OPENLY ACCUSED.
It is three o'clock. The rain has ceased falling, but the sky is still
gray and threatening. The wind howls dismally among the old trees that
surround John Burrill's shallow grave, and its weird wail, combined with
the rattle and creak of the branches, and the drip, drip of water,
dropping from the many crevices into the old cellar, unite to form a
fitting requiem for an occasion so strange, so uncanny.
Down in the cellar, standing ankle deep in the mud and slime, are the
"good men and true," who have been summoned by Justice, to decide upon
the manner in which John Burrill met his death. There, too, is the
mayor, dignified, grave, and important. The officers of the law are
there, and close behind the coroner stand the Lamottes, father and son.
A little farther back are grouped the witnesses. Those of the morning,
the two masons, Mr. O'Meara, Dr. Heath,--they are all there except the
first and surest one, Prince. There are the men who were Burrill's
companions of the night before, reluctant witnesses, ferreted out
through the officiousness of one of the saloon habitues, and fearing, a
little, to relate their part in the evening's programme, each eager to
lighten his own burden of the responsibility at the expense of his
comrades in the plot. There are three women and one man, all
eye-witnesses to the first meeting between John Burrill and Doctor Heath
in Nance Burrill's cottage, and there is Nance Burrill herself. The
women stand a little aloof, upon a few boards that have been thrown
carelessly down for their comfort. And Nance Burrill talks loudly, and
cries as bitterly as if the dead man had been her life's comfort, not
its curse.
And there, too, is Raymond Vandyck. He stands aloof from them all,
stands near the ghastly thing that once, not long ago, came between him
and all his happiness. There is a strange look in his blue eyes, as they
rest upon the lifeless form, from which the coverings have been removed,
but which still lies in the shallow place scooped out for it by the
hands that struck it from among the living. Under the eyes of them all
the dirt has been removed from the broad breast, and two gaping wounds
are disclosed; cuts, deep and wide, are made with some broad, heavy
weapon, of the dagger species.
When they have all, in turn, examined the body, as it lies, it is lifted
out carefully, and placed upon a litter, in the midst of the group, and
then all turn their eyes from the shallow grave to the new resting place
of its late occupant.
Not all; Raymond Vandyck, still gazing as if fascinated by that
hollowed-out bit of earth, starts forward suddenly, then draws
shudderingly back, and points to something that lies almost imbedded in
the soft soil. Somebody comes forward, examines, and then draws from
out the grave, where it has lain, directly under the body, a knife--a
knife of peculiar shape and workmanship--a long, keen, _surgeon's
knife_! There are dark stains upon the blade and handle; and a murmur of
horror runs through the crowd as it is held aloft to their view.
Raymond Vandyck draws instinctively away from the grave now, and from
the man who still holds the knife; and in so doing he comes nearer the
group of women, and catches a sentence that falls from the lips of Nance
Burrill.
Suddenly his face flames into anger, and he strides across to where Mr.
O'Meara stands.
"O'Meara, what is this that I hear; have they dared accuse Heath?"
"Don't you know, Vandyck?"
"No; I have heard nothing, save the fact of the murder; the coroner's
summons found me at home."
"Heath will be accused, I think."
Raymond Vandyck turns and goes over to Clifford Heath; without uttering
a word, he links his arm within that of the suspected man, and standing
thus, listens to the opening of the trial.
The only sign of recognition he receives is a slight pressure of the arm
upon which his hand rests; but before Clifford Heath's eyes, just for
the moment, there swims a suspicious moisture.
Above them, crowding close about the cellar walls, is a motley throng,
curious, eager, expectant; among the faces peering down may be seen
that of the portly gentleman; his diamond pin glistening as he turns
this way and that; his great coat blown back by the gusts of wind, and a
natty umbrella clutched firmly in his plump, gloved hand. Not far
distant is private detective Belknap, looking as curious as any, and
still nearer the cellar's edge is the rakish book-peddler, supported by
his now admiring friend of the morning, who has warmed into a hearty
interest in "that fine young fellow, Smith," under the exhilarating
influence of the "fine young fellow's" brandy flask.
Dodging about among the spectators, too, is the boy George, who has
abandoned his tray of pretty wares, and is making his holiday a feast of
horrors.
And now all ears are strained to hear the statements of the various
witnesses in this strange case.
Frank Lamotte is the first. He is pale and nervous, and he avoids the
eyes of all save the ones whom he addresses. Doctor Heath keeps two
steady, searching orbs fixed upon his face, but can draw to himself no
responsive glance. Frank testifies as follows:
John Burrill had left Mapleton the evening before at an early hour, not
later than eight o'clock. Witness had seen little of him during the day.
