Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-10-21
CHAPTER VIII.
THE INQUEST,


THE INQUEST.
1t was decided that the inquest should
be continued that samo afternoon. The
squire had notified the district attorney
at Dover to be present and assist, and
he arrived during the morning. All Of
the jurymen and witnesses were there
fore notified to be present at the squire's
house at 2o'clock This was at the sugI
gestion of MIR. Barnes, who had spe.
cial reason for not going back to the
farm. He did not wish Virginia to
know that Marvel had been captured
until after she had testified. To further
this end Marvel was instructed to re-
main in one of the upper rooms, and
though he was not actually under ar
rest he felt constrained to obey.
Mr.. Barnes learned from Burrows Of
the strange noises that he had heard on
his first night at the farm, but told his
young assistant that he had probably
been dreaming. When informed of the
singular behavior of Sarah Carpenters
he thought that of sufficient Importance
to have her name added to the list of
witnesses. Burrows told nothing of the
information impaired by Josiah Skene.
Mr.. Barnes then sought the district
attorney and was closeted with him for
an hour, during which they arranged
their plans for conducting the examina-
tion.
Tho inquest was to be held in a large
room oil the ground floor 1t was we'll
adapted for the purpose because of the
fact that the squire had allowed it to be
used as a schoolroom while the select
men were having the regular school
house enlarged and remodeled Thus
there was raised platform ut one end,
upon which the squire and the witness
es could sit, while the rows of benches
readily afforded seats for the jurymen
and the spectators.
News of any Importance travels rap
idly in small town like Lee, and be-
fore the time set for the inquest quite
motley crowd of people had congregated
about the squire's grounds. There were
men and women, farmers, workmen and
idlers, all more or less interested i'll the
proceedings which were about to COM
mencc, and each had some theory, all
his own, as to the identity of the guilty
one. Ono man remembered u farm hand
who had been discharged by Lewis and
who had left the town, breathing venge-
ance. Another had met suspicious
looking tramp prowling about Riverside
on the very day Of the crime. Being res
minded by ncighbor that he had spent
all of Saturday and Sunday over in
Dover, he was forced to admit that it
might havo been on Friday when he
had met the tramp; but, nothing dis
concerted, ho continued to urge his
opinion that that individual would yet
be proved to have guilty connection
with the affair. This proposition was
ridiculed by another, for the simple fact
that nothing had been stolen would
tend to cxoncratc tramp, who could
not possibly have any other motive but
theft, and then he drew attention to the
suspiciously close arrival of the man
who claimed to be the son and who
would now come in for share in the
property. But yet another had only that
morning heard that the entire property
would go to the daughter, and SO settled
that theory.
An old lady at this juncture mysterl-
ously announced that the whole truth OF
the matter had been revealed to her i'll
vision, but Just what it was she de-
clined to state "till the proper time
comes" So they argued and talked over
the situation, till at length Mr.. Tupper:
the district attorney, appeared, walking
with Mr.. Barnes All then knew that
the investigation would at once begin
and forthwith pushed their way into the
room which was to be the scene Of the
inquiry.
The proceedings began promptly. The
squire entered, followed by Mr.. Tupper
and the two detectives, and took seae
in a leather covered chair, which had
been brought from his library and placed
upon the stand, Il similar one awaiting
the witnesses. Mr. Tupper and Mr..
Barnes took chairs at small wooden
table in front of the squire, and Bur-
rows went to a seat among the crowd.
The jurymen were called, and, as they
responded to their names, were directed
to places OH benches placed laterally
beside the stand at the end nearest to
the witness chair 1t is worthy Of re-
mark that, though this was i'll SMALL
isolated county town, the composition
VI Inis jury was tar above the average
to be met with in large cities. Here all
were men of families and identified
with the interests of the community in
\
the embodiment of carnestncss and sim
reritv. Rough garhen though they were,
leo .TlHUEp SN ffu FAGG