Year: 1872

""NO vi thS nOusehePpcT was HeHJlOncu,
a smile as OF scorn, passed over his lip;
and the notice of the discovery of the
stopper obviously y excited an interest,
and, ! thought, an apprehension; but it
quickly subsided. ] need not detail the
evidence that was given for the prosecu-
ton; it amounted IN substance TO that
which the counsel stated, nor was it va
ried in any particular. The stopper was
produced, and proved to have been found
III the house; but no attempt was made
to trace it to the prisoners possession, or
even knowledge.


When the case was closed, the learned
/ Judge, addressing the counsel tor the
prosecution, said there was hardly sulfi-
cient evidence to call upon the prisoner
ioi bis defence; aud il the jury were OF
that opinion they would at once stop the
case. Upon this observation from the
judge, the jury turned round for a mo-
ment, and then intimated their acquies-
cence in his lordship's view of the evi-
dence. The counsel folded up their
briefs, verdict of acquittal was about
TO be taken, when the prisoner addressed
the court He urged the judge to per
init him TO state his case to the jury, and
TO call his housekeeper, with 50 much
earnestness, and was seconded so strong
| ly by his counsel, that Lord Mansfield,
though very nrci against his inclination
aud contrary To his usual habit, gave
way, and yielded to the request.


The prisoner then addressed the jury,
and enlreated their patience for a short
time. He repeated to them that he new
er could feel satisfied to be acquitted
merely because the evidence was not
conclusive, and pledged himself in a
very short time, by the few observations
he should make, to obtain their verdict
upon much higher grounds-upon the
impossibility of his being guilty of the
dreadful crime.


OF the stopper which had been found
he disowned all knowledge; declared
most solennly that he had never seen it
before it was produced in court and he
asked, could the fact ot its being found
in his house OILY few days ago, when
hundreds of people had been there, pro-
duce upon an impartial mind even mo-
mentary pre.judise against him? One
fact, and only one, had been proved, TO
which he could possibly give an answer
the fact of his having gone TO the bed.
room Of his housekeeper on the night in
question.


lie had been for several years of his
life subject TO sudden fits OF illness; he
had been seized with one on this occa-
sion, gone TO her to procure her assist
ance to light a fire. She had returned
with him to his room for that purpose,
he having waited for minute in the pas
sage while she put on her clothes, which
would account for the momentary disap-
pearance of the light; and after she had
remained in his room for a few minutes,
finding himself better, he had dismissed
her, and retired again to bed, from which
he had not arisen when he was informed
of the death of his guest. 1t had been
said shat, after his committal TO prison,
his housekeeper had disappeared. He
avowed that, finding his enemies deter
mined, if possible, to accomplish his ruin,
he had thought ii probable they might
tamper with his servant; he had there
fore kept her on. of the way; but fol-
what purpose? Not to prevent her ties.
timony being given, for she was now Uni
der the care of his solicitor, and would
instantly appear for the purpose of con-
tirming, as tar as she was concerned, the
statement which he had just made.


Such was the prisoners address,
which produced u powerful effect. 1t
was delivered in firm and impressive
manner, and its simplicity and arlless-
ness gave it an appearance OF truth.
The housekeeper was then put into the
box and examined by the counsel for the
prisoner. According to the custom, at
that time almost universal, of excluding
witnesses from court until their testimo
ny was required, she had been kept at Il
house near at hand, and had not heard a
single word of the trial. There was
nothing remarkable in her manner or ap.
pearauce; she might have been thirty
: five or little mole, with regular though
not agreeable features, and an air per-
iectly free from embarrassment.


She repeated, almost in the prisoners
} own words, the story he had told of his
having called her up, and her having
mpanied him to bis room, adding
that, after leaving him, she had retired
to her own room, and had been awaken
ed by the manservanL in the morning
, with an account of the travellers death.
She had now to undergo crosS-exam-
J ination; and | may as well state here
that which, though not known TO me
till afterward, will assist the reader in
} understanding the following scene. The
: counsel for the prosecution had, in his
, own mind, attached considerable impor-
} tance 10 the circumstances mentioned by
the witness who saw the light; that
, while the prisoner and the housekeeper
, were in the room of the former, some
thing like door had intervened between
the candle and the window, which was
totally irreconciliable with the appear
, ance of the room when examined: and
half persuaded himself that there must
be secret closet which had escaped the
search of the officers Of justice, the open.
ing of which would account for the ap
pearance alluded to, and the existence Of
which might discover the property which
had so mysteriously disappeared.


Ills object, therefore, was to obtain
from the housekeeper, (the only person
except the prisoner who could give any
clue to ths), such information as he could
get, without alarming her by any direct
inquiry on the subject, which, as she
could not help seeing its Importance,