Rush’s conduct before the murders had been observed. He had taken every precaution to throw off suspicion. During the latter part of November, he had been in the habit of going out at night, pretending to be on the look-out for poachers. He ordered a quantity of straw to be littered down from his homestead to the fields towards Stanfield Hall. A portion of the path which had never before been littered with straw, was then littered by his direction, and the straw ceased where the green sward began, so that he could walk from his house towards the recorder’s mansion, without any danger of his footsteps being traced. Before November 28th, he had caused everybody to leave his house except Emily Sandford and a lad named Savory. On that day he returned home about 5 p.m., and asked when the dinner would be ready. Emily Sandford said it would be ready soon, upon which he remarked, “There is just time for me to go into the garden and fire off my gun;” and he went into the garden and discharged his gun accordingly. This was intended to account for his gun having been recently used. He had bought a double-barrelled gun in London the last time he was there. After tea he appeared to be extremely agitated. He went up-stairs to his bedroom and put on a disguise; one part of which was for the whole person, being in fact a widow’s dress, which was quite new. Another part was a black crape bonnet with a double frill hanging by it; and the frill rendered it difficult for any one to discern the wearer’s features. He enveloped himself with a large cloak, armed himself with his double-barrelled gun, and went out to do his work of murder between seven and eight o’clock. Nobody saw him leave the house. The night was dark and windy and well suited for the deeds of an assassin.