Detective and mystery stories, English; Police -- Fiction; Short stories
After the hearing of some minor evidence, the fishmonger's boy was
called, and asked if he could point out the person he had seen at Five
Oaks on the day preceding the burglary? The lad looked fixedly at the
prisoner for something more than a minute without speaking, and then
said, "The gentleman was standing before the fire when I saw him, with
his cap on; I should like to see this person with his cap on before I
say anything." Mr. Bristowe dashed on his foraging-cap, and the boy
immediately exclaimed, "That is the man!" Mr. Cowan, a solicitor,
retained by Mr. Bagshawe for his nephew, objected that this was, after
all, only swearing to a cap, or at best to the _ensemble_ of a dress,
and ought not to be received. The chairman, however, decided that it
must be taken _quantum valeat_, and in corroboration of other evidence.
It was next deposed by several persons that the deceased Sarah King had
told them that her master's nephew had positively arrived at Five Oaks.
An objection to the reception of this evidence, as partaking of the
nature of "heresay," was also made, and similarly overruled. Mr.
Bristowe begged to observe "that Sarah King was not one of his uncle's
old servants, and was entirely unknown to him: it was quite possible,
therefore, that he was personally unknown to her." The bench observed
that all these observations might be fitly urged before a jury, but, in
the present stage of the proceedings, were uselessly addressed to them,
whose sole duty it was to ascertain if a sufficiently strong case of
suspicion had been made out against the prisoner to justify his
committal for trial. A constable next proved finding a portion of a
letter, which he produced, in one of the offices of Five Oaks; and then
Mr. Bagshawe was directed to be called in. The prisoner, upon hearing
this order given, exhibited great emotion, and earnestly intreated that
his uncle and himself might be spared the necessity of meeting each
other for the first time after a separation of several years under such
circumstances.
"We can receive no evidence against you, Mr. Bristowe, in your
absence," replied the chairman in a compassionate tone of voice; "but
your uncle's deposition will occupy but a few minutes. It is, however,
indispensable."
"At least, then, Mr. Cowan," said the agitated young man, "prevent my
sister from accompanying her uncle: I could not bear _that_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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