Lancaster Standard and County Advertiser. — 1894-07-13 (Lancaster, Lancashire, England)

CHAPTER IV.  Luke Onions .had been well tutored by the I blacksmith in respect to what he should say at the e inquest, and had been wverely cautioned in re- I spect to the clasp.kuite. " There's no cause for thee to mention nought I about it,' Bartholomew had told him when con. I eluding the harangue to which he had treated the ' ' boy; leastwaye not until somebody's took up on suspicion. I'll keep it safe for a while. '• I showed it Joe Bungins as I come wham last night." '• Thee bees't shorn nat'ral, then. and thee'll be a born nat'ral to thq end of the chapter, I take it ! Mother, we shall never he able to put any wits into him. If he's told Joe Buggius about the knife it's common talk half over Thornville this morning. I hopes as they'll have me up afore the Crowner, for I shouldn't wonder if Luke didn't pick it op just nigh about the vicarage. and when he stumbled over the body got it smeared wi' blood. I've washed it, so they emit tell how much or how little there was oil it. ' "I hope the WOIMAA won't show the sort of knife as was used," Mrs. Cross said, in an anxious tone of voice. "I shouldn't like Mr. Cameron's feeling,' lobe hart by evens breath of suspicion. It do seem a kind of suerecleege to couple the vicar's name with istch an awful crime as murder." " Nobody would do it but a born nat'rel." Bartholomew muttered angrily. "Luke don't make the difference between them that's good and them that's had. He don't believe in nobody, nor nothin's He's a pattern freethinker, he to: modern ~krprtie, as Or. Delon.nn calls it. Gab him two pins, and he'd say as how you or me did for , Master Grey." "Did what ? " inquired Luke, sharply. " Took his life to be sure." "Man, man, man!" reiterated Onions. "Mutter ! , I knowed as thee didn't do it, for thee was at whum, and the knife ayn't you'ru ; besides if you ineaut to kill a man you'd be sure to do it wi' the , forge hammer." "There, didn't I tell thee, Bessie that he couldn't see no differeece between bad folks and goodou ? , He don't possess even the trust that a hanimal has got in them as feeds him. The Lord help us and put the right words in leis mouth when he's taken through his questionings." ' A policeman called at Ash Villa to conduct Luke Onions before the Coroner.  Where's the knife?" the offioer inquired, addressing the youth. " I syn't got no knife!" Luke replied, doggedly. " Nonsense I You ehowed it to young  Bugg-in-s." " That was my knife. Moster's got it." "Come, this won't do, yortngun ! Joe Bugging says there was a name on the haft, and that he spelt it for thee by the light of a match as he struck. Cameron was the word. Curious that is the same name as the vicar's." The latter part of the above remark was addressed to the blacksmith. "There's heaps of Camerons in Scotland, and Briaus, too !" Bartholomew replied quickly. " Now, do YOU suppose as there aril, dozens of folks of the name of Cross in Thoroshire." " Maybe," returned the officer ; "but that don't concern me just now. What I wants if you plane; Mr. Cross, is the knife as this young man picked up last night in the ditch. near where the body of Mr. Curtis Grey was found. Come, come, youngun, you confessed to Buggies that yon saw it by the light of my lantern. I owe you one for that! Why ado% you upon your mouth and show it to me?" "Coot wanted it for myself." The policeman stared at the lad. " Well, you beats me holler I" he said after a pause. "We in the force don't in general have much of a fancy for them kind of knick-knacks as is mined op with the shedding of blood. You'd be welcome to your plaything for me, but you gee I gyn't the Coroner, and the Coroner syn't me, which means that you must bring the little implement to that gentleman. unless," he added, tenting to the blacksmith, “yori come along Mr. Crow+. It's more nor likely as you'll be  I'll go willingly," Bartholomew said, cheerfully. In fact, 1 wants to be there, for the lad is a born net'ral as don't know the sense of half the words an he utters. The Crowner would find me a valuable interpreter, so to speak. You give , me five minutes.