Year: 1878



 Mr. Morley: II saw no one"

 1t was true that from the back of No. IT to the board fence at the field end of the lane was less distance thence than from the same point to the road, and that the murderer would have had time to reach that fence, scale it, and drop into the field at the other side before MT. Morley could have come round the other end of the lane.

 But it was quite certain that neither on the night of the murder nor the day before it had anyone crossed the fence; the reasons for thinking so were conclusive. On June ten carloads of fine building sand had been back ed against that wooden fence on the field side, and on the morning of the 9th no trace what ever of footsteps or disturbance could be found in this sand. The walls of the lane were of smooth brick and high, thirteen feet for wall fruit, and no man could possibly reach their summit without 8 ladder and net only was no ladder found, but not the smallest fresh scratch upon the walls, the surface of which Wassoft from the moisture and would show the scratch of even thumb-nail. On the field side, the sand, intended for a wall to be built in place of the wooden fence, overlapped theend of the lane many feet. Through inter stioss between the planking of this black plank fence some sand had percolated into the lane and lay in fine smooth mat, four feet wide

 

 falling at the time of the murder might oblit- crate, or at least deaden foot marks but the sand in the lane was examned with lamps in less than an hour after the fatal blow was struck, and when the rain had been falling On- ly about ten minutes after the blow, and yet no foot-marks had been found The sand at the other side of the lane was sheltered by two large chestnuts and showed perfect shovel marks of the day before, but no trace of foot steps whatever. No arrests had yet been made.

 The son of the deceased was next called. He had not much to tell such as it was the sub ject is as follows

 His father had passed the sixty-third year. Had been at one time an outdoor officer of Customs last stationed at Avonford. About fifteen years ago he had been obliged to leave the Customs owing to a severe rheumatic affec- tion contracted while on duty. At that time and for many years afterward, witness, who was now seven-and- thirty years of age, was in Australia and did not know the details. After retiring from the Customs deceased came from Avonford to London, and set up grocery bus mess in Baroda street, Oxford street.

 Evidenly the disquieting discovery of the police causedthe coronerto proceed with much more care and deliberation than he had en- ployed in the earlier stage of inquiry, and he examined the son with great fitness and most minutely. In answer to further interrogation the son went on: .. home for town at the usual hour half f-passtt eight He ate hearty breaksast and seemed in excellent spirits. The last words witness heard his father utter were said just as deceas- ed was leaving: Don't wait up. I shall be late tonight. Leave the dining room door open" The last sentence referred to the door 1iYo1n s,,t> &lo l~.ol By 'leave the dining room door open," de- ceased meant on the latch or spring lock, for which deceased had key. The police had found his fathers purse and watch upon the person of the injured man. Didn't think his father had personal enemy in the world. As far as witness knew not soul but he himself would benefit by his fathers untimely death. His sister would be loser by it.

 It being then evening, the inquiry was ad- journed for week to give the police an oppor- tunity of investigating the case further. Be- fore rising, the coroner made an order for the interment of the body.

 Next day John Bell was busy about the fu- 4staA3S ssze it =vvsss raidnight before found himself alone. He was a tall powerful man, with red brown beard, brown eyes, bronzed face, and brown strong hands When at rest in ordinary times his face had stern express ion. You could see he was not a man to be trif1ed with. In movement he was slow, pom derous. No matter what he did it seemed as though he had fully considered it before con- mencing to move; once action begun, there was such an evidence of the means to the end that few would think of trying to stand be- tween him and his object. As he sat in the hideous stiffness of his new black clothes, a cruel smile played upon his features alter nately with a look of profound and passionless thought He sat by the open dining room deor through which MT. Morley, Sig. Cordella and himself had carried the dying man on the night of the 4th. This night there was neither wind nor rain. The houses all round were still, and Nature slept like a weary child, without cry or a sigh.

 The. police had carefully examined Mr. Bells house in the hope of getting clue to the murderer. They had asked to see Mr. Bells private papers, and these had been shown to them They had read some of the documents, and, having made notes, felt no further need ot the papers, and gave them back to MT. John Bell. These letters. diaries, memoranda, &c., were now lying in confused heap on the dining-room table For an hour John Bell had been sitting at the open window in profound reverie. He now arous- ed himself, turned up the gas fully Git had been half turned down. drew a chair close to the table, and commenced turning over the papers, now reading one through, now merely glancing at another. At last he came to one which seemed to interest and excite him great ly.

 It was lengthy document in his fathers writing, and was battered good deal and showed signs of wear and tear and age He aid not wait to finish reading it, but got up hastily, left the room, went into the hail. pulled out the drawer in the hall table, took from the small liylo of written few words. came back to the room, held the slip of paper and the document he had been reading, one in each hand, under the gaslight and compared one line of the old doc- ument with the slip then let both fall from his hands, shiverered, covered his face with his hands and sank down into chair.

 He remained for half an hour, absolutely motionless, save for the regular rising and fall- ing of his broad back. At the end of that time he rose, finished the reading of the docu- ment, folded it up, put it in his breast pocket, and placed the small slip which he had taken from the drawer in his watch pocket When this was done he put his hand under his coat tails for moment, as if to tighten the back strap, went and got his hat, descended the steps from the dining room into the garden, opened the garden gate. and went out into the lane.

 It was then about half past one in the morn ing.

 The place was still as death the trees stood up silently in the darkness; the dark violet vault of heaven hung spread with myriads of pale stars overhead. John Bell looked warily up and down the lane. s'It is very dark and very late, he thought, as he closed the garden door behind him, ''but it will be darker and later before the dawn"

 He turned toward the Dulwich Road, and walked very slowly down the lane He reach ed the end of the lane, turned to hls left, and again to his left He was now in the avenue, and taking the left. hand footway he commenc- ed ascending the avenue. He passed by the blank wall and the houses 1, 3 and 5. These were all dark. In the drawing-room window of No: 2 there was light Not ray in any other house in the avenue John Bell drew back the bolt onthe garden gate, entered the garden, went up the steps, and knocked very softly In a few seconds the door was un- chained, unlocked and unbolted, and Sig Cor della, recognizing him at once, cried, "Ah, Mr. Dell, is it you? There is nothing more wrong, hope ?'

 :, There is nothing new wrong,' answered fEan Hr1cTkn