The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 259: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES — ———SSSSSss eal went anywhere—no matter how short or how long the distance—he should follow me; and that if I attempted to leave England, he should take me into custody.” “To be sure!” said the barrister, with a glance at the jury: “he would have taken you into cus. tody as a witness flying from her recognizances. And what else did he tell you >—what warning dic he give you?” “That there was a watch set upon my move- ments, and that it would be totally useless for me to think of getting out of the country. But I told him all along that I had no such intention—nor had I: and I think it is very unfair 2 “ Never mind what you think,” interrupted the cross-examining counsel: “it is for the jury to think in the present case. The detective officer who accompanied you in the train, was the same who intercepted your departure from London and gave you the warnings cf which you have spoken ?” “The same,” answered Mrs. Webber: and her look was as much as to imply that it was all very easy for the barrister thus to cross-examine her, but that he could not shake her main testimony against the prisoner. “ How long were you in Mr. Pollard’s service previous to the commission of the murder P” “Three weeks,” was the answer. “And having been absent from your brother-in- law’s house barely a month, you returned thither notwithstanding the discomfort and unhappiness which had induced vou to quit it?” “ Because my daughter naturally supposed I must be very much flurried and excited after the dreadful cccurrence in Liverpool; and she wrote to me to come home at once, giving me the assurance that my son-in-law would change his demeanour towards me.” And during these six months that you have been again living in London, what sort of visitors have you occasionally received ?” “What sort of visitors ?” ejaculated Mrs. Webber, as if with a surprised and indignant air : but it was merely to shuffle with the question, which indeed had considerably alarmed her. “ Well, I need not press this point at present,” said the cross-examining counsel; “ and you may stand down.” A witness from London was now examined by the counsel for the prosecution, to prove that Lettice Rodney had been a gay lady: but the name of Madame Angelique’s establishment did not transpire. Then followed the testimony of three or four of the first’ persons who had rushed into Mr. Pollard’s house when Mrs. Webber had opened the front-door and had alarmed the neigh- bourhood with her cries. prisoner was dressed as if to go out—but that she was in a Btate of uuconsciousness when these wit- nesses appeared upon the scene. In _ cross- examination they admitted that when Lettice came back to her senses, she’ seemed horrified or frenzied at being accused of murder, and that she at once hurled the charge at Mrs. Webber and spoke of two villains who were with her. The police-constables who had taken her into custody, were next examined for the prosecution; and they deposed to the finding of Mr. Pollard’s purse, containing fifty pounds, upon Lettice Rodney’s It was proved that the OF THE COURT. 2538 person. Mrs. Rayner’s documents were likewise produced; and evidence was given to show that in addition to the writing-desk which had con- tained these papers, several articles of Mrs. Rayner’s wearing apparel were discovered in Lettice Rodney’s box: for the newspaper-accounts of the murder had given publicity to the fact that Mrs. Rayner was the previously unidentified victim of the railway accident, and thus her friends had come forward on learning her sad fate. The case for the prosecution was closed ; and Lettice Rodney’s counsel was expected to rise to make a speech in her defence. He did rise—and profound was the suspense which prevailed in the court. The silence was breathless: but when it was broken by the counsel for the defence, there was a sensation of disappointment on his at once declaring that instead of making a speech he should proceed without delay to summon witnesses. The firs6 witness whom he thus called, was a middle-aged man, plainly attired, of sharp features and with a shrewd look. Mrs. Webber, who had been ordered to remain in the court, winced some- what when she perceived this individual, whom she evidently recognised. Having been sworn, and having given his name, he stated that he was a detective attached to the metropolitan police. He then deposed to the following effect :— “ A very short time after the murder of Mr. Pollard in this town, I received particular instruc- tions from a gentleman in London. Those instruc- tions were to the effect that I should make all possible inquiries into the character of Mrs. Web- ber, and that I should watch all her movements. I at once came down to Liverpool, and learnt that immediately after the inquest she had returned to her friends in London. I had no difficulty in find- ing out who these friends were,—her daughter and son-in-law, bearing the name of Smedley. The Smedleys occupy a house of a somewhat respectable appearance, but situated in a low neighbourhood. They used to let lodgings, but have recently given up that avocation. Smedley himself carries on the business of a gold-beater. He seems however to have little work to do; for he is constantly saun- tering about—sometimes in idleness, and at other times in distributing religious tracts. I hired a room in a house nearly fronting the Smedleys; and, aided by another detective, [ watched them day and night. One evening, about a week after Mrs. Webber’s return, a fellow of desperate cha- racter, well known to the police, and bearing the name of Barney the Burker, stealthily en- tered an alley communicating with the back part of the Smedleys’ premises: but I cannot take it upon myself to say that he actually entered those premises. If I had followed to ascer- tain, I should have excited the suspicion that I was watching the house—and this was to be most carefully avoided, at least at the outset. A few nights afterwards, a lad of about nineteen, whose name is Bill Scott, and who is believed to be an agent of the Burker, paid a similarly stealthy visit to the alley of which I have spoken: but for the same reason as in the other case, I could not ascers tain whether he entered the Smedleys’ premises. A month passed, and they came not near the house again: but one night I followed Mrs. Webber at a distance, and I tracked her to the Burker’s lodging in one of the lowest neighbourhoods of London. ne MICOOOKS (C(O) (C(O)