Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-12


of the body and came to this opinion q
III was sixteen minutes past eight
when ! was sent for. and / arrived al
the spot where the body lay ut be
tween twenty and tive-andtwenty
minutes past"
And the body had. in your opinion
been lying there about an hour?"
''Or considerably less
You would suppose. then. that
death had taken place - about what
time? Or is it impossible to get a
closer estimate than that:"
1T is difficult TO say exactly. or
course. But l should be strongly in
clined to put the time of death at eight
o'clock. or even later
''At. in fact. few minutes before
the body was first discovered by the
boy"
a very few minutes"
There was another sensation among
the listening throng.
Il should even have expected" went
on the doctor. Ito hear that the boy
had heard the report of firearm."
Every one looked toward the un.
happy boy. Charles Wallet. who. hav
ing given his evidence. was now sit
ting in court. On the suggestion OF
one of the jurymen ne was called and
questioned again. But lie maintained
with hot bushes of confusion At the
notice thus directed to him, that mt
had noticed no noise; that he had seer
or heard nothing TO attract his atten
ton until he came upon the man lying;
on his face 1T the side of the road.
AT leas,-'' He stopped short,
and from crimson became very pale.
Then he heard murmur in the
court behind. and ne began to loo.
scared and 10 tremble.
That's right. my boy" said the COZ
oner, encouragingly. think well be.
fore you answer. and then tell ua
everything. even the slightest thin::
that came under your notice"
Sir" said the boy. turning red and
white alternately. Il did hear some
thing. 1t was just before Iturned the
bend and saw the man, but | never
thought of it before this minute"
1T was what / took for Mr.. Wells
shooting at the birds. sir. He's al
ways about there with his gun. AMI SD
/ never give it thought"
There was truth on the face of this
statement. drawn forth so tardily and
so unwlllingly. Hearing. as he said.
the firing at the birds so often. the
sound had no significance for him. and
il had not even struck him as singular
that the farmer should have been out
shooting so late.
There was shade OF disappoint
ment in the court at the idea that Jem
Stickels might have been shot by acct
dent. after all. in mistake for spar
row. But this notion was quickly put
to flight by the calling OF Mr.. Wells
himself, who was in court. as 4 wit
ness. He was never out shooting al
ter dark. and on the previous day he
had been at Canterbury, and had not
returned home until past nine o'clock.
This new link in the chain OF ev!-
dence, forming as Ii did an important
clue to the exact time Of Jem's death.
resulted in little conversation be-
tween the coroner and the superintenc-
ent of police. and in the calling OF Mt.
Mann as witness.
Your husband has told Us. Mrs..
Mann, that the deceased passed You
on his way to the back door. And we
have heard that he said he was going
to have his pipe and his glass of beer
Now did you notice in which direction
he went:"
Yes, sir, did" answered Mrs.
Mann. 4 nervous woman. who could
not be persuaded to give her evidence
except in 4 whisper.
And did he so in the direction CT
the Blue Lion?"
mo. sir"
There was another murmur. quickly
suppressed.
(which way did he go. them
"He went into the wash-house ana
had a wash. and then he went up 10
his room. which he went up by tie
wooden steps as is in the wash-hous..
And watched him for fear he should
leave his candle Albumin. when ne
did, so l goes up and puts 1t out. 10
as it shouldn't burn to waste like
And how long was he there:'
But to this the witness could not ua-
dertake to give straight answer.
"She couldn't 'ardly say" "she didn't
rightly know" 1T might be 'alf-
hour" it might be more. She eventu-
ally admitted that it could scarcely be
less.
So that it seemed now possible TO
iix the time of Jem's death at ti2ie
between ten minutes to eight, when
was about the earliest moment by
which ne could have reached the spot
where he was found. and ten minutes
past. which was the time at which lie
boy. Charles Wallet, had discovered
the body.
To be Continued.