"This is quite an experiment, you fellows. It may be a failure, or it
may go off all right. It depends on how we do our best. The idea is
that a prisoner is to be tried for murder (delight among the juniors).
Barnworth, who is the counsel for the prosecution, has prepared the
story, and Felgate has been told what the line to be taken against the
prisoner is, so that he might prepare his defence. These are the only
two who know exactly what they are to do beforehand. All the rest will
have to act according to the papers they have drawn. Who has drawn
prisoner?"
Amid much laughter Stafford blushingly owned the soft impeachment, and
was called upon to enter the dock, which he did, looking rather
uncomfortable, and as if he half repented his consent to take a part in
the proceedings.
"Now," proceeded Ainger, consulting a paper, "the twelve jurymen are to
go into the box there."
The twelve boys with "Jury" on their papers obeyed. They were a motley
crew, some being Fifth-form boys, some Shell-fish, and some Babies. And
by the odd irony of fate, the one who had drawn the "foreman's" ticket
was Jukes, the Baby.
"Now the witnesses go to the back seats there. You'll find on each the
name you will be called by, and a short note of what your evidence is to
be. You will have to listen very carefully to Barnworth's story, so as
to know exactly what it's all about."
There was a laugh at this. Some thought it a trifle queer that
witnesses should have to learn what their evidence was to be from notes
given them in court and from counsel's speech. But they were young, and
did not know much of law courts.
"Of course you must not show one another your notes," said Ainger; "that
would spoil all."
"Ta-ta," said the baronet rather dismally to his chum; "they call me
Tomkins!"
"The junior counsel for the prosecution, of course, are to sit behind
Barnworth, and for the defence behind Felgate. You must listen
carefully, as you may have to help in the cross-examination. The rest
of the public go to the back; and now we are ready to begin. Usher,
call silence in the court."
Tilbury, whose proud office it was to act in this capacity, shouted,
"Order, there! shut up!" in a loud voice.
Wake, who acted as clerk, read out the name of the case, "Regina
_versus_ Bolts." The jury answered to their names and promised to bring
in a true verdict. The prisoner was called upon to plead guilty or not
guilty, and answered, "Not guilty"; and then Barnworth rose and opened
the case for the prosecution.
"My lord, and gentlemen of the jury," he began; "the prisoner at the bar
is charged with the wilful murder of John Smith, on the night of
Tuesday, February 4."
This was interesting, for Tuesday, February 4, was the date of the
Bickers affair.
"I shall, as briefly as possible, narrate the circumstances of this
unfortunate affair. The prisoner, Thomas Bolts, is a workman in the
employ of a large firm of engineers in this neighbourhood, in which the
murdered man was also engaged as a foreman and overseer. It is
unnecessary, gentlemen of the jury, to explain to you that the works in
question are divided into several distinct departments, or shops. I
need not describe them all, but two of them were the screw department
and the boiler department. Smith was foreman and overseer of the screw
department, while the prisoner was one of the skilled workmen in the
boiler department. For some time past ill-feeling had existed between
the men of the boiler department and the deceased on account of his
interference with them; and this ill-feeling appears to have culminated
a few days before the murder, on account of an intrusion made by Smith
into the boiler department, and the alleged assault of one of the men
there employed."
Every one saw now what was coming, and pricked up his ears in
anticipation. Ainger, who had had as little idea of the turn things
were going to take as anybody else, grew fidgety, and wished Wake had
shown more discretion. But it was too late to stop the case now.
"This assault occurred, I believe, on the 2nd of February."
"No, the 3rd--the day before," whispered Ranger, who acted as junior
counsel for the prosecution.
"I am obliged to my learned friend for correcting me. This occurred on
the 3rd, the day before the murder. Now, gentlemen of the jury, I ask
your attention to the occurrences which followed. At the time of the
assault the prisoner, in the absence of the head foreman, was acting as
overseer of his shop, and witnesses will prove that he protested against
the behaviour of the deceased, and was in consequence insulted by Smith.
I mention this to show that a personal grudge existed between the two
men."
Stafford, whose _role_ as prisoner may or may not have been the result
of mere accident, began not to like the turn things were taking.
"On the 4th everything went well till the evening, although, it is
stated, a formal complaint of Smith's interference was made through the
regular, foreman of the boiler-shop, as will appear in evidence. In the
evening of that day--that is, about eight o'clock--a meeting of the
heads of the various departments was held in a distant part of the
works, which was attended by Smith as well as the other foremen. The
meeting lasted till 9.30, and Smith was last seen proceeding to his own
quarters, in the neighbourhood of the boiler-shop.
"On the morning of the 5th, a workman named Simple, on entering the
coal-cellar under the stairs of the boiler-shed, stumbled against a
human body, and being frightened, gave an alarm. The foreman of the
boiler department, accompanied by the prisoner and one or two other men,
proceeded to the spot, and found the body of the deceased lying on the
floor among the coals, enveloped in a sack, and bound hand and foot. He
was alive at the time, and on being released stated that on passing the
door of the boiler-shed, on the previous evening, he had been seized
from behind by some person unknown, and after being bound in the sack
had been dragged into the cellar and shut up there for the night. He
was much exhausted when found, and on the evening of the 5th succumbed
to the injuries he had received."
Some of the juniors breathed again. It was _very_ like the story of Mr
Bickers, only Mr Bickers was alive and kicking still. It was much more
satisfactory for the present purposes to have the fellow out of the way.
"Now, gentlemen of the jury," proceeded Barnworth, putting his hands in
his pockets and addressing himself particularly to Jukes, the Baby, "I
ask your particular attention to a few facts. At the time of the murder
the prisoner, who is usually working in his own shop, was observed to be
absent, and no satisfactory account can be given of his whereabouts.
Further than that, a witness will prove to you that after the quarrel on
the previous day he was heard to say that he would pay the deceased out.
It will also be proved that on the same afternoon he procured several
yards of cord from a neighbouring shop, which the maker will identify as
very like the cord used for binding the murdered man. Finally, on an
inquiry made by the head of the firm, on a question being put to each
man in the boiler department in succession, it was observed that the
accused gave his replies with evident confusion and alarm. For these
reasons, gentlemen of the jury, and others which will come out in
evidence, I shall ask you by your verdict to find the prisoner guilty of
the wilful murder of John Smith."
This seemed a very strong case, and one or two of the jury rather
wondered that the judge did not at once direct them to bring in a
verdict of "Guilty." However, as it appeared to be the usual thing to
hear evidence, they waited.
The first witness called was Job Walker, and, in response to the call,
Blyth of the Fifth stepped into the box.
His evidence related to the feud between the murdered, man and the men
in the boiler-shop; and he gave an account of the intrusion of Smith on
the night of the 3rd and of the quarrel which ensued. Blyth, in fact,
related what had happened in the common room at Railsford's that
evening, only changing names and places in accordance with Barnworth's
story.