All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity, Chapters XXX-XXXVI [pp. 241-263]

All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.
that Tom Murdock, the murderer of
her husband, must be one of the pris oners, but she did not know why they
were bringing him there-for the po lice hadcl now made the turn. She
thought the magistrate might have
spared her that fresh excitement that renewal of her hate. But the
magistrate was one of those who had
anticipated the law by his sense of
justice and his practice. lie was one
who gave every one of his majesty's
subjects fair play, and it was therefore
his habit to have the accused face to
face with the accuser when informa tions were taken and read.
Poor Winny was rather- fluttered and
disturbed when they entered, notwithstanding "the chief" had considerately prepared her for the visit. She did
not lose her self-possession, however,
so much as to forget the respect and
courtesy due to gentlemen, beside being officers of the law. She asked
them down into the parlor, and requested of them to be seated. They accepted her civility in silence, seeing
enough in her manner to show them
that she was greatly distressed, and
reqaired a little time to compose herself. She was, however, the first to
speak.
"I suppose, gentlemen, you are
come respecting this sad affair. I told
this gentleman here all I knew about
it yesterday."
"Yes, but matters are still worse today, although there was no hope even
then that they would be better. Of
course it will relieve you so far at once
to tell you that we are aware of the
position in which you now stand
toward the deceased."
" Yes, sir. It was with a wish that
the world might know it I took the
Step I did. I had Father Farrell's approval of it, and my own parish-priest's
as well; but subsequently-"
"My good girl, we did not come
here to question the propriety or otherwise of either your actions or your
motives. Nor do I for one hesitate
to say that I believe both to have
been unexceptionable. But it will be
necessary that you should make an
information upon oath as to what took
place from the first moment the men
came to the door, until the shot was
fired by which Edward Lennon came
by his death."
"I suppose, sir, you must have
much better evidence than mine as to
the firing of the shot. I can only
swear to the fact of two men having
tied me up and carried me away on a
cart, and that there was a third man
on horseback with a mask upon his
face; that when we came to Boher
bridge, the deceased Edward Lennon
and his father came to our rescue;
that there was a long and distracting
struggle at the bridge, which lasted
with very doubtful hopes of success for
my deliverance until Jamesy Doyle, our
servant-boy, came up with the police;
that the man on horseback with the
mask, whom I verily believe to have
been Thomas Murdock, turned to fly;
that the deceased Edward Lennonfastened in his horse's bridle to prevent him; that a deadly struggle ensued between them, and that the man
on horseback fired at the deceased,
who fell, I may say, dead on the road.
The sight left my eyes, sir, and except
that we brought the dying man home
on the cart, I know no more about it
of my own knowledge, sir."
"A very plain, straightforward, honest story as I ever heard," said the
magistrate. "But it will be necessary
for you, when upon your oath, to state
whether you know, that is, whether
you recognized, the man on horseback
at the time."
"I could not recognize his features,
sir, on account of the mask he wore;
but I did recognize his voice as that
of Tom Murdock, and I know his figure and general appearance."
"That will do now, MIrs. Lennon.
I shall only trouble you to repeat
slowly and distinctly what you have
already said, so that I can write it
down."
The magistrate then unlocked his
leather writing.case, took out the necessary forms for informations, and was
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