Time, The Avenger

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 407, 25 October 1911, Page 2

Time, The Avenger

(All Kigiits Reserved.)

THE UNRAVELLING OF A STRANGE WILL MYSTERY.

By HEDLEY RICHARDS, Author of "The Hniphs of Hillcrest," "From Mill to Mansion,," "Diana's Inheritance," Etc., Etc.

EI G IITEEXTII IX STALMEXT. The inquest was to be held in a large room which had been built on to the inn. It was used as a tea room, and frequently in summer-time as many as sixty people had tea there, as the Geldcr Woods were popular not only with the Wittonbury people, but with the residents in the surrounding towns.

The previous day not only had that room been filled to overflowing, but the sitting-room had also been utilized. To-day all was changed ; the tables had been moved into the garden, save one, and down each side of it were chairs, while a big armchair had been placed for the coroner. A good supply of forms had been left for the people, who it was known would flock in numbers, and when Lord Hatton with Gar and Lord Ovingham entered, the room was already packed ; but the inspector piloted them to where a group of chairs stood near the coroner.

Two of these were already occupied by Mr. Hudspith and Mr. Dalrymple; but as Lord Hatton approached the latter rose and gave his chair, which was next Mr. Hudspith's and seated himself at some little distance. A few minutes later the coroner and jury took their places and the proceedings began. The first witness called was Nathan Rhodes, who told the coroner that he was coming through Gelder Woods with his youngest son, a boy of ten and the lad was uncommonly fond of seeing the pool. He never ;ould get him through the wood without letting him have a peep at it ; so as they'd come by the lower path he turned aside and the first thing he noticed was a huge flock of crows which, seemed to be hovering above the water ; then he saw the body.

" Was it floating on the water ? " asked the coroner.

" No, sir ; the clothes had caught in the overhanging branches of a tree which dip into the pool. The face was downward, and I could see nothing. I went over to Wittonbury and informed the police." " Thank you;" and as the witness sat down William Slater was called.

" Have you seen the deceased ? " asked the coroner.

" Yes, sir, and I recognised him as a man named Dutton, who had been staying at my house. He went out on Tuesday night, and wanted me to let him have a latch-key as he said he w T ould be late, but I wouldn't. I told him we'd let him in ; but as he hadn't come back at twelve I went to bed, intending to get up when he knocked. I never heard anything of him, and concluded he'd got a bed somewhere else, and would turn up later in the day. Then I heard of the man who had been found in Dead Man's Pool, and from what Mr, Rhodes said about the man's clothes and other things, I told the police that Dutton hadn't came back, and I drove to the wood with them." " I suppose you have no doubt that he is the man who stayed at your house ? " asked the coroner,

" No, sir, not. the least bit. You see he'd stayed a few days about & fortnight ago." "Do you know whether he had friends or any one he knew in the neighbourhood ? " inquired the coroler.

" Well, sir, I cannot say for certain, but my impression is that he lad. When first he came to WittonDury he asked a lot about the place, and he was particularly curious about the gentry. He wanted to Know all about them and where they lived. I said to my missis that if he had been a different sort I should have thought he was going round getting subscriptions ; but she said he looked a deal more like stealing, and I was of the same opinion." " How long did he staj with you che first time ? " asked one of the jurymen.

" About four or five days. He was out late the night before he left and [ had to let him in as the house was shut up, and when I grumbled a bit he told me he was going the next morning, though he hadn't said anything about it before he went out." " Did he pay his bill ? " asked the :oroner.

" That he did, and brought out a handful of gold and a lot of banknotes. He seemed uncommon flush of cash, more than he had been, and I joked him a bit, but he only laughed and said some chaps were born with silver spoons in their mouths."

" And when did he return ? "

"He walked in on Sunday afternoon, and he gave a grin as he said, 1 I've come back you see.' ' You must like Wittonbury,' I said. 'Jt suits my health,' he said with another grin."

" Did he talk much to you tin: time ? "

" Not much. At least he didn'l ask any questions, and he didn't seem quite as flush of money," sair Slater.

" What made you think he ha'" friends in the neighbourhood ? " in quired the coroner. " Well, sir, he got a letter or Tuesday morning. It w:;s riirerte, ' J. Button. Vine Inn, Witionbury. and it had the Wittonbury postmar 1 on it and no other. I saw he waspleased when he read it. Then h< tore it into little nieces and stuck it

on the kitchen fire. Soon afterwards

he went out ; but whatever was in the letter suited him, as he went out whistling." "He didn't give you any idea where he was going when he went out on Tuesday night ? " asked a juryman. " No, sir, but I'm quite sure he had no intention of sending himself out of the world." " Thank you. You have given your evidence clearly," said the coroner, as Slater gave place to Mrs. Hayes.

