The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

60 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. is no exaggeration to say, that for twenty orthirty miles around the Morton Arms, at which so sanguinary a scene had been en- acted, there was scarcely a man, woman, or child who did not, before the day was two hours old, hear something of the mur- der. And that something, having for its nucleus the fact itself, was variously colored, according to the feelings and the habits of the parties who carried the tale from ear to ear. Bet the day was now getting on, and it is our duty to conduct the reuder to the magistrate’s, where the examination of Jem, the hostler, who had been charged with the murder, was to take place. There were unhappily some corroborative circumstances connected with the suspicion that he had done the deed, which pressed fearfully upon the minds of his best friends. The magistrate to whom it had been proposed to convey Jem for examination was a very old man, and when he was told of the nature of the charge, and that it involved the most serious considerations, he had the candor to say that he would rather the matter was taken.to some younger and more active member of the county magistracy. In consequence of this, it was de- termined that a Sir Francis Knightley should be the magistrate before whom Jem should be taken; and as that gentleman's seat was nearly four miles from the Morton Arms, it became nearly twelve o'clock on the morning succeeding the murder at the inn before the parties were all assembled. Sir Francis Knightley was a man who had traveled much, and had not traveledin vain. He had studied men and manners wherever he went, and when summoned home, on the sudden death of his elder brother, to assume the title, and with it the estates of the family, he returned vigorous in intellect and of a liberal and candid disposition, Such was the man, perfectly un- biased and unbigoted, before whom Jem had now to be taken. The great hall of Sir Francis’ mansion was thrown open to admit the throng of persons who came to witness the examina- tion; for he was not one who thought that any of the proceed. ings of justice should be conducted in secret. The hall was capable of holding five hundred persons, so that there was ample room, and to spare, for any one who chose to come and take a place in it during the examination of the prisoner. At about a quarter past twelve, Sir Francis himself came in, and bowing, in the most unostentatious manner to the assem- bled throng of his friends and neighbors, he said: ‘“‘ Tregret that I cannot accommodate you all with seats, but such facilities as I can offer to any one who wishes it, to become erauainted with what transpires, I shall gladly avail myself of. If, however, friends, during the course of this preliminary in- uiry, anything should appear to be on the point of transpiring, the common knowledge of which would go toward the subver- sion of public justice, I trust that you will give me credit for keeping it a secret for that reason, and that reason alone.” A murmur of applause ran through the hall, for Sir Francis was generally esteemed; moreover, his mild, gentlemanly, and unaffected mode of speech was especially captivating. When Jem was brought into the hall before the justice, all comicbooks. com