The Weekly Journal. — 1903-12-04 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER IV.  No one in the room was capable of sharing the consternation that I felt when MiAS Mayhew acknowledged that she identified the deceased.  Liter retiring for a time to recover htr tem/maitre, she returned end said "I wish to state publicly that I have committed a deep wrong in suspecting Or. Heythorn guilty of this crime." The Coroner here gently interposed that they cculd only listen to evidence in that court. "You will render a greater bervbe by tellinc the jury what yau know about the decenard: and perhaps you will give her name in the Erat place." " Florence Gould," replied Miss Mayhew. "1 recognise her as a former schoolfellow. and altht ugh we have seldom =et for the last three years, we have corresponded regularly. Beth her parents are dead, and elle has been living with an aunt in Kensington. In th, la,,t letter I received from Miss Gould she told mesh. had been troubled very much by the persistent attentions of an eccentric gentkman named Ikantre Taunton, who had olknined an introdiction to her aunt's house."  _ " Baintre Taunton?" exclaimed the Coroner, looking up from his papers, " why, I held an inquiry on *tie body.. of a Iran Cho bore Tlaine yesterday.. Be }la round in the bedroom of an hotel in this district. with a bulkt wound in his bead, and as the evidence showed that his mind had been deranged fur some tulle. the jury returned a verdict of suicide. committed during a fit of temporary insanity."In her letter," resumed (iertrude. she stated that Mr. Baintre Taunton repeatedly offemd her his hand and fortune, which was represented to be considerable. De was much older than she, and she firmly refused hie offer. In closing her letter she said he bad at List accepted her answer as final, and that he would be glad to be regarded in the light of a friend, to which she had oneented. K hen I irvognised the deceased I at once saw that Dr. lleythurn was the victim of a singular cornof circumstance..." _ _  • You ninst not forget,Min Maybew,tkat Dr. Heythorn is not here upon his trial few a capital ()Uwe. and so firs. I can see is sot likely t, he," riplied the Coroner quietly; and addressing the jury be continued, 'I tkink, gentlemen, having regard to the outratirdiaary evidence given by Miss Mayhew, it will be my ditty to adjourn the inquiry at this stage for the production of the letter. I also recall t.. mind that amongst the personal effects found on the man Taunton was n small pocket diary which I believe will throw some further light on the tragedy." The officers and jurors had left the house. T stood alone in the presence of Gertrude Mayhew, who bent her head on the table and Wai sobbing bitterly. "Oh, to think bow deeply I hive wronged you!" she cried, looking up with her tearstained eyes; "do not speak to m.o. and Fit leave the house directly." " Miss Mayhew—Gertrudc-- -if any we'll., at.' needed from me, rest assured that I forget and forgive the past.' "Dr. Beythorn, whatever you may say. shall never, never forgive myself. Good-bre.' and with this sliss left the room and drove away in the carriage which had been waiting at the door. . .  The following morning the inquest WAR resumed. Florence Gould's annt, an elderly lady. attended and identified the deceased as her nicer. who had bees missing from home since the I'l,ll of the month. The witness was aged, toel.hminded, and had evidently exercised very little control over Miss Gould's movements. "1 have here," said the Coroner, "the porta diary which was found on the man Taunton. This diary contains some curious statement a, which I took to be the wandering balleriva. bons of a madman's brain, but after what has transpired here they _nem to give a clue as to the manner in which the deceased girl met with such eh sintimely and." U. then read extracts from the boot, I have since ooplad sit_follows:— " April 6.—Today I saw Florence once morel and as I gaud on Ist handsome conntenaEco with lia anoWithor sib.. soinsthiat Mats'