The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-17


in which direction he was going. l
then took my gun, and strolled out
in the direction of the BoScombe Pool,
with the intention of visiting the rab-
bit-warren which is upon the other
side. On my way / saw William CraW-
der, the game-keeper, as he had stat
ed in his evidence: but he is mistak-
en- thinking that / was following my
father. l had no idea that he was in
front of me. When about a hundred
yards from the Pool / heard a cry of
"Cooee!" which was a usual signal
between my father and myself. / then
hurried forward, and found him stand
ing by the Pool. He appeared to be
much surprised at seeing me, and ask
ed me rather roughly what / was doing
there. A conversation ensued which
led to high words, and almost to
blows, for my father was man of a
very violent temper. Seeing that his
passion was becoming ungovernabIe,
left him. and returned towards Hath
erley Farm. I had not gone more
than $50 yards, however, when l heard
a hideous outcry behind me, which
caused me to run back again. | found
my father expiring upon the ground,
with his head terribly injured. /
dropped my gum and held him in my
arms, but he almost instantly expired.
and then made my way to Mr.. Turner's
lodge-keeper, his house being the
nearest, to ask for assistance. l saw
no one near my father when / return
ed, and l have no idea how he came
by his injuries. He was not a popu
lar man, being somewhat cold and for
bidding in his manners; but he had,
as far as l know, no active enemies.
I konw nothing further of the mat
70 har ma tso
any statement to you before he died?
witness: He mumbled a few words,
but l could only catch some allusiOn
to a rat.
The Coroner: What did you under.
stand by that?
witness: 1t conveyed no meaning
to me. | thought that he was deliri-
Gus.
THE Coroner: What was the point
upon which you and your father had
this final quarrel:
Witness: / should prefer not to an
swer
THE Coroner: l am afraid that !
must press it.
witness: 1t is really impossible for
me to tell you. l can assure you that
it has nothing to do with the said
tragedy which followed.
1.-THE Coroner: That is for the court
you that your refusal to answer will
prejudice your case considerably in
any future proceedings which may
arise.
Witness: I must still refuse.
1.-THE Coroner: / understand that the
cry of 'Cooee' was a common signal
between you and your father?
Witness: 1t was.
1.-THE Coroner: How was it. then.
l,a he
and before. even knew that you had
returned from Bristol?
witness with considerable cOnfu
sion): do not know
"A Juryman: Did you see nothing
which aroused your suspicious when
you returned on hearing the cry. and
found your father fatally injured?
Witness: Nothing definite.
"The Coroner: What do you mean?
"Witness: was so disturbed and eX-
cited as l rushed out into the open,
that / could think of nothing except
of my father. Yet / have a vague
impression that as | ran forward
something lay upon the ground to the
left of me- II seemed to me to be
something gray in color. a coat Of
some sort, or a plaid perhaps. When
I rose from my father l looked round
for it, but it was gone.
do you mean that ii disappeared
before you went for help?
"'Yes, it was gone
"'You cannot say what it was?'
"'No, had feeling something was
there
How far from the body?
"a dozen yards or So
"'And how far from the edge Of
the wood?'
about the same
8 4 40
while you were within dozen yards
of it?'
eyes, but with my back towards
it,
"This concluded the examination of
the Witness"
ST see," said I, as 1 glanced down
the column, that the coroner In his
concluding remarks was rather severe
upon young Mccarthy. He calls atten-
ton, and with reason, to the discrep-
ancy about his father having signalled
to him before seeing him, also to his
refusal to give details of his CONVEX
sation with his father, and his singular
account of his fathers dying words.
They are all, his remarks very much
against the son..
Holmes laughed softly to himself
and stretched himself out upon the
l..
coroner have been at some palms." said
he, ITO single out the very strongest
points in the young mans favor. Don't
you see that you alternately give him
credit for having too much magma
ton and too little. Too little, If he
could not invent a cause of quarrel
which would give him the sympathy of
the jury; too much if he evolved from
his own inner consciousness anything
so outre as a dying reference to rat,
and the incident of the vanishing cloth
No, sir, I shall approach this case from
the point of view that what this
young man says is true. and we shall
see whittier that hypothesis will lead
us. And now here is my pocket Pc
trarch, and not another word shall /
say of this case until we are on the
scene of action. We lunch at Swindon,
and | see that we shall be there in
twenty minutes"
1t was nearly four o'clock when we
at last. after passing through the
beautiful Stroud Valley, and over the
broad cleaning Severn. found our
selves at the pretty little country-town
of Ross. A lean, ferret-like man. fur
tive and sly-looking. was waiting for
us upon the platform. In spite of the
light brown dustcoat and leather-ieg-
gings which he wore in Difference to
his rustic Surroundings, 1 had no diff