Deceased was in a state of semi-intoxication when last he saw him. That
was at six o'clock, or near that time. No, he did not know the
destination of deceased. They seldom went out together. Did not know if
Burrill had any enemies. Was not much in his confidence.
Upon being questioned closer, he displays some unwillingness to answer,
but finally admits that he _has_ heard Burrill speak in bitter terms of
Doctor Heath, seeming to know something concerning the doctor's past
life that he, Heath, wished to conceal.
What was the nature of the knowledge?
That he cannot tell.
Jasper Lamotte is called. He has been absent from home, and can throw no
light upon the subject.
The two masons, one after the other, testify; their statements do not
vary.
They were returning home, having turned back from their day's labor,
because of the rain. When they came near the old cellar, the barking of
a dog attracted their attention. It came from the cellar, and one of
them, curious to see what the dog had hunted down, went to look. The dog
was tugging at what appeared to be a human foot. He called his
companion, and then leaped down into the cellar, and tried to drive the
dog from what he now feared was a half buried human being. The other man
called for help, and, seeing O'Meara, shouted to him to tell Heath to
come and call off his dog.
They tell it all. How Doctor Heath came and mastered the dog, after a
hard struggle; how the face of the dead was uncovered, and how Doctor
Heath had snatched at the white thing they had taken from off it,
scrutinized it for a moment, and then flung it from him. They repeat his
words to Mr. O'Meara with telling effect; and then they stand aside.
Doctor Heath is sworn. He has nothing to say that has not been said. He
knows nothing of the murdered man, save that once he had knocked him
down for beating a woman, and once for insulting himself.
Had he ever threatened deceased? He believed that he had on the occasion
last mentioned. What was the precise language used? That he could not
recall.
Then the handkerchief is produced; is presented to him.
"Doctor Heath, is that yours?" Every man holds his breath; every man is
visibly agitated; every man save the witness.
Coolly lifting his hand to his breast pocket, he draws from thence a
folded handkerchief; he shakes out the snowy square, and offers it to
the coroner.
"It is mine or an exact counterpart of mine. Your honor can compare
them."
Astonishment sits on every face. What matchless coolness! what a
splendid display of conscious innocence! or of cool effrontery!
The coroner examines the two pieces of linen long and closely, then he
passes them to one of the jurymen; and then they go from hand to hand;
and all the while Clifford Heath stands watching the scrutiny. Not
eagerly, not even with interest, rather with a bored look, as if he must
see something, and with every feature locked in impenetrable calm.
Finally the coroner receives them back. They are precisely alike, and so
says his honor:
"Clifford Heath, do you believe this handkerchief, which I hold in my
hand, and which was recently found upon the face of this dead man, to
be, or to have been yours?"
"I do," calmly.
"Are you aware that you have recently lost such a handkerchief?"
"I am not."
"Has such a one been stolen from you?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Then you have no idea how your property came where it was this morning
found?"
"You are seeking facts, sir, not ideas."
A moment's silence; the coroner takes up the knife.
"Doctor Heath, will you look at this knife?"
The doctor steps promptly forward and receives it from his hand.
"Did you ever see that knife before?"
[Illustration: "Did you ever see that knife before?"]
"I can't say, sir," turning it carelessly in his hands, and examining
the spots upon the blade.
"Did you ever see one like it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you ever own one like it?"
"I _do_ own one like it."
"Are such knives common?"
"They are--to the surgical profession."
"Do you own more than one knife of this sort?"
"I do not."
"Did you ever own more than one like this?"
"Not at the same time."
"Then you have lost a knife like this?"
"No; but I have broken two."
"When did you last see deceased alive?"
"Not since our encounter on the street; that was a week ago, I should
think, perhaps longer."
"Who witnessed that affair?"
"Mr. Vandyck was with me; the others were strangers."
"That is all, Doctor Heath."
Lawyer O'Meara comes next; his testimony is brief, and impatiently
given. He adds nothing new to the collected evidence.
Next comes the man Rooney, and he rehearses the scene at "Old Forty
Rods," sparing himself as much as possible.
"We didn't really think he'd go to Doctor Heath's," he says in
conclusion. "We all called it a capital joke, and agreed to go out and
look him up after a little. He was reeling drunk when he went out, and
we all expected to find him floored on the way. After a while, an hour
perhaps, we started out, half a dozen of us, with a lantern, and went
along the road he had taken; we went almost to Heath's cottage, looking
all about the road as we went. When we did not find him, we concluded
that he had gone straight home, and that if we staid out longer the
laugh would be on us. So we went back, and agreed to say nothing about
the matter to Burrill when we should see him."
"How near did you come to Doctor Heath's house?"
"Very near, sir; almost as near as we are now."
