The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 264: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MYSTERERS OF THY COURT. for the defence; and. this was the landlord of the and overbeard every syllable that was spoken. One voice was that of a man—the other that of a woman. The woman said she had just discovered that there was a wint of money in the iron anfe: the man said he supposed therefore the job was for that night. The woman assented, and spoke of having waited for positive information whether Mr. Pollard had got the money in the house to pay to Mra. Rayner. After some little moze qon- vereation, the witness oferheard the man say-some- thing abous she means that had been adopted to get the woman into her position as Pollard’s house- keeper; but all that was said upon this point is not clearly remembered by the witness. The wo- man addressed the man as Barney ; and the name of Bill Scott was two or three times mentioned. The witness terried at the gate until it suddenly opened—and then ahe hurried away. But hearing the man follow her, she was apprehensive of mis- chief: she accordingly crouched down under the wall—he passed close by her aide, but happened not to come in contect with her; and as the lane was involved in total darkness, he beheld her not. Such, my lord eud gentlemen,” concluded the counsel for the defence, “is the deposition of the witness who for the reasons stated cannot appeer in your presence: and those same reasone will ac- count for the fact of her having absteined from declaring to the authorities all she knew, until a few chance words which she the other day let drop, caused an inquiry to be made, aad led to the silt- ing of the matter.” It would be impossible to deseribe the sensation which prevailed in the court during ead after the reading of this deposition. Lettiee Rodney clasped her hands together—the tears ran down her cheeks —she was well nigh overpowered by her emotions. Mrs. Webber grew pale as death; and her trou- bled looks were flung nervously around, to ascer-. tain the impression made by this document. The counsel for the prosecution was astonished—a feel- ing in which the judge and jury evidently parti- cipated ; and the spectators ahowed by their eountenances that their opinions were undergoing a rapid change, turning in Lettice Rodney's favour and therefore against Mrs. Webber. “] will now read from my instructions,” said the counsel for the defence, “the description which the prisoner hag given her legal adviser of the two ill-looking persons whom she alleges to have seen with Mr. Pollard’s housekeeper om the memorable night of the fonl tragedy which has led to this judicial inquiry.” The barrister accordingly read the descriptions of the Burker and of Bill Saot¢; and when he had finished, he said, “At thie stage of the proceedings I will call back the witness whom I just now sent out of court—I mean the detective officer.” This witness was accordingly re-summoned ; and on again making his appearance, he was desired by the counsel for the defence to describe the persons of Barney the Burker and of Bill Scott—the two individuals whom he had seen on several occasions ener the alley communicating with the Smedleys’ abode. That description tal- lied to a nicety with the one given by Lettice Rodney, and ere now read from the batrister’s instructions. But there was atill another witness forthcoming 255 low publio-house, or boozing-ken, at which Barney end Bill Seott had lodged when they wero at Liver. | pool. The public-house iteclf was in the close vicinage of the late Mr. Pollard’s abode; and the landlord proved that the time’when the Burker aud bie acolyte lodged beneath his roof, was pre- cisely that when, the murder was committed. He evem secollected that they wore out late on the pertieular night itself, and that they took their departure at a very early hour in the morning: but he had not then the faintest idea that they were the authors of the crime, inasmuch as it ap- peared to he ao eampletely buought home to Lettigs . Rodne Fe Scarcely was the Jandjlord’s evidence given, when. & person entered the court and handed a paper to the compeel for the defence. It was now six o’clock in the evening—the trial bad lasted the whole day—and several hours had elapsed since Mrs. Webber first appeared in the witneas- box, “I bave yet something to submit to the Court,” said the eounsel for the defance. “The dateative oficer who is in attendance hore, instructed his brother-detective who was engaged with him in the metropolis in the same case, to be at the Lon- don terminus of the railway this day, ao that be might be im readiness to act ing to any in- structions telegraphed up to him. At the outset of her evidence in the morning, the woman Webber stated that ehe had some time back been in the service of certain deceased ladies, whom she named. Upon this answer being given, a gentie- man in court—who from bumane motives is in- terested in the case—sped to the electric telegraph office, and sent up certain instructions to the de- tective in London. These were promptly acted upon: the results of certain inquiries have been telegraphed down to Liverpool; and the paper containing them, has just been placed in my hand. Though the ladies whom the woman Webber named, have ceased to exist, yet their families stil live, and still occupy the same dwellings. The anewers they gave to the queries put to them by the detective officer in London, furnish a complete refutation to the woman Webber’s statements in respect to her evar having oceupied situations in the service of the deceased ladies.” Tho counsel for the defence handed the tala graphic despatch to some one near, that it might be paesed to the clerk of the court; and when it had been read, the barrister observed, “ My lord, and gentlemen of the jury, without another syllable that ia my case!” All eyes were now turned upen the counsel for the prosecution ; and this gentleman, rising from his seat, simply remarked that he bad done hig duty in placing the charge before the court in the first instance sccording to the instructiona he bad received— but he significantly added that after the turn which matters had taken, he should not fur a moment think of exercising his right to reply to the case for the defence. This announcement was received with a certain sensation indicative of ap- plause, which the ushers of the court did not attempt to suppress: for they themselves doubt- lesa had their feelings enlisted in the same startling drama which thus for so many hours had been commanding so vivid an interest. Tho judge said but a few words in charge to the jury,—merely COLL (C DOO CS (COL