Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-05

Was there any,hin" about the posi-
ton in which the body lay. 4. anything
else. in fact. 10 enable YOU to form an
opinion as To the cause al DEATH
Nothing whatever 81" answered
Hemming. who gave his evidence in
the clear voice and confident manner
Of the old policeman. who feels that
the court is his own theatre where he
is bound to get hearing and deserves
il.
Was the body lying face downward,
in such Il position that the man may
have been too drunk 10 rise and have
Nbeen suffocated in the grass and nude
He was lying face downward. as
have said. sir. But his mouth was not
close TO the ground | don't think il
possible that he could have been suf
located. His clothes were quite loose
about his neck also
Then You formed no opinion rs TO
the caus" OF DEATH"
We'll. sir. | had heard something:
md ii made II" jump to q conclusion
rs should not otherwise have doEe
With your permission. sir. | would
rather not say at the present stage
what that conclusion was. 1t was
formed from nothing I saw about the
body"
There were whispers in the cor.t
The people in the crowd locked at onn:
another. and intimated that there waa
not much worth knowing that the Lon.
Ion chap didn't know. They all felt
kindly toward HemmiEg for speaking
out so that they could hear him, an
accomplishment in which the non-pro
cessional witness is so lamentabiy de.
Gcicni
This was the gist of Hemming's evi.
dence. the few further questions
which he was asked producing unim.
pOrtant answers Each witness had
to put up with trivial question or two
from the members of the jury. who all
wished to make the evidence given
bear more weight than the giver in.
tended.
The third witness called was Lucas
Mann. in whose house the deceased
man had been ledger At the time OF
his death.
Mann deposed that Stickels was
brought home by two men ut time
which he fixed as between quarter
and half-past six. Stickels. who was
in 4 nalf-dazed condition when he
arrived. came to himself entirely with.
in few minutes and told him story
rs to how he came to be stunned.
Stickels had then seemed quite well.
had had Il cup of tea by the fire. and
had expressed his intention of walking
TO Stroan that night. Then there had
been knock ut the door Stickels
himself had opened i. and after Il con
vcrsation with :wo ladies' who had
come to see him. IL had gone out by
the back door abruptly. The next thing
Mann had heard of hin, was that he
had been found dead on the road.
The next two witnesses were the
men who had picked Jcm Stickels up
from the ground. At the back of the
Blue Lion, after his encounter with
Clifford. These both deposed that the
man was unconscious when they
picked him up. that he began 20 re.
cover almost Immediately. and that
they did not have TO carry him - he
cottage where he lodged. but OILY t.
support him little. as liz complained
of feeling - bit giddy-like." They
said that he seemed to be quite Himself
before they left him 1T the cottage
There was Il buzz OF excitement in
court when Miss Bostal was called.
With the feminine witnesses began the
real interest OF the case. Enough had
leaked out b. this time for every Cos
sip in StrOan to be aware that the
quarrel between the gentleman. Cliff.
ford King, and the fisherman. Jem
Stickels. had been on Nell Claris's &c.
count: and everybody knew. also. that
Miss Bostal had espoused the cause o:
Jem Stickels. and so had brought her.
self prominently forward into the ro-
mantle story. Although Jem Stickcls
had not borne the best of characters.
it was natural that after his sudden
strong revulsion Of popular feelin;
in his favor.
Poor chap" they saii 10 ono an
other. 1T was clear he was awful
fond of the girl. and To he sure. ste
must have given him some encourag
ment for him to have made bold 20 So
for her fine gentleman lover"
To be Continued.