Year: 1872

THE SECRET CLOSET.


In the year 1S-, John Smith q use ficti'
tious names) was indicted for the wilful muir
der of Henry Thompson. The case was one
of most extraordinary nature, and the IN
terest excited by it was almost unparalleled.
The accused was gentleman OF considerable
property, residing upon his own estate. "A
person, supposed to be an entire stranger to
him, had, late in summers day, requested
and obtained hospitality for the night. HE
had, it was supposed, after taking some light
refreshment, retired to bed in perfect health,
requesting to be awakened at an early hour
the following morning. When the servant
appointed to call him entered his room Tor
that purpose, he was found there perfectly
dead and from the appearance OF the body
it was obvious that he had been so for many
hours. There was not the slightest mark OF
violence upon his person, and the countenance
retained the same expression it had borne
during life. s...


Days and weeks passed on, and little fur
ther was discovered. In the meantime rumor
had not been idle Suspicious were vague,
indeed, and underlined, and were at first whis-
pered, and afterward boldly expressed. The
precise object of these suspicious was not IN
dicated some implicated one person, some an
other; but they all pointed to Smith, the
master of the house, as concerned in the death
of the stranger; and, in fine, the magistrates
were induced to commit Mr.. Smith to jail to
take his trial for the wilful murder of Henry
Thompson. As it was deemed essential to the
attainment of justice to keepsecret the exam,
ination of the witnesses who were produced
before the magistrates, all the information OF
which the public were in possession before the
trial took place was that which l have here
narrated. Such was the state of things the
morning Of the trial.


The counsel for the prosecution opened MS
case to the jury in manner that indicated
yery little expectation of a conviction. He
began by imploring them to divest their minds
of all that thew heard before they came into
the box he entreated them to attend TO the
evidence, and judge from that alone


It would be proved beyond the possibility
of doubt that the deceased died by poison
poison of the most subtle nature, most active
in its operation, and possessing the wonderful
and dreadful quality Of leaving no external
mark or token by which its presence could be
detected The ingredients of which it was
COMPOSED were of so sedative a nature that,
instead of the body on which it had been used
exhibiting any contortions, or marks OF suffer-
ing, it left upon the features nothing but the
calm and placid quiet of repose: ,,.


The prisoners family consisted only OF him.
self, housekeeper, and one man-Servant.
The man-servant slept in an clubhouse adjoin-
ing the stable, and did 80 on the night OF
Thompson's death. The prisoner slept at one
end of the house and the housekeeper at the
other. and the deceased had been put into
room adjoining the housekeeper's.


1t would be proved by a person who hap
pened to be passing by the house the night IN
question, about three hours after midnight,
that he had been induced to remain and watch,
from having his attention excited by the cir
cumstance, then very unusual, of light NOV
ing about the house at that late hour. That
person would state most positively that ne
could distinctly see figure, holding llght'
20 from the room in which the prisoner slept
to the housekeeper's room; that two persons
then came out Of the housekeeper's room, and
the light disappeared for a minute. Whether
the two persons went into Thompson's room
he could not see, as the window of that room
looked another way; but in about minute
they returned, passing quite along the house
to Smiths room again; and in about hVe
minutes the light was extinguished, and ne
saw it no more.


Such was the evidence upon which the mag
istrates had committed Smith; and, singular
" enough, since his committal the housekeep..
er had been missing, nor could any trace OF
her be discovered.


Within the last week, the witness who saw
the light had been more particularly exam
ined, and in order to refresh his memory, he
had been placed at dark in the very spot
where he had stood on that night, and another
person was placed with him. The whole
scene, as he had described it, was acted over
again but it was utterly impossible, from the
cause above mentioned to assert, when the
light disappeared, whether the parties had
gone into Thompson's room. As it, however,
to throw still deeper mystery over this extra
ordinary transaction, the witness persisted IN
adding new feature to his former statement !;
that after the person had returned with the
light into Smiths room, and before it was ex-
tinguished, he had twice perceived some dark
object to intervene between the light and the
window, almost as large as the surface of the
window itself, and which he described by say
ing it appeared as if door had been placed
before the light.


Now in Smiths room there was nothing
which could account for this appearance; his
bed was in different part, and there was
ne;ther cun hoard nor press in the room, which,
but for the bed, was entirely empty, the room
in which he dressed being at distance be-
yond. :,


He would state only one fact more, (said
the learned counsel,) and having done his
duty, it would be for the jury to do theirs.
Within few days there had been found, IN
the prisoners house, the stopper OF small
bottle of very singular appearance; it was
apparently not of English manufacture, and
was described by the medical men as being
used by chemists to preserve those hqui.ds
which are most likely to lose their virtue by
exposure to the air. To whom it belonged,
or to what use it had been applied, there was
no evidence to show.


Such was the address of the counsel for the
prosecution; and during its delivery had
earnestly watched the countenance OF the
prisoner, who had listened too with deep at
tention. Twice only did I perceive that it
produced in him theslightest emotion When
the disappearance of the housekeeper was
mentioned, smile, as of scorn, passed over
his lip; and the notice of the discovery of the
stopper obviously excited an interest, and, l
thought, an apprehension but it quickly sub


IJoj r naed NOT dotoi] tho ovidpnoe that