Year: 1870

abroad. And this had happened Whe
the event of which am now going +


tell you took place.


7" As Strange could speak Frencl
very well, / often sent him to the fair


at Normandy and Brittany, nearly al


ways going myself to those in HOllan,


and the North of Germany. 1t wa
| somewhere about the end of a certain
May that he went over to France, in


tending to be there about six week


and go from one fair to another OH


certain round. Three or four consign


ments OF beasts had reached me in Lon
don, and the last WAS to come over II


day or two. My partner had visitet
| all the fairs he intended to 60 to, ant


was to join me. 4 wrote him at South


ampton where he was to land, sayin.
! would meet him there, take look a
the cattle he had bought, and sent
some to London, and go with the res


to some of the southern countries


where there was likely to be a market


that would suit my book.


"I reached Southampton on the day


named, and met Strange. We dined
together at small inn near the docks


and, finding we could not get two bed.


rooms, engaged double-bedded room


for the night. Then we began to


square up accounts, and spent the af-


ternOon seeing how We stood in the


matter of money. But something that


Strange had done vexed me sOrely.


He had, in the face of what / had writ


ten him in London to the contrary,
paid some two pounds head more fol


about thirty or forty beasts than we


should ever realize. When told him


how foolish he had acted, he answered


me back that he had done his best, and


that he had as much right as 1 had to
speculate with our joint funds. To this


1 replied that, although he was un-
doubtedly a partner in the concern, it


was who had put in all the capital,
and that he had only an interest of 25
ercent. in the profits. His rejoinder
/ remember well. He said that, if he
died, would get allthe money he owed
me, and more. To this I retorted in a
passion that knew it, and that I did
not care how soon he died. All this
wrangling took place in the coffee-room
of the inn, before the girl who waited
on us, the cook of the house, the bar
maid, the landlady, and the landlady's
husband. The latter, when he saw we
were getting angry, tried to make
friends between us, but in vain. We
were each annoyed at what the other
had said, as well as our own folly, and
neither would he the first to say he was
sorry for what had passed. ~


"AbOut six O'Clock / took up my
hat and went to see some friends in the
town. When I got back it was past
IL O'Clock, and Strange, the house
maid told me, had been in the bed and
asleep more than an hour. I paid my
share of the bill, for I intended start
ing early, went up stairs, and found
Strange fast asleep and went to bed
myself. Next morning I was called at
five, packed my bag, swallowed o cup
of coffee, and in half an hour was on
my way to London. On leaving the
inn, told the porter that my compan-
ion was asleep, and that, as he was
only going by the ten O'clock coach to
Brighton, they need not call on him
yet. should not forget to tell you that
while 1 was dressing in the morning,
Strange awoke, and that he shook
hands over our dispute of the previous
day. We moreover agreed to change
our plans, and Strange was to meet me
in London on the next day. AS was
closing my carpet-bag he asked me to
lend him one of my razors-a thing
which had the greatest objection to,
(for if am particular about anything 1
possess, it is about my razOrs,) but,
having only made up my difference
with him, / could hardly refuse him SO
small favor.


"The days am writing of were be-
fore railways had extended to South
ampton. Leaving the latter place at
half.past five in the morning, it was
half-past six in the evening before / got
to town. went to bed, got up next
day, and, while Twas sitting at break
fast with my wife, our servant told me
that two gentlemen wished to speak to
me. / went down to see them, and,
before | could open my mouth to ask
what they wanted, found myself with
handouts on, arrested for the murder
of Edward Strange.


at seems that, finding Strange did
not come down by lalf-past nine, the
porter went up to call him. He found
the door locked, but 10 key in it. At
ter knocking some time ON the outside,
the door was broken open, and poor
Strange was found with his throat cut
from ear to ear, and razor i'm his hand.
The key of the door was afterwarl
found In the coffee-rOOm, under the
very bench on which had sat .Odrink
my cup of coffee before starting,


!" was brought before the magis-
trate at Bow street the next morning,
md was by him sent down to South
amptOn to await the result of the Cor
,ner's inquest upon my partner. The
verdict was willful murder, and, after
by the magistrate to the
was put OH trial for my life
1T Winchester.


"The trial lasted only few hours.
It was fully proved that Strange and
myself had quarreled and had high
words the night before, Ind that / had
said did not care how soon he died, SO
hat could recover the money 1 had
ent him. A great deal was made of
,he fact that by Strange's death l
should be entitled to the Insurance up
)n his life to the amount of two thou
sand pounds, by which 1 should he a
clear gamer of one Thousand two hun
ired.


sit was further shown that the razor
ound in poor Strange's hand was mine,
and three medical men declared their
conviction that, although that in
,trument was undoubtedly used to kill
he dead man, it must have been placed
IN bis hands after death. Moreover,
here were not only evident marks of a
struggle about the bed and clothes, but
Strange's throat was cut from right to
lnless he had been a left handed man,
which Strange was not. Then, again,
he fact of the bedroom door being
ocked, and the key hid, close to where
[ breakfasted, told fearfully against
ne. 1t was clear that Strange could
not by any possibility have cut his own
hroat, and then locked the door of his
,oOm on the outside. Itwas attempted
~ my counsel to throw discredit. upon
his part of the evidence. The learned
gentleman tried very hard to elicit |
which might even lead the |
ury to imagine that the door had been
0cked after the murder, and that some
person unknown, had knowingly let |
he key dropin the coffee room. But |
{ was of no avail whatever. 1t was
.learly proved that the key had been
inside the door when Went up to bed,
md that it had never been seen again |
Until it was found i'm the coffee room. /
My defence tried hard to make out that |
'ome person likely tOcommit the muir
Ter might have been in the house that 1
lay, but of no use. AS the trial went |
IN, even /, who knew my innocence,
,ould not help allowing to myself that |
he evidence, though purely circum-
was very strong against me.