CHAPTER XVI. THE INQUEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2221, 2 October 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XVI. THE INQUEST.

There was a bu.stle in tho .streets of Banbury, su< h as might betokt-n a market d.iy, and yet it was nuther the buying nor the selling of corn or vegetables, neither tho chaffering for fruit nor poultry tint had thronged Bunbury on that occasion. To learn how a ni'in camp by his end was the matter that brought most people into the town this bright hummer morning. The people surged about tho railway station, eddied about the streets, but sooner or later flowed up the hill and gravitated towards the Hopbine, where the inquest was bein<j held. Getting into the room had been hopeless half an hour after the coroner had taken his 6eat, but we all know how persistently, a crowd will hang about locked doors with some indefinite idea of seeing or learning 1 something. Old Joe Marlinson sits in the bar-parlour almost speechless with indignation. A crowd permeate the Hopbine, whom Mr Marlinson in hi.s wrath de^agnates as " hcum ;" they ordur .spirits and water in jocund and pleutiful fashion, laugh at the head waiter' h remonstrances anent their snioklug in the cotfee-rooin, and not only there but about all the lower part of the hotel generally ; they lunch freely, and seemed to look upon the whole thiug in the light of a " bean feast " or borne such festivity, instead of the investigation of a presumed murder. Old Marlinson is in a state of mind bordering on distraction. He devoutly trusts Jctmes Foxborough will be captured and endure the extreme penalty of the law ; not so much for the crime he is supposed to have committed, but for his disgusting presumption in having selected the Hopbine in which to accomplish his purpose. Tho old man has appealed to Inspector Thresher to cloar the house, and given a confused opinion in support of his application that they were all drunk and disorderly, and that he wanted no riff-raff at the Jlopbiue. In vain did the Inspector laughingly observe, if they weren't, all county families, they were a good-humoured orderly crowd onousrh, that thpre was a certain amount of license allowable on these occi&ions, that thu Hopbine was after all a house of c.tll, and could not ref use to aerve guests iv cauonical hours, and that it was right good for trade. ' House of call,' gasped old Marlinson, 1 well I'm dashed ! the Hopbine a house of call just like any hedge ale house, well I'm d d. Clear thehou.se, Thresher, clear the house," and ho continued . it intervals to cill upon the good-ntit'ircl inspector to '(jleir the hou.se" with the tjume obstinate incongruity as ' Mrs F's