"But you were in the opposite direction."
"Just so, sir; we came from the town."
"Did you hear any movements; any sounds of any sort?"
"Nothing particular, sir; we were making some noise ourselves."
"Did you meet any one, either going or coming?"
"No, sir; but a man might easily have passed us in the dark on the other
side of the road."
Five men confirm Rooney's statement, and every word weighs like lead
against Clifford Heath.
John Burrill left the saloon to go to Doctor Heath's house; in drunken
bravado, he would go at night to disturb and annoy the man who had,
twice, in public, chastised him, and on both occasions uttered a threat
and a warning; unheeding these, he had gone to brave the man who had
warned him against an approach--and he has never been seen alive since;
he has been found dead, murdered, hidden away near the house of the man
who had said: "If he ever should cross my path, rest assured I shall
know how to dispose of him."
These words distinctly remembered by all three of the women who
witnessed the rescue in Nance Burrill's house, are repeated by each one
in turn, and the entire scene is rehearsed.
Nance Burrill is called upon, and just as she comes forward, Mr. Lamotte
beckons the coroner, and whispers a few words in his ear. The coroner
nods, and returns to his place. Nance Burrill is sworn, and all listen
eagerly, expecting to hear her rehearse the story of her life as
connected with that of the dead man. But all are doomed to
disappointment. She tells the story of the rescue in her cottage, much
as did the others; she repeats the words of Clifford Heath, as did the
others, and she turns back to her friends, leaving the case against the
man who had been her champion, darker than before.
Raymond Vandyck is called; he does not stir from his position beside his
friend, and his face wears a look of defiant stubbornness.
"Ray," says Clifford Heath, quietly, "your silence would be construed
against me; go forward and tell the whole truth."
Then he obeys the summons; but the truth has to be drawn from him by
hard labor; he will not help them to a single fact. For example:
"What do you know concerning this case?"
"Nothing," he says, shortly.
"Did you know that man," pointing to the body of Burrill; "in his life."
"I had not that honor."
"Ah--you have seen him."
"I believe so," indifferently.
"You can't swear to the fact, then?"
"I knew him better by reputation, than by sight."
The coroner wiggled, uneasily.
"You are a friend to Doctor Heath?"
"I am," promptly.
"Please relate what you know of his--difference with Mr. Burrill?"
"What I--_know_."
"Yes, sir."
"Why, I don't exactly _know_ anything"
"Why, sir, did you not witness a meeting between the two?"
"I--suppose so."
"You suppose!"
"Well, I can't _swear_ that the man I saw knocked down, if that is what
you mean, was Burrill; it was night, and I did not see his face
clearly."
"You believed it to be Burrill?"
"Yes."
"Dr. Heath so believed?"
"I don't know."
More uneasiness on the part of the coroner.
"Please state what Doctor Heath said to the man he knocked down?"
"Well, I can't repeat the exact words. He said what any one would have
said under the circumstances."
"Ah! what were the circumstances?"
"The fellow was half drunk. He approached Dr. Heath in a coarse and
offensive manner."
"Was his language offensive?"
"I didn't hear what he said."
"Did you hear what Dr. Heath said?"
"I did."
"You heard it distinctly?"
"Quite."
"Ah!" smiling triumphantly. "Then you _can_ give us his words?"
"Not _verbatim_."
"Give us his meaning, then."
"His meaning, as nearly as I could understand it, was this: He would
allow no man to insult him or to meddle with his affairs, and he
finished with something like this: 'Keep my name off your lips, wherever
you are, if you want whole bones in your skin.'"
"He said that?"
"Well, something like that; I may have put it too strong."
"Do you remember what Dr. Heath said by way of comment on the affair?"
"One of the men picked the fellow by the sleeve, and said, 'Come out of
that, Burrill!' and then Heath turned to me and asked, 'Who the deuce is
Burrill?'"
"And your reply?"
"I said--" stopping a moment and turning his eyes upon the two
Lamottes--"I said, 'He is Jasper Lamotte's son-in-law.'"
"And then, sir?"
"Then Dr. Heath made about the same sort of comment others have made
before him--something to the effect that Mr. Lamotte had made a very
remarkable choice."
"Mr. Vandyck," says the coroner severely, "it seems to me that your
memory is singularly lucid on some points, and deficient on others of
more importance."
"That's a fact, sir," with cheerful humility. "I'm always that way."
"Ah!" with an excess of dignity. "Mr. Vandyck, I won't tax your memory
further."
Ray turns away, looking as if, having done his duty, he might even
survive the coroner's frown, and as he moves again to the side of the
suspected man, some one in the audience above, a portly gentleman, with
a diamond shining on his immaculate breast, makes this mental comment:
"There is a witness who has withheld more than he has told." And he
registers the name of Raymond Vandyck upon his memory.
