This answer startled me, but I presently recovered
myself. I was innocent; that could easily be
proved; accordingly I followed my conductor in silence
and was led to one of the best houses in the town.
I was ready to sink from fatigue and hunger, but being
surrounded by a crowd, I thought it politic to rouse
all my strength, that no physical debility might be
construed into apprehension or conscious guilt.
Little did I then expect the calamity that was in
a few moments to overwhelm me and extinguish in horror
and despair all fear of ignominy or death. I
must pause here, for it requires all my fortitude
to recall the memory of the frightful events which
I am about to relate, in proper detail, to my recollection.
I was soon introduced into the presence of the magistrate,
an old benevolent man with calm and mild manners.
He looked upon me, however, with some degree of severity,
and then, turning towards my conductors, he asked
who appeared as witnesses on this occasion.
About half a dozen men came forward; and, one being
selected by the magistrate, he deposed that he had
been out fishing the night before with his son and
brother-in-law, Daniel Nugent, when, about ten o’clock,
they observed a strong northerly blast rising, and
they accordingly put in for port. It was a very
dark night, as the moon had not yet risen; they did
not land at the harbour, but, as they had been accustomed,
at a creek about two miles below. He walked on
first, carrying a part of the fishing tackle, and
his companions followed him at some distance.
As he was proceeding along the sands, he struck his
foot against something and fell at his length on the
ground. His companions came up to assist him,
and by the light of their lantern they found that he
had fallen on the body of a man, who was to all appearance
dead. Their first supposition was that it was
the corpse of some person who had been drowned and
was thrown on shore by the waves, but on examination
they found that the clothes were not wet and even that
the body was not then cold. They instantly carried
it to the cottage of an old woman near the spot and
endeavoured, but in vain, to restore it to life.
It appeared to be a handsome young man, about five
and twenty years of age. He had apparently been
strangled, for there was no sign of any violence except
the black mark of fingers on his neck.
The first part of this deposition did not in the least
interest me, but when the mark of the fingers was
mentioned I remembered the murder of my brother and
felt myself extremely agitated; my limbs trembled,
and a mist came over my eyes, which obliged me to
lean on a chair for support. The magistrate
observed me with a keen eye and of course drew an
unfavourable augury from my manner.
