Year: 1873

so sedative nature that, instead of
the body on which it had been used
exhibiting any contortions, or marks
of suffering, it left upon the features
nothing but the calm and placid of re-
pose.


The prisoners family consisted only
of himself, housekeeper, and one man
servant. The man servant slept in an
clubhouse adjoining the stable, and did
so 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 a
room adjoining the housekeeper's.


It would be proved by a person who
happened to be passing by the house
on the night in question, about three
hours after midnight, that he had been
induced to remain and watch from hav-
ing his attention excited by the cir
cumstances, then very unusual, of a
light moving about the house at that
late hour. That person would state
most positively that he could distinct
ly see figure, holding light, go from
the room in which the prisoner slept
to the housekeeper's room, that two
persons then came out Of the house


keepers room, and the light disappear
ed for 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
a minute they returned, passing quite
along the house to Smiths room again,
and in about five minutes the light was
extinguished and he saw it no more.


Such was the evidence upon which
the magistrate had committed Smith ;
and singularly enough, since his COM
INITIAL the housekeeper had disappear
ed nor could any trace of her be dis
covered.


Within the last week the witness
who saw the light had been particu-
larly examined, and in order to refresh
his memory, had been placed at dark
in the very spot where he had stood
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 as
sert, when the light disappeared, ,wheth-
er the parties had gone into Thomp-
sons room. AS if, however, to throw
still deeper mystery over this extraor-
binary transaction, the witness persist
ed in adding new feature to his form
er statement, that after the persons re-
turned with the light into Smiths
room, and before it was extinguished,
he had twice perceived some dark OBJ
ject to intervene between the light and
the window, almost as large as the sur
face of the window itself, and which he
described by saying it appeared as a
door had been placed before the light.


Now in Smith room there was moth
ing which could account for this ap-
pearance; his bed was in a different
part, and there was neither cupboard
nor press in the room which, but for
the bed, was entirely empty, the room
in which he dressed being at distance
beyond.


He would state only one fact more
(said the learned counseD 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 apparent
ly not of English manufacture, and
was described by the medical men as
being used by chemists to preserve
those liquids 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 evil
dence to show.


Such was the address of the counsel
for the prosecution, and during it's de-
livery [ had earnestly watched the
countenance of the prisoner, who had
listened, too, with deep attention.
Twice only did I perceive that it pro-
duced in him the slightest EMOTION
When the disappearance of the house
keeper was mentioned smile as of
scorn, passed oyer his lips, and the no.
tice of the discovery Of the stopper OBJ
viously excited an interest and, I
thought, an apprehension, but itquick-
ty subsided. I need not detail the evi-
dence that was given for the prosecu-
ton; it amounted in substance to that
which the counsel stated, nor was it
varied in any particular. The stopper
was produced and proved to be found
in the house, but no attempt was made
to trace it to the prisoners possession,
or even knowledge.