But before the purchase of the life-preserver he had
been accustomed to carry some stick or bludgeon at night. Undoubtedly
he had quarrelled with Mr. Bonteen before this occasion, and had
bought this instrument since the commencement of the quarrel. He had
not seen any one on his way from the Square to his own house with
sufficient observation to enable him to describe such person. He
could not remember that he had passed a policeman on his way home.
This took place after the hearing of such evidence as was then given.
The statements made both by Erle and Fitzgibbon as to what had taken
place in the club, and afterwards at the door, tallied exactly with
that afterwards given by Phineas. An accurate measurement of the
streets and ways concerned was already furnished. Taking the duration
of time as surmised by Erle and Fitzgibbon to have passed after they
had turned their back upon Phineas, a constable proved that the
prisoner would have had time to hurry back to the corner of the
street he had passed, and to be in the place where Lord Fawn saw the
man,--supposing that Lord Fawn had walked at the rate of three miles
an hour, and that Phineas had walked or run at twice that pace.
Pages:
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817