" Did you ever see the deceased before he was brought here dead ? " inquired the coroner. " Yes, sir ; he called in about eleven on Tuesday morning, and asked for a glass of ale. Then he had a second and while he was drinking it he asked who the woods belonged to, and I said Mr. Hudspith owned the land about here. He nest asked what he was like and a few such questions."

" Did he seem particularly interested in your answers ? " " I cannot say he did. He remarked that it was a fine thing to be a rich man. paid his re :koning and went his way." " Did you see anyone about late on Tuesday night ? " " No, sir ; but Sally, my servant vows she saw a woman go into the wood somewhere near half-past eleven."

" I should like to question your servant," said the coroner ; and Mrs. Hayes withdrew, and in another moment a rosy-cheeked young woman appeared, who said, in answer to the coroner, that her name was Sarah Dukes.

" Did you see any one about the gate near the wood on Tuesday night ? " he asked. " Yes, sir. I was a bit restless ; a gipsy woman had told me my fortune that morning. I gave her a shilling for it. and I hadn't had my money's worth. She told me a lot of nasty rubbish. I can tell you, gentlemen, it hadn't suited me to be told I'd die nn old maid so I was thinking about it, and wishing I'd got my money hack, and, as It was very warm, I got up and went te the window. I sleep in a little room over the front door. Well, sir, just as I got to the window I saw a woman going ever so quickly across the bridge towards the gate leading into the wood. She stood there a moment, then she opened the gate and went into the wood." " What time was that ? " asked a juryman.

" It would be about half-past eleven, but it wasn't twelve." " What kind of a woman was she?" asked the coroner.

" She was tall and slim, and from the way she walked I am almost certain she was young." " It wasn't any one you knew ? " " No, sir. The young women I know don't go walking in the wood near midnight. And I'm sure she was a sly one, because when I saw her I opened my window and put my head out, and though I saw her open the gate I never heard a sound. She shut it so quiet, instead of letting it swing to as most folks do." " And you neither saw nor heard any more of her ? " asked the coroner.

" Not of her ; but I did hear someone. It was this way ; I left the window open and got into bed, and I suppose the fresh air sent me to sleep ; anyhow I must have dozed a few minutes, when I was roused by hearing a man's footsteps pass the inn, I got out of bed ; but whoever lie was I could not see him, though I could hear his footsteps going along the Wittonbury road, and directly after the kitchen clock struck twelve so I shut the window and went to sleep." This concluded the servant's evidence, and Dr. Higgins came forward.

Death, he said, was caused by drowning. He. judged from various indications that it had taken place somewhere near midnight on Tuesday. There were no marks of violence on the body ; the man had been drowned, however he got into the water. Ele was a man with a strong physique and one who would be likely to get the best of it in a tussle with an average man, even if the man was younger.

"Do you think a woman could have pushed him into the pool ? " asked a juror. " Not unless he was standing near the edge of it, and did not suspect her intentions ; then a quick, adroit push might do it." The inspector then stated that the -round round the pool had been carefully examined ; but there were ao signs of a struggle, and as the turf around was quite dry, owing to :hc hot weather, it was impossible to trace any footmarks. The next witness called was the of Ovingham.

His lordship looked both surprised >.nd annoyed ; nevertheless he took lis place at the foot of the table lacing the coroner.

" I understand that your lordship recognised the man ? " he said, in a [uestioning tone. " Yes ; a few weeks ago I met Miss Hudspith near Houscsteads. She had cycled over from Gelder Hall, and while we were talking, the deceased, who was standing in the lane, began laughing loudly. His manner was most offensive, and I advised Miss Hudspith to go home by the other road through the town." " What did he appear to be doing?" " Loafing about. From his manner of laughing I wasn't sure that he was in his right mind."

" Have you ever seen, him since that day ? " asked the coroner. " Not until I saw him a little time ago, when I accompanied Lord Hatton to look at the dead body," said the earl. At that, moment a messenger boy entered and handed a letter to the inspector, explaining that it bad

come by the mi'l-i'av r.-.aii. tw" post-mistress had I. Imu-.. :l it '.ei'.:':' to send it on. The letter was addressed in very bad writing to the coroner who was a;oing to inquire into the circumstances connected with the death of J. Dutton.

