777 CASE OF ROGER CARBOYVNE.

article that came to hand. e carried them n his side pocket, ready for use.”

“Could you identify the missing knapsack if you saw it ?”

“Certainly. Tt was a brown leather knap- sack, having the corners bound with brass - a very unusual thing. The strap had been broken and mended with twine.”

“You have stated that the snow on the road and also on the platcau showed no footprints of a second person ;5 you are absolutely sure of this? ”

“ 1 am absolutely sure.”

The witness then stood down.

John Rhys and William Eivans, quarry- men, the two men who had come to the assistance of Mr, Staymer, were then called, and conlirmed his cevidence in cvery par- ticular, but were unable to throw any new hght upon the subject.

Sergeant - Wallis, who had been sunn- moned to the scene of the tragedy, was the nest witness. e deposed as follows @ -

“On recciving notice of the case, 1 and an assistant rode with all speed to o the plateau, where the body of the deceased had been found and where it was still Iying, 1

made a most carcful investigation both of

the body and of the plateau, and alterwards descended to the roadway, which I also thoroughly examined. 1 found the marks of a struggle in the snow, as described by the previous witnesses. This s, in my opinion, clearly a case of foul play—of robbery and murder. T infer this from the absence of the knapsack. T am aware, ol course, that the money, the watch, and the ring were left cannot centirely account for this at present, but I have no doubt of doing so shortly.”

“Can you account for the absence of footprints ? ” (44 ”

“Nor for the extraordinary situation in which the body was found ? *

(1 N().7)

“In short, the police are entirely at fault??

“Not at all. On the contrary, we have every prospect ol - arresting the criminal within a very few days.”

The Coroner expressed a hope that this would be the case, but hardly scemed to share the sergeant’s confidence. He then proceeded to address the jury.

“Gentlemen, I have no hesitation in sayving that this is the most remarkable case which I have ever been engaged 1momvesti- gating. There are three or four points in i which seem to be absolutely unaccountalle - the absence of footprints Wy the snow e

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sudden transference of the victim by some mysterious means from the roadway to the platcau sixty feet above, the handkerchiof found in the ravine, and the absence of the knapsack, coupled with the safety of the moncey, watch, and rings. These circum- stances are beyond the scopeof my expericnce, which has been a tolerably long one—-a tolerably long one, gentlemen. Theie can, however, be no doubt that a foul crime has been committed.”

At this stage the Coroner’s remarks wore mterrupted by a commotion in the crowd, occasioned by the sudden and violent entrance of & person into the room. The new-comer, A short, middle-aged, grizzled man, who carried a brown-paper parcel under his arm, thrust the spectators excitedly aside, and darted into the midst of the apartment.

The Coroner (angrily) s “What do you want, sir? T'his conduct is most unsceily,”

The man took the parcel from under his arm, stripped off the paper covering, and dis- played before the eyes of the spectators o brown Teather knapsack, brass bound at the corners, and having the strap mended with a plece of twine, At this unexpected sight thore was 2 movement in the crowd, which was as much of horror as of wonder. Scrgcant Wallis and Mr. Lewis Staymer took a step forward, while bhoth exclaimed at the same mstant— - T'he missing knapsack !'”

“ I desire,” said the man, quictly, “to give cvidenee in the case of Mr. Carboyne.”

The Coroner @ “What do you know of the matter ?”

“ I know cverything.”

“As an cyce-witness ? 7

“As an eyc-witness.”

“You were present when My met his death P ”

“1 was present; nay, more—1I was the cause of 1t.” (Sensation.)

“You wish to make a statement ?”

“Yes”

“On oath?”

“Yes?

The witness then took the oath, and at once procecded to address the Court. IHis speech was uttered slowly, clearly, and distincetly, and Is iven here verbatim :—

“ My name is James Milford : 1 am by profession an acronaut-—it is just possible that you may have heard of me. ~ Last I'riday -—the day on which this sad occurrence happened—I1 made o private ascent [rom Chester. I intended to make a journey of a mile or two at most, but when I attempted ‘o descend 1 found that the escape-valve had

Carboyne