken altogether; and if the chain of
proof were complete, the objection to
such proof fell to the ground. He
would now call those witnesses who, If
they contradicted neither each other
nor themselves, might he considered to
give something better than even direct
evidence.
A. Ill ~. .NN.s