Year: 1873




policeman, was considered by the superinten-
dent to Justify him in retaining the prisoner
in custody, Notwithstanding his denials, and
the support they received from the landlord


Not to repeat the same thing twice over,
I may pass by the other circumstances which
we're discovered, which left no doubt that Mr.
Thorold had been murdered, merely stating
that the coroners jury, after the numerous adj
journments which is common with them when
they get an exciting case, agreed to verdict
of WlHful Murder against Jesse Durand, and
he was committed, to take his trial at the as
sizes.


The statement made at the trial by the
counsel for the prosecution, and confirmed by
the evidence, was substantially as follows:


On the day previous to his death, MIR.
Thorold had visited several Of his tenants, as
was his custom once every year previous to
receiving their rents, to examine for himself
what repairs were required and among other
places he used to visit on the same day was
hamlet on an estate he had about fifteen miles
from the Grange. 1t had been his practice
for several years, when visiting this hamlet,
to spend the evening and night with an old
clergyman there, who held The post of chap.
lain to the Thorold family, for which he re-
ceived yearly stipend of 91OO, though it
was many years since he had been called upon
to perform any duties in return. Instead of
doing so on this occasion, Mr.. Thorold re-
turned home after calling on the tenants on
the home estate, and told the bailiff, as he
was leaving him, that he should put off his
Al. - +bo tbar
more settled. This was the last business he
transacted The next morning he was found,
at the early hour at which his servant was ac-
customed to take him his water for shaving,
lying on his bed, dead, but partly dressed {;
the appearance of his bed, however, showed
that it had been lain in. The medical man
who arrived shortly afterward pronounced
that his death had been caused by the inhala-
ton of chloroform but this was not till after
the discovery, made by a housemaid, of a
handkerchief belonging to Miss Thorold,
which was still damp, and emitted peculiar
odor, which he at once recognized to be that
of chloroform. This was lying beside an
easy chair in Miss Thorold's bedroom and
no mention would have been made of it by
the woman who picked it up, if it had not
been for the fact that in trying to recognize
the scent which issued from it she had fallen
on the floor insensible From the position Of
the bedclothes beneath the body, the medical
man (who seems to have been unusually obser-
want in his search for little evidence which
might assist him in forming an opinion as to
the circumstances of the death) came to the
conclusion that the deceased must have been
placed on the edge Of the bed by some per-
son who had not strength to lay him COM
pletely on it, or whose strength had been en-
hausted on reaching it, and who had there
fore been obliged to 60 round to the opposite
side and drag the body on far enough to in
duce careless observer to suppose that the
deceased had sat upon itand then fallen back
ward. That the deceased had not voluntarily
inhaled the Supplying vapor was shown by
the absence of any bottle containing it., or
anything saturated with it in his bedroom
while the fact that it was the agent used in
producing his death was proved at the post
mortem examination, the lungs, on slight pres
sure, giving forth a distinct smell of chloro-
form. Thus, it having been established that
Mr.. Thorold had been killed by means Of
chlorofcrm, the next thing to be discovered,
was by whom ithad been administered. There
was another mystery in the case, too, which
greatly intensified the interest felt in the trial,
and this was the disappearance of Miss Thor:
old, though the most diligent enquiries and
search had been made in every quarter where
it was thought possible information could be
got concerning her.


The evidence to prove Durand to be the
murderer was very strong. There was the
evidence of the policeman, who had an op-
portunity of scanning his features under cir
cumstances when the image is imprinted on
the memory in the most durable manner; that
is to say, when the attention is thoroughly ava
kened to the contemplation of an object which
is alone perceptible to the eye, from the sur
rounding objects being concealed by darkness.
Not only that, but he declared that if he had
not seen his face he could have sworn to his
identity by the sound Of his voice. This seems
to prove his presence in the Grange at an
early hour in the morning after the commits
sion of the crime Moreover, it was proved
that no stranger had been in Seton on the
previous evening; and, from the smalness of
that place, not even dog could havetraversed
it without exciting remark. The evidence of
the man and woman who met him at dusk the
preceding evening near the Grange and an
swered the numerous questions concerning the
family who occupied it, and who both swore
unhesitatingly that he was the same individ-
ual, identifying him, like the policeman, by
his features and voice, was another link in
the chain Of Identification. But the strongest
proof of all against him, at this stage of the
case, was supplied by one Stephen Heather,
the bailitf's son. This witness clearly gave
his evidence under the Influence of conflicting
emotions, the effect of which, by the time the
assizes were held, had reduced him to mere
shadow Of what he had been. He stated that,
having been in the habit of doing little SER
vices for Miss Thorold from her childhood
such as rearing young birds for her, rabbits,
and other animals she was in the habit of ma
king pets of-an intimacy had established it.
self between them, which had grown stronger
as they grew older, until it came to pass that,
after it was supposed she had retired for the
night, he used occasionally, at her request, to
come down to the house and bring short
ladder from the garden, which he placed be-
meath the window and by means of which she
descended into the park, he then concealing
it in the shrubs until she was ready to return.
When this had occurred several times he no
longer waited for an invitation from her, but
came as often as he dared, sometimes seeing
her and sometimes not. Late on the evening
preceding the murder he went down to the
house with the determination of seeing Miss
Thorold, if possible, who had only returned
from Scarborough few days previously, from
visit to some relatives, and who, he thought,
had tried to avoid him since her return. He
waited till he saw her enter her bedroom, and
for few minutes afterwards to rive time for