The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-27
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.
engraved Inside II.

| engraved inside II.
The next inquiries related TO the fire
The servant and I. and the boy who had
/ heard the light struck I'm the vestry, were
/ the first witnesses called The boy gave
! his evidence clearly enough: but the SER
j wants mind had not yet recovered the
I shock inflicted on 1.-THE was plainly inca
/ pable Of assisting the objects Of the in
quiry. and he was desired TO stand
down.
To my own relief. my examination was
I not long one. had not known the de-
ceased; | had never seen him. | was not
aware OF his presence at old Welming-
ham and had not been in the vestry at
tho finding Of the body. All ! could prove
was that had stopped at the clerks
cottage 10 ask my way: that had heard
from him OF the loss OF the keys that I
had accompanied him 10 the church TO
render what help could. that had seen
the fire. that | had heard some person
unknown inside the vestry. trying vain
ly 10 unlock the door and that had
done what could. from motives Of hu-
manitv 10 save the man. other witness
cs who had been acquainted with the de-
ceased were asked II they rotrtd explain
the mystery OF his presumed abstraction
Of the KEYS and his presence I'm the burn
ing room. But the coroner seemed to take
Il for granted naturally enough that l.
and a total stranger 10 Sir Percival
Clyde. could not be i'm a position to offer
any evidence on these two points
The course that | was myself bound 20
take when my formal examination had
closed seemed clear 20 me I did not feel
called on TO volunteer any statement of
my own private convictions: I'm the first
place. because my doing so could serve
no practical purpose. now that all proof
IN support of any surmises Of mine was
burned with the burned register: I'm the
second place. because could not have in
telligibly stated my opinion-mv unsup-
ported opinion without disclosing the
whole story OF the conspiracy: and pro-
ducing. beyond doubt. the same unsatis-
factory effect on the minds Of the coroner
and the Jury which 7 had already nro-
duced on the mind OF Mr. Kyrle.
I'm these pages. however. and after the
time that has now elapsed, no such eau
tions and restraints as are here described
need fetter the free expression of my
opinion. 7 will state briefly, before my
ren occupies Itself with other events. how
my own convictions lead me ~ account
Tor tho abstraction % the KEYS for the
outbreak ~ the IRE. and for the death ~
the man.
The news Of my being free on bail
drove Sir Pcrcivsl. as I believe. to his
last resources. The attempted attack on
the road was one of those resources: and
The suppression of all practical proof OF
his crime. by Destroying the page OF the
reg'stor on which the forgery had been
committed was tho other. and the surest
q the two. II ] could produce no extract
from 'ho original book. 90 compare with
tho certified COPY ~ Knowlesbury.
could produce no positive evidence. and
cauld threaten him with no fatal expn-
sure. All that was necessary 20 the at
ta'nment ~ his end was. that he should
ret into the vestrv unDercelved that he
should tear ont tho page IN tho register.
aul TINT no should leave tho vcstry again
as privately aa 10 had entered H.
on this Fuupnsiti0n II is easv 20 under
stand why 10 waited until nightfais he
fore he made tho attempt and why he
iook advantage ~ the clerks ABSENCE 10
possess himself ~ The keys. Necessity