aunt" demanded Arthur Clennams'n ejection through the window. The big room upstairs in which the inquest was sitting was a« full as it waa allowed to be, for the coroner had long ago given stringent orders against further admission thereto. Tho preliminaries had been pot over, as narrated in the last chapter, the day before, and tho inedionl testimony had been then taken. Both Drs. Duncorabe and Ingleby were clear and consistant in their testimony that John Foasdye met his death from tho dagger wound in his cheat, they had neither of them the slightest doubt tho blado had pierced the heart and death J must have been almost instantaneous ; that it was possible the wound was inflicted they both concurred, but about its probability they differed. Dr. Duucombe gave his opinion that it was probable Mr Fossdyke had himself dealt tho blow that killed him. Dr. Ingleby, on tho contrary, while not denying that it was quito possible it was so, pointed out that in the case of a man stabbing himself the wound would usually have a downward direction, as it would bo natural to him to deal the blow overhand. la this case tho wound ran slightly upwards, as a man might deliver it with a foil or in a duel with swords. To him it appeared that the wound was the result of a lunge rather than a stab. He did not df>ny that it might have been self-in-flicted, but he considered that it was improbable. Dr. Ingleby 's testimony had of course thrown a strong suspicion of 1 wilful murder' around the case, and (he excitement concerning tho second day'« enquiry was very great. It was rumoured, as it no often is rumoured under these circumstance-, that startling disclosures would bo made in the course of the day, that pome extremely trenchant Gvidonop would be come by, that a lady li.nl been brought down from Londou who could throw most import mt light upon the case, &c It wih quite clo.ir that this second d,iy of the enquiry would bp of much interest. Phil Soames, with fiiop grave and stern, is there in company with Dr. lnirlcby, to soo what the re-mlt of the day may be. Hardly has the former taken his .seat <vhen he feels a hand upon his shoulder, and a voice, familiar in days gone by, exclaim — 'How are you Phil?' Ho turns and recognising Morant wrings his hand heartily as he ask*. ' Good Heavens, Herbert, what brought you here rl'r 1 ' 4 It's odd, Phil, very,' replies the latto quietly, as he sat sat down beside his old university chum, • but I have as deep an interest in this case as you. If tho murdered man was a d^ar friend of yours the supposed murderer is a friend of mine. I don't know s> veiy much about him, but with his wife and daughter I am very intimate, and you may easily imigine the teirible state of mind they are in abiut, the whole biwne^s. I no more bJievo Foxboiough capable of such a crime than I do you ; that appearance** look houibly agaiu.it him I'll admit, but I fully expect to see him turn up to-day aud explain everything.' ' I trust ho may,' replied Soamcs, * but Thresher, tho head of the police here, gave mo to understand just now that tho accumulated evidence against Foxborough is terribly strong. It is a mysterious case, and at present incompiehensible. Mr own idea is that, some, old quarrel existed between the pair, and also some money trans lotions which had been the reason of their meeting, that the old feud w.is renewed, and maddened by wine and probably having had the woisfc of the altercation with poor Fossdyke, in a moment oJt passiou Foxborousjh blew him.' ' Good heavens, Phil, according to wh it I have read tho man was stabbed in hib sleep !' 4 That was not the case, my friend Dr. Inglpby can vouch for. Allow me to introduce you.' Tho two gentlemen bowed. 'No,' said Dr. Ingleby, f poor Fossdyko was not murdered in his sleep ; he was out of bed and in his shirt and trousers, and, moreover, tho bed had nnvei' been flept in. My theory, Mr Moi'ant, is that he was killed in t lie .sitting-room adjoining and carried to the bedroom after ho was dead ; but wo shall hear what Inspector Thresher has got to bring before us to-day.' 1 You are conclusive, Dr. Ingloby, as to its being murder, then, and not a ca^e of suicide?' said Morant. 1 Yos, I am, -and I have told my throry of tho whole crime, but please remember that though I can set forth argument* against it being self-murder, and though the evidence will show you clearly that Fossdyko was never slain m his bed, yet 1 urn bound to nay my idea th it he was killed in tho sitting-room is utterly unwarranted by any evidence jet pioduced.' Ami now the Coroner ro-oppns the enquiry and the jury shuffle into their places. A well-known solicit ir of much experience in criminal eases ha? been sent down to watch the case for the Crown, and the first witness on the day's list was Eli/ 1 tf'ilt,!, the rhiimber-mai'l. iShe recapitulates tho evidtmee she h.ib aliendy given as to her unavailing attempts to rouse Mr Fossdyke, how ms the day wore on she gently turned the door handle with a view of peeping into the room, thinking some'hing might have befallen him, and found the door locked ; then she called her master, and after once more knocking Very loudly, William Gibbons, the boots, by Mr Martinson's orders, broke the door open, and they found the deceased gentleman lying on the floor with a curious digger planted in his breast. The writing table in the room and the chair were upset ; the bed had evidently not been occupied. (To be continued J

A Wkl.sh Centenarian.— The death was announced on Friday of Sarah Marshall, a widow, residing on the \Vel3h hills at Nautyglo, at the reputed age of 107 years. She has had eight children, two of whom survive her. What is aChristadelpluan? Mr Anscll, late manager ot the Army and NavyStores, in Victoria street, London, loved Miss Kate Bonser, of Kimbolton. They became engaged, but the match wag broken off by Mr Ansell, for Miss Bonser was a spiritualist, and he held that no true affection could exist between a Christadelphian and a Spiritualist. A jury, unable to understand this incompatibility, awarded Miss Bonser £~)0 damages. When' the Due do Berri, rather of the Comte de Chambord, was an exile in England, he married a Miss Annie Brown, of Maidstone. The Pope subsequently annulled the marriage, but not before two daughters were born, who wero, by the desire of the Pope, declared legitimate. One of the daughters, the Princess de Lucinge, has just died at the age of 71). A young woman, 25 years of age, shot her husband in the open btreet in Paris recently. Ho was coming out of a haberdasher's shop in the Rue Pierre Lescot, where sho sprang from a hidingplace, and riri-d direct at his heart. H> instantly fell dead. The woman, on being- ai rested, declared tli.it her motive was revenge fur hi utal treatment on fi' 1 pirfc of her hu.ib.itul, against whom sic h id taken proceedings for divnrre. l> Yn'i'ie n(.t (1 mcing, Mm-> Plumpington. Sh.'ll I get you a p.utum .'"' Mit,s J'luinpiii^tou : "Oh, L .ilw.iy^ get |>lenty of partiieiS bat L'ih i.itherne.u siifrhLiiiJ.yoii km.w, and houi'-itmies I cuim % \ei mi'i.iga to find thoin." lie wished ha had h.ud it ditferontly.