Year: 1871

BY W1LkIE COLLINS.


On summer evening. some years ago,
man was found murdered in field near
certain town in the west of England
The name of the field was ''Pardon's s
Piece"


The man was small carpenter and
builder in the town, who bore an indiffer-
ent character. On the evening in ques-
ton, a distant relative of his. employed as
farm bailiff by gentleman in the neigh
borhood. happened to be passing stile
which led from the field into a road. and
saw a gentleman leaving the field by way
of this stile rather in hurry. He recog-
nized the gentleman (whom be knew by
sight only) as Mr.. Dubourg.


The two passed each other on the road
in opposite directions. After certain
lapse of time-estimated as being half an
hour-the farm bailiff had occasion to
pass back along the same road. On reach
ing the stile he heard an alarm raised.
and entered the field to see what was the
matter. He found several persons run
ming from the farther side Of Pardon's
Piece toward boy who was standing at
the back of cattle-shed. in remote part
of the inclosure, screaming with terror.
At the boys feet lay. face downward, the
dead body of man with bis head horri-
bly, beaten 10. His watch waRnder him,
hanging out of bis pocket by the chain.
1t had stopped-evideutly in consequence
Of the coucussion of its owners fall on it
at half past eight. The body was still
warm. All the other valuables, like the
watch, were left on it, The farm bailiff
instantly recognized the man as the car
penter and builder mentioned above.


AT the preliminary inquiry, the stop
page of the watch at half-past eight was
taken as Offering good circumstantial evil
dence that the blow which had killed the
man had been struck at that time.


The next question was-if any one had
been seen near the body at half past eight2
The farm bailiff declared that he bad met
Mr.. Dubourg hastily leaving the field by
the stile at that very time. Asked if he
had looked at his watch, be owned that
he had not done so. Certain previous
which he mentioned as
having impressed themselves on his mem
ory, enabled him to feel sure of the truth
of this assertion without having consulted
his watch. He was pressed on this i'm
portant point. but be held to his declara-
ton. At half past eight he had seen Mr.
Dubourg .hurriedly leave the field. AT
half-past eight the watch of the murdered
man had stopped.


Had any other person been observed in
or near the field at that time?


No witness could be discovered who had
seen any body else near the place. Had
the weapon turned up with which the blow
had: been struck It had not been found.
Was any one known (robbery having
plainly not been the motive of the crime)
to have entertained grudge against the
murdered man. 1t was no secret that he
associated with doubtful characters. male
and female; but suspicion failed to point
to any one of them in particular.


In this state of things there was 10 al
tentative but to request Mr. Dubourg-
we'll known, in and out of the town, as a
young gentleman of Independent fortune.
bearing an excellent character-to give
some account of himself


He Immediately admitted that he had
passed through the field But, in contra
diction. to the farm bailiff, be declared that
he had looked at his watch at the moment
before be crossed the stile, and that the
time by it was exactly a quarter past
eight. Five minutes later-that is to say.
ten minutes before the murder had been
on the evidence of the dead
mans watch-he had paid visit to lady
living near Pardon's Piece, and had re-
mained with her until his watch, consulted
once more on leaving the lady's house, in-
formed him that it was quarter to niue.


Here was the defense called an "alibi"
1t entirely satisfied Mr. Dubourg's friends.
To satisfy justice also it was necessary to
call the lady as witness. In the mean
time another purely formal question was
put to Mr.. Dubourg. Did he know any,
thing of the murdered man?


With some appearance OF confusion, Mr..
Dubourg admitted that be had been in
duced Coy friend) to employ the man on
some work. Further interrogation ex-
tracted from him the following statement
of facts:


That the work had been very badly
done; that an exhorbitant price had been
charged for it; that the man, on being re-
monstrated with. had behaved 10 grossly
impertinent manner; that an alteration
had taken place between them; that Mr.
Dubourg bad seized the man by the collar
of his coat, and had turned him out of the
house; that he had called the man an ;n-
ferual scoundrel (beiDg in passion at The
time), and had threatened to thrash him
within an inch of his life" Cor words to
that effec) if he ever presumed to come
near the house again; that be had sincere
ly regretted his own violence the moment
he recovered his self-possession; and last