[Wifree-users] Shout arose which bade fair to lift the roof off, and

[Strozier <bri...@sq...>]

 was not left on the spot by the accused, but by himself. Why he
admitted that we can only conjecture, but my conjecture is that it was
an act of repentance and contrition on his part. When it came to that
point he could not let the evidence which he had himself supplied tell
against him on whom it was clearly his object to father the crime. You
will remember also that certain circumstances pointed to robbery being
the motive of the crime. That I think was the first idea, so to speak of
the real criminal. Then, we must suppose, he saw himself safer, if he
forged against another certain evidence which we have heard." The judge
paused for a moment, and then went on with evident emotion. "This case
will never be reopened again," he said, "for a reason that I will
subsequently tell the court; we have seen the last of this tragedy, and
retribution and punishment are in the hands of a higher and supreme
tribunal. This witness, Mr. Edward Taynton--has been for years a friend
of mine, and the sympathy which I felt for him at the opening of the
case, when a young man, to whom I still believe him to have been
attached, was on his trial, is changed to a deeper pity. During the
afternoon you have heard certain evidence, from which you no doubt as
well as I infer that the fact of this murder having been committed was
known to the man who wrote a letter and blotted it on the sheet which
has been before the court. That man also, as it was clear to us an hour
ago, directed a certain envelope which you have also seen. I may add
that Mr. Taynton had, as I knew, an extraordinary knack of imitating
handwritings; I have seen him write a signature that I could have sworn
was mine. But he has used that gift for tragic purposes. "I have just
received a telegram. He left this court before the luncheon interval,
and went to his house in Brighton. Arrived there, as I have just
learned, he poisoned himself. And may God have mercy on his soul." Again
he paused. "The case therefore is cl