The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRISONER IN THE DOCK 67 murder’ against Bertram Vivian, otherwise Lord Clandon. Warrants were issued for the apprehension of the accused, a reward was offered by the secretary of state for his apprehension, advertisements were inserted in the news- papers, but all without effect. The accused had taken his departure, and during this interval of nineteen years nothing ever reached the ear of justice concerning him until this day. From information which I received, I have now arrested the prisoner in the dock, and I charge him with being that same Bertram Vivian, otherwise Lord Clandon, against whom a verdict of ‘ Wilful murder’ was returned by a coroner’s inquest in the year 1829.” The clerk of the court then addressed the magistrate: _“ By your worship’s instructions, in consequence of the information given this afternoon, I repaired to the Home Office, to which the depositions taken at the coroner’s inquest in the year 1829 had been forwarded. I have obtained those depositions, and I have them here.” ‘“ As the case occurred so long ago,” said the magistrate, * ‘it will be necessary to read them.”’ ‘‘ Perhaps it would save your worship’s time,” said the prisoner, “if I were to admit that which it is by no means my purpose to deny, and which I have already admitted at Mr. Coleman’s office, namely, that I am indeed that same — ”’ But here Mr. Coleman rose, and making a sign to the prisoner to be silent, he said to the magistrate, ‘‘ I should much prefer that your worship would adopt the course you were about to take, as I have my reasons why the whole incidents of the bygone tragedy should be again brought fully to the knowledge of the public. A generation has well- nigh passed since the date referred to, and as my client will plead ‘ Not guilty ’ to the dread crime imputed to him, I am anxious that, with the true British spirit of fair play, public opinion may be suspended until a jury of the noble prisoner’s countrymen shall have pronounced their verdict.” The clerk of the court accordingly read the depositions. They commenced by setting forth how Purvis the butler and Leaehley the valet had found the body of the late duke by the side of the pond, with the dagger sticking in its back. Then followed the evidence of the present Duke of March- - mont, as it was given at the time, and which chiefly went to prove that the dagger was the property of his brother Ber- GoOmiilGaooks (S©)