The King of Schnorrers: Grotesques and FantasiesZangwill, Israel
General
The King of Schnorrers: Grotesques and Fantasies
Zangwill, Israel
Humorous stories; Jewish fiction; Jews -- England -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction
The dripping figure vanished as suddenly as it came, and Clara awoke
in a cold perspiration. Oh, it was horrible! The man she had learnt to
love, the murderer of the man she had learnt to forget! How her
original prejudice had been justified! Distracted, shaken to her
depths, she would not take counsel even of her father, but informed
the police of her suspicions. A raid was made on Tom's rooms, and lo!
the stolen notes were discovered in a huge bundle. It was found that
he had several banking accounts, with a large, recently deposited
amount in each bank. Tom was arrested. Attention was now concentrated
on the corpses washed up by the river. It was not long before the body
of Roxdal came to shore, the face distorted almost beyond recognition
by long immersion, but the clothes patently his, and a pocket-book in
the breast-pocket removing the last doubt. Mrs. Seacon and Polly and
Clara Newell all identified the body. Both juries returned a verdict
of murder against Tom Peters, the recital of Clara's dream producing a
unique impression in the court and throughout the country, especially
in theological and theosophical circles. The theory of the prosecution
was that Roxdal had brought home the money, whether to fly alone or
to divide it, or whether, even for some innocent purpose, as Clara
believed, was immaterial; that Peters determined to have it all, that
he had gone out for a walk with the deceased, and, taking advantage of
the fog, had pushed him into the river, and that he was further
impelled to the crime by love for Clara Newell, as was evident from
his subsequent relations with her. The judge put on the black cap. Tom
Peters was duly hung by the neck till he was dead.
[Illustration: THE CORPSE WASHED UP BY THE RIVER.]
CHAPTER VII.
BRIEF RÉSUMÉ OF THE CULPRIT'S CONFESSION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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