Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1907-01-26 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER VIII.  I had much food for thought on my tedious, journey to Bristol. My excursion to the moor,, primarily undertaken for a romantic reason, had resulted in the gleaning of some information that suggested a support to Roper's theory respecting the death of Stanley Fulton. I had not spoken to Roper because I was desirous of following out my investigations on my own lines. I was more than a little nervous of his discretion. I feared to tell him of what I knew lest he Should, by some overhasty step, hazard all. Besides, what information I had was of a conflicting nature. It suggested that Roper's idea of foul play might be true, but much of the information was contradictory, and the whole of it of an unsubstantial nature. I set myself to the task of reviewing results of my morning's investigations. re WM a mysterious stranger, a man unknown to the neighbourhood, who had been seen on the moor within ten days of Stanley- Fulton's death. He evidently was desirous of avoiding attention. There were the long coat and the slouched hat to show that. Westcott, a shrewd man, who I suspeoted of knowing more than he would tell me, evidentlyexpected that he was to be met with at the cottage on the moor. He had taken me for him, and, from his stalking me, it was obvious that he suspected the stranger of something. Mere curiosity would not have led him to the length of running him to earth as he had me. Then there was Mad Martha. She was undoubtedly of a superior olase to that to which she pretended to belong. Her denial of any knowledge of the strange man I at once swept aside as being untrue. Indeed, her denial rather strengthened my suspicions of the man. Then there was Roper's strong dislike fo Dr. Jorrocks, and his impression of high-handedness in his conduct of the inquest. This impression, which might have been the result of my friend's prejudice, had been. supported by the foreman of the jury and the village generally. What was more extraordinary was the appareintly sudden change of manner of Dr. Jorrocks at this inquest. On the testimony of the two village worthies before the inquest he was "poor tool," and under the thumb of Dr. Charles. At the inquest he had been. autocratic, and had ridden roughshod over Dr. Charles himself. This, then, is why I came to the conclusion that' my knowledge so far was contradictory. The strange man apparently had reasons for not wishing to be known. If he had any connection with the cottage on the moor, and the supposition was not at all unwarrantable, he would be within easy distance of Cranby Chapel. But to suspect the stranger was to exonerate Dr. Jorrocks, and vice versa. Unless they were the same. The mysterious stranger bad the same height and spareness of figure as Dr. Jorrocks. I had seen the grey coat hidden at Mad Martha's cottage; on the day that Jorrocks was supposed to be in. Exeter I had Been him conversing with Mad Martha after overtaking me from th. direction of her cottage. I do not say that I had really formed suspicions. My grounds were far too slight. But I did think that I had gained sufficient information to lead me to pursue my investigations. With respect to the strange man on the moor there was another contradictory fact. Although seeking to escape observation, he had been seen by several seen ten days before Stanley Fulton.'st death, but afterwards bad disappeared altogether. And in tho case of Dr. Jorrocks there was absolutely no motive, so far as I had been able to discover. Here, indeed, I was face to face with a cal de sac. If Stanley Yulton's death was the result of crime, then the murder was apparently motiveless an. old man universaU.y liked, a poor man whose life was useful to many, and whose death could benefit none except Roper— who could have compassed his death? Apparently there was no question of robbery; his watch, chain, signet ring, purse, these had all been found on his body. The more I thought the more incomprehensible did it seem. There was, of course, the solution adopted by the j-ur7, and suggested, and apparently suggested unwillingly, by Dr. Charles. There, again, was Dr. Charles under the influe-nce of Dr. Jurrockai. Were the admissione he made is