I have said that the tablecover had been cut into strips to accomplish their purpose; and it was clear that a penknife had been used, for one was found on the floor.  Suddenly my attention was called to the fact that two penknives, which no one had hitherto noticed, were produced.  They belonged, not to the prisoners, but to the deceased man, and were usually placed on the shelf in the kitchen.  But it came out in evidence, quite, as it seemed, accidentally, that they had been taken from that place, and were found on the floor where the cutting up of the tablecover had been performed, at some little distance from one another; but each knife by the side of and not far from the deceased man.  They were at my wish handed to me; I also asked for some of the shreds which had bound the dead man.  Upon examination it seemed that these were the knives that had been used to cut the tablecloth into shreds, and if so, the jury might well assume that each prisoner had used one of the knives for that purpose, for one man could not at the same time use two.

The tablecloth had jagged or hacked edges, which satisfied the jury that the knives had been used hurriedly, and that each man had been doing his share of the cutting.  It was thus clearly established that both the men were engaged in the murder and equally guilty, and so the jury found by their verdict.

Whilst they were considering, the bigger of the two, a very powerful man, made a murderous attack upon the other, whom he evidently looked upon as his betrayer, and tried to kill him in the dock.  The struggle was a fearful one, but the warders at last separated them.

They were both sentenced to death and hanged.

[The fact of these men making a noise in entering the house was strongly against them on a question of intent.  Burglars work silently, and at the least noise decamp, as a rule.  In the present case, there being only one old man to contend against, it was easy to silence him as they did, and as they doubtless intended, when they went to the house.]

CHAPTER XXXIX.

SEVERAL SCENES.

I think I have said that I had a favourite motto, which was, “Never fret.”  It has often stood me in good stead and helped me to obey it.  I was once put to it, however, on my way to open the Commission at Bangor on the Welsh Circuit.  The Assizes were to commence on the following day.  It was a very glorious afternoon, and one to make you wish that no Assize might ever be held again.

I had engaged to dine with the High Sheriff, who lived three or four miles away from the town, in a very beautiful part of the country; so there was everything to make one glad, except the Assizes.  Added to all this pleasurable excitement, the Chester Cup was to be run for in the meanwhile, and I had many old friends who I knew would be there, and whom I should have been glad to meet had it been possible.