The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-27
CHAPTER XIV.

The inquest was held in the little
town hall in the market-place, and the
ugly whispers which were afoat con-
cerning Jem Stickels's death brought
together such a gathering that the
meagre accommodation provided by
the old building was taxed to the Ut
most.
1t was evident from the outset that
this was no ordinary case of drunk
en- man found dead in a ditch, with
nothing about him to tell how he came
by his death. From the very first
moment when the doors were opened,
and the crowd rushed in and filled in a
moment the space allotted to the pub
lie, there were murmurs and whispers
flying from mouth to mouth, indica-
tive Of the general belief that some
person or persons Of a higher social
position than the dead fisherman, and
more generally interesting than he,
would be implicated in the course of
the proceedings. The questions:
"Where's the young lady?" And
won't the gentleman be we'll enough
to come" were often but never salts
factorily answered. The witnesses in
the case were in the magistrates room,
so rumor said, and were to be brought
out one by one as they were wanted.
That part of the court usually occu-
pied by the officials alone held on this
occasion a good many curious ones
drawn thither by the open secret Of
the romantic interest attached to the
case. A few portly wives Of local
tradesmen, sandwiched in among the
members of The sterner sex, lent their
presence to the scene. There was a
hum and buzz from end to end Of the
| tightly packed court as the jurymen
filed in, and taking their places on the
oaken seats, black with age, which
were already old when Charles the
First was king, were sworn one by
one, duly charged by the coroner.
After the. lull in the court caused by
these proceedings, there was loud
buzz Of talk when the jury filed out
again to view the body. The police
men, little used to such a scene Of ex-
citement in their quiet, little town,
roared themselves hoarse in their en-.
deavor to maintain silence on the part
of everybody but themselves.
When the jurymen returned tine in
teresting part Of the proceedings be-
gan. The first witness called was the
boy, Charles Wallet, who had found
the body. His evidence did not take
many minutes, and consisted merely
of the information he had given at the
Bell Inn the evening before. He had
seen the body lying by the roadside,
had called to the man, had touched
him; and being unable to detect a
movement or to obtain an answer, had
RUE with all speed to give information
of his discovery.
The second witness was the detec'
tive. Hemming. He admitted the open
secret that he was a private inquiry
agent, and that he was staying at
Stroan on business. He had been the
first to reach the body after Wallets
discovery of it, and he had been one OF
those to identify the deceased as Jenl
Stickels, the fisherman. The man was
quite dead when he found him, but the
body was still quite warm.
"At what time was it that you first
saw the body" asked the coroner.
II heard it chime the half-past eight
by st. Martins Church clock when
was about halfway between Stroan
bridge and the place where VIC dis
covered the body"