Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-07-31

rs to the length or tlme Wnlcl must
have elapsed between the firing of the
shot and your inspection Of the body"
"My opinion Is that death had taken
place within an hour, and probably
within a much shorter period"
"Can you give us your reasons for
this opnion?"
"The body was still quite warm. AS
1t was a cold night, and the body was
lyir & In Il very open situation. the cool
Ing process would be very rapid
"Can you tell us the time exactly
when you made this first examination
of the body and came to this opinlonT
at was sixteen minutes past eight
when / was sent for, and ! arrived mt
the spot where the body lay Mt be
tween twenty and tivc-and-twcnty
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 ct about what
time? Or is 1t impossible to get
closer estimate than that"
at Is difficult to say exactly. OF
course. But l should be strongly in
clincd to put the time of death at eight
o'clock, or even later
AT. in fact, a 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, "to hear that the boy
had heard the report of a Grearm'
Every one looked toward the un'
happy boy, Charles Wallet, who, nav
Ing given his evidence, was now SIT
ting in court. On the suggestion OF
one OF the jurymen he was called ana
questioned again. But he maintained
with hot bushes of confusion at the
notice thus directed to him, that he
had noticed no noise; that he had seen
or heard nothing to attract ms a''ch
tion until he came upon the man lying
on his face ut the side of the road
"At least He stopped short.
and from crimson became very pale.
Then he heard murmur IN the
court behind, and he began to loo.
scared and TO tremblc.
That's right. my boy said the cor
oncr, cncouragingly. think well De-
fore YOU answer, and then tell us
everything. even the slightest thlhs
that came under your notice.
"Sir," said the boy, turning red ana
white alternately, II did hear some
thing. 1t was just before turned the
bend and saw the man, but l never
thought of it before this minute
at was what l took for Mr.. Wells
shooting at the birds. sir. He's al
woys about there with his gun, ana SO
/ never give 1t thought
There was truth on the face Of TINS
statement, drawn forth so tardily ana
SO unwilingly. Hearing, as he sald'
the firing ut the birds so ofteh' 'hc
sound had no significance for him, anu
II had not even struck him as singular
that the farmer should have been out
shooting so late.
There was a shade Of dlsappoint,
mcnt in the court at the idea that Jem
Stickcls might have been shot by acci
don't after all, in mistake for spar
row. But this notion was quickly pvt
to flight by the calling of MIR. Wells
himself. who was in court, as a VII
moss. He was never out shooting M
fer dark, and on the previous day he
had been at Canterbury, ana had not
returned home until past nine O'Clock.
Tbis new link in the chain or eVl-
dencc. farming as 1t did an important
clue TO the exact time of Jcms death'
resulted in little conversation be-
tween the coroner and the superintcnd-
cnt of police. and in the calling OF MT >
Mann as a witness.
"Your husband has told Us. Mrs.
Mann, that the deceased passed you
on his way to the back door. Ana we
have heard that he said he was gong
to have his pipe and his glass OF peer.
Now did you notice in which directlo"
he went?"
"Yes, sir, did," answered Mrs.
Mann. a nervous woman, who could
not be persuaded to give her evidence
except In whisper.
"And did he go in the direction OF
the Blue LionT'
"No, sir"
There was another murmur, quickly
suppressed.
(which way did he 60, then"
"IIe went into the wash-house ana
had a wash, and then he went up TO
his room, which he went up by the
wooden steps as is In the wash-house.
And I watched him for fear he should
leave his candle a-burnin'. Which he
did. SO l goes up and puts 1t out SO
as it shouldn't burn to waste like"
"And how long was he thereT
But to this the witness could not un-
dertake to give a straight answer.
"She couldn't 'ardly say" "she didn Z
rightly know" "It might be a 'alf-
hour;' 1t might be more. She eVentu
| allv admitted that 1t could scarcely be
less.
So that it seemed now possible to
fix the time Of Jem's death at time
between ten minutes to eight, when
was about the earliest moment by
i which he could have reached the spot
where he was found, and ten minutes
past, which was the time at which the
boy, Charles Wallet, had discovered
the body
- 10 BE- Continued.