This is the last witness.
While the jurymen stand aside to deliberate, there is a buzz and murmur
among the people up above, and profound quiet below. Attention is
divided between the gentlemen of the jury and Clifford Heath. The former
are very much agitated. They look troubled, uneasy and uncomfortable.
They gesticulate rapidly and with a variety of movements that would be
ludicrous were the occasion less solemn, the issue less than a man's
life and honor.
Finally the verdict is reached, and is pronounced:
The coroner's jury "find, after due deliberation, that John Burrill came
to his death by two dagger, or knife strokes from the hand of Dr.
Clifford Heath."
The accused, who, during the entire scene, has stood as immovable as the
sphynx, and has not once been startled, disturbed, or surprised from his
calm by anything that has been brought forward by the numerous
witnesses, lifts his head proudly; lifts his hat, too, with a courtly
gesture, to the gentlemen of the jury, that may mean total exoneration
from blame, so far as they are concerned, or a haughty defiance, and
then, after one sweeping glance around the assembly, a glance which
turns for an instant upon the faces of the Lamottes, he beckons to the
constable; beckons with a gesture that is obeyed as if it were a
command.
"Corliss," he says, just as he would say--"give the patient a hot drink
and two powders." "Corliss, I suppose you won't want to lose sight of
me, since I have suddenly become public property. Come with me, if you
please; I am going home; then--I am at _your_ service."
And without more words, without let or hindrance, without so much as a
murmur of disapproval, he lifts himself out of the cellar, and walks, at
a moderate pace, and with firm aspect, toward his cottage, closely
followed by Corliss, who looks, for the first time, in his official
career, as if he would gladly be a simple private citizen, at that
moment.
The coroner's inquest is over; there remains now nothing save to remove
the body to a more suitable resting place, and to disperse.
Jasper Lamotte moves about, giving short orders in a low tone. He is
pallid and visibly nervous. If it were his own son who lay there in
their midst, stiff and cold, and saturated with his own blood, he could
scarcely appear more agitated, more shocked and sorrowful. He is really
shocked; really sorry; he actually regrets the loss of this man, who
must have been a constant crucifixion to his pride.
This is what they whisper among themselves, as they gather in knots and
furtively watch him, as he moves about the bier.
It has been a shock to Frank Lamotte, too, although he never had seemed
to crave the society of his brother-in-law, and always turned away from
any mention of his name, with a sneer.
Two men, who withdraw quickly from the crowd, are Lawyer O'Meara and Ray
Vandyck. As they come up out of the cellar and go out from the hateful
place, Ray breaks into bitter invective; but O'Meara lays a firm hand
upon his arm.
"Hold your impulsive tongue, you young scamp! Do you want to be
impeached for a prejudiced witness? You want to help Heath, not to hurt
him; and let me tell you, he will need strong friends and shrewd
helpers, before we see him a free man again."
Ray grinds out something profane, and then paces on in wrathful silence.
"You are right, of course," he says, after a moment's pause, and in a
calmer tone. "But, good God! to bring such a charge against Heath, of
all men! O'Meara," suddenly, "you must defend him."
"I intend to," grimly. "And in his interest I want to see you as soon as
the vicinity is quiet; we must think the matter over and then see
Heath."
"Heath puzzles me; he's strangely apathetic."
"He'll puzzle you more yet, I'm thinking. I half think he knows who did
the deed, and don't intend to tell." He pauses, having come to the place
where their ways diverge. "Come around by dark, Vandyck, we can't lose
any time, that is if the buzzards are out of the way."
"The buzzards will follow the carrion," scornfully. "I'll be on hand,
Mr. O'Meara."
He goes on, looking longingly at Clifford Heath's cottage, as he passes
the gate, and the little lawyer begins to pick his way across the muddy
street, not caring to go on to the proper crossing.
"Mr. O'Meara."
He turns nervously, to encounter the gaze of a large gentleman with a
rosy face, curling, iron-gray hair, and beard, and a blazing diamond in
his shirt front.
"Eh! sir; you addressed me?"
"I did," replies the gentleman, in a low, energetic tone, strangely at
variance with his general appearance, at the same time coming close and
grasping the lawyer's hand with great show of cordiality, and before the
astounded little man can realize what he is about. "Call me Wedron, sir,
Wedron, ahem, of the New York Bar. I must have an interview with you,
sir, and at once."
O'Meara draws back and replies rather frigidly:
"I am glad to know you, sir; but if your business is not too urgent--if
another time will do--"
"Another time will _not_ do? my business concerns Clifford Heath."
"Then, sir, I am at your service."