The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 277 was returned by a Coroner's Inquest in the year 1829.” The clerk of the court then addressed the ma- gistrate :— “ By your worship’s instructions, in consequence of the information given this afternoon, I repaired to the Home Office, to which the depositions taken at the Coroner’s Inquest in the year 1829, had been forwarded. I have obtained those depositions ; and I have them here.” “ As the case occurred eo long ago,” said the magistrate, “ it will be necessary to read them.” “Perhaps it would save your worship’s time,” said the prisoner, “if I were to admit that which it is by no means my purpose to deny, and which I have already admitted at Mr. Coleman’s office : namely, that I am indeed that eame ” But here Mr. Coleman rose; and making a sign to the prisoner to be silent; he said to the magis- trate, “I should much prefer that your worship would adopt the course you were about to take, as I have my reasons why the whole incidents of the bygone tragedy should be again brought fully to the knowledge of the public. A generation has well nigh passed since the date referred to; and as my client will plead Not Guilty to the dread crime imputed to him, I am anxious that, with the true British spirit of fair play, public opinion may be suspended until a jury of the noble prisoner's countrymen shall have pronounced their ver- dict.” ° The clerk of the court accordingly read the de- positions. They commenced by setting forth how Purvis the butler, and Leaohley the valet, had found the body of the late Duke by the side of the pond, with the dagger sticking in ite back. Then fol- lowed the evidence of the present Duke of March- mont, as it was given at the time, and which chiefly went to prove that the dagger was the property of his brother Bertram ; and that on the evening pre. ceeding the night of the murder, he had left his brother at an inn in the neighbouring village, in a terrible state of excitement in consequence of certain matters connected with the Duchess Eliza. It then appeared from the depositions that the landlord of the village inn was next examined as a witness. He deposed to the fact of Bertram having passed about three hours at the tavern in the afternoon and evening of the day preceding the night of the murder—that he was violently excited the whole time—and that he had rushed away in the frenzied state of which his brother had spoken. It next appeared from the deposi- tions that two of the housemaids belonging to Oaklands were examined in succession ; and their statement was to the effect that while arranging the chamber occupied by Bertram during his stay at the mansion, they had seen the dagger lying amongst a few other curiosities, which, as they understood, Bertram had brought with him from the United States. The man-servant who had specially attended upon Bertram during his visit, appeared to have been the next witness ; and he was represented as having deposed to the fact that Bertram had shown him the dagger, explaining at the same time that it had been long in the posses- sion of some celebrated Indian Chief who dicd a few months previous to Bertram’s departure from Washington. The dagger was described in the depositions and by the witnesses as being of very peculiar workmanship, and once seen, could not possibly have been mistaken. The depositions proceeded to show that wit- nesses were next examined to relate the particu- lars in respect to the dog. It had been found that Pluto was mortally wounded by a pistol-bullet : but the weapon iteelf had not been found, either in the pond or in the neighbourhood — so that it was tolerably evident tho assassin had taken it away with him. The cloth which the dog had brought in his mouth, was a fragment evidently torn from the skirt of a eurtout coat; and it was therefore supposed that the faithful animal had flown at the murderer of his master—in doing which he had received the fatal bullet. It was farther shown at the Coroner's Inquest that Ber- tram had on a black surtout coat when he left Oaklands after the scene with the Duke and Eliza. The depositions went on to state that the evidence being complete, the Coroner proceeded to sum up. In alluding to the circumstance of the dagger, he seid “that it had boen incontestibly proved that the weapon belonged to Bertram ; and that the Jury, with this fact before them, would have to weigh well whether, under all the circum. stances, it was Bertram’s hand which committed the deed—or whether some other person had ob- tained possession of that dagger with the foulest of purposes.” The Coroner had remarked “ that it was certainly extraordinary that Bertram should have had the dagger about him at the time when he was walking with the Duchess and when the incident occurred that compelled him to fly from Oaklands. None of the witnesses had been able to throw any light upon that point,—such for in- stance as proving that the dagger was atill in Ber- tram’s room at the time of his flight—or on the other hand, that they missed it from the room. Certain it was the dagger had dealt the mar- derous blow; and it was for the Jury to say whether the hand of Bertram or that of an un- known assassin had wielded the weapon.” Having commented upon all other parts of the evidence, the Coroner had left the matter io the hands of the Jury. The depositions concluded by stating that a verdict of “ Wilful Murder” was returned against Bertram Vivian, alias Lord Clandon. When the clerk of the court had finished read. ing these depositions, the Inspector said, “I now propose, your worship, to introduce a witness who will prove that the prisoner in the dock, so long known by the name of Clement Redeliffe, ie in reality the Bertram Vivian, alias Lord Clandon, against whom that verdict was returned; and I conceive that your worship will hold this evidence sufficient to remand tho prisoner, if not finally to commit him for trial.’ Lord Clandon—understanding that Sagoonah was the witness alluded to—was again about to address the magistrate, to admit his identity, ao that the ayah’s evidence might be dispensed with : for with a generous delicacy he was anxious to prevent Queen Indora’s name from being brought forward in the present proceedings. But Mr. Coleman, advancing towards the dock, whispered to the prisoner in the following manner :— “Your lordship must really suffer the proceed. ings to take their course. As there will inevitably be a trial—and I hope ta God it will only be for COMME HOG cS) (CO