The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

158 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. “Yes: we were after another man.” ‘*Oh, this is not the man?” ‘‘No, your worship; the affair I was on was of another char- acter, and different persons; this turned up accidently, and was only committed last night.” ' §*Go on.” ‘‘'We watched, but were suddenly at fault, owing to the cau- tion we were compelled to use in following lest we should be observed, and the whole affair discovered, and we lose our man.” : **T see, exactly.” ‘‘' We, however, discovered the house, and then we were com- pelled to force our way in, where we discovered the unfortunate gentleman to be murdered, and this man stood beside him.” ‘* And was he robbed ?” “Yes; everything taken.” ‘‘ Had he much ?” ‘We know that he had a heavy sum of money about him.” ** And it was gone?” ** It was.” ** And the prisoner was with the body ?” ‘* He was.” ‘* How long a time elapsed after you first missed him to the time you found the prisoner with the dead body ?” ‘“‘Not half an hour; about twenty minutes.” Some other evidence was gone into, to corroborate the above, by the other officers, and then the magistrate turned to the men- dicant and said: ‘* Well, prisoner, what have you to say? I am bound to tell you what you do say will be made use of against you.” “TF am innocent, and the young female who was in the house at the time can tell you so. Icame in but a few moments be- fore the officers, and was more surprised to see a dead body there than they could be.” : ‘“‘ Are you the owner of the house ?” ‘‘ No; it is a deserted one, and I am in distress, and slept there for want of means to get a better.” ‘‘ Well,” said the magistrate, to one of the officers, ‘‘it would be as well to send for the young woman, and in the meantime we will adjourn the examination.” * * * % % * * In about an hour and a half the prisoner was again placed at the bar, and the examination continued: ‘* Have you discovered the young woman?” inquired the mag- istrate. ‘“No, your worship; there are no traces of her.” ‘* Your witness, then, is not forthcoming ?” said the magistrate to the mendicant. ‘* Tt seems not: I must trust to chance for her arrival; she is a strauger to town, and, seeing that I was taken away, she thought that no place for her, especially as there was a dead body in it, She may hear of my peril and come forward.” comicbooks. com