The coroner read the address aloud: then he tore the envelope- open, and drew out a sheet of common paper, on which was a sketch of the gallows and hanging from it- was faintly outlined the figure of a man. Underneath were written the words. " Puzzle : Find the man." " This is either an outrageous practical joke or the person who sent it knows something of the murder," said the coroner handing the paper to the jury.

" May I look at it ? " inquired Lord Hatton putting on his goldrimmed spectacles ; and after examining it closely he handed it to Gar, who passed it on to the others. "If I may be allowed to pass an opinion I should say it was not a practical joke, but that the person who sent it both knows the murdered man and the murderer, and I judge the outline is purposely indistinct," said Lord Hatton.

The coroner bowed. He was evidently willing to *>« led by one who was known to be a keen lawyer and a far-seeing judge.

" The postmark is Carlisle," he observed ; then he remarked that the paper as it stood was of no value to them, and began summing up.

It was quite evident, he said, the deceased knew someone either in Wittonbury or the district. The police would no doubt do their best to discover who that person was. It was also plain that he had gone by appointment to meet some one in the Gelder Woods and it would be well for him to remind the jury that he had tried to persuade his landlord to let him have a latchkey ; that did away with the theory of suicide. When a man intended to drown himself he did not want a latchkey to let himself in with. Either the deceased was accidentally drowned, or he was murdered. There were no signs of a struggle—that looked as though it had been an accident, unless he had been sent to his doom by one whom he had never dreamed would injure him. The servant at the inn said she had seen a woman—apparently a young woman —enter the wood not long before the time the deceased had met his death ; she had also heard a man's footsteps going in the direction of Wittonbury. Of course, it was possible the man might have come from somewhere in the neighbourhood, and have a legitimate errand in the town. He hoped, if such was the case, that person would communicate with him. With regard to the woman it was difficult to imagine what would bring her out at that time of night, and the deceased was not the stamp of man to be mixed up in a love affair. Of course he might have accidentally walked into the pool ; but what was a stranger doing there at that time of night out of the beaten path ? To his mind it appeared exceedingly improbable that he had gone there alone ; he was inclined to think he had a companion who knew the woods well. It was pretty certain the deceased had known some one in the district. If that person would come forward and say what he had known of the man's past life it would probably facilitate the ends of justice. If he ;>r she held his or her peace, it lookad as though there was some strong motive.

And now, having done his best to show the salient points in the case tie would leave it with the jury.

The twelve men then rose and filed out of the room, being accommodated in Mrs. Hayes' little sitting room. They were Wittonbury tradespeople, Dut level-headed men, and they dismissed what they nad heard, sifting the evidence with much prudence. After half an hour's deliberation they returned to the room where the coroner and those assembled waited their rerdict.

"We find the deceased met his lentil by drowning, but there is no -evidence to show how he rot in," said the foreman.

The coroner complimented (hem on the wisdom of their finding, and re:orded it, then expressed a hope that

the police would do their utmost to .nvestigate the matter, as it would ;ie very unsatisfactory to let it rest shrouded in mystery. Me then dismissed the jury and the people bewail to disperse, discussing the aiTair as they went. " I wonder if they will find, out the iruth ? " remarked Lord Ovingham is he got up. " I don't know- My impression is that some one has had a powerful reason for getting rid of the fellow." said Lord Hat ton. " I'm not so sure it isn't a simple case of drowning. The feilow may have lost his way and stumbled into the pool. What do you think. Palrymple ? " asked Mr. Hudspith. " I have not formed any opinion on the matter. 1 think the jury found a very correct verdict. The police may tiscover more," he replied, in an in iiffcrent tone. "We will hope so in the interests of justice." Then tMr. Mudspith (urn ed to Lord Mat ton mid Oar who wen talking io the Marl of Ovinelnm.

j saying : I " Won't you gentlemen o'-.mr< and ; have afternoon tea at the Hall 7 ; And you. too, Dalrymple '.' j Lord Hatton, who felt fagged with j the heat of the room, gladly ace-p! '■ ed the invitation. (l;ir and Oviugham also expressed their pleasure. and, after a moment's hesitation. Mr. ' Dalrymple signined his willingness. Lord Hatton's carriage was \v : .i: ing at the inn door, and he asked Mr. 'Hudspith, who had walked fron | the Hall, to take a seat in it, and i the four gentlemen drove away, whih j Mr. Dalrymple waited for his horse. To be Continued.