ntroduced by means of a puncture
into the system. The dead man's body had then been removed to a place
where his decease would be accounted for as the result of cold and
exhaustion. A witness would be put in the box who, by an extraordinary
circumstance, had been enabled to see the crime committed by the
prisoner, and the body carried away, though, at the moment, he did not
understand the meaning of what he saw. As the circumstances by which
this witness had been enabled to behold what was done at dead of
night, in an attic room, locked and bolted, and not commanded from any
neighboring house nor eminence, were exceedingly peculiar, testimony
would be brought to show that the witness really had enjoyed the
opportunity of observation which he claimed.

On the whole, then, as the prisoner had undeniably personated Johnson,
and claimed Johnson's property; as he undeniably had induced Johnson,
unconsciously, to aid him in the task of personation; as the motive for
the murder was plain and obvious; as Johnson, according to the medical
evidence, had probably been murdered; and as an eye-witness professed
to have seen, without comprehending, the operation by which death,
according to the medical theory, was caused, the counsel for the
prosecution believed that the jury could find no other verdict than
that the prisoner had wilfully murdered Richard Johnson on the night of
February 7th.

This opened the case for the Crown. It is unnecessary to recapitulate
the evidence of all the witnesses who proved, step by step, the
statements of the prosecution. First was demonstrated the identity of
Shields with Johnson. To do this cost enormous trouble and expense; but
Johnson's old crony, the man who drew the chart of his tattoo marks, was
at length discovered in Paraguay, and, by his aid and the testimony he
collected, the point was satisfactorily made out. It was, of course,
most important in another respect, as establishing Margaret's claims on
the Linkheaton estate.

The discovery of the body of Johnson (or Shields) in the snow was proved
by our old friends Bill and Tommy.

The prisoner was recognized by Mrs. Gullick as the sailor gentleman who
had been with Johnson on the last night of his life. In spite of
the difference of dress, and of appearance caused by the absence of
beard--for Cranley was now clean shaved--Mrs. Gullick was positive as
to his voice and as to his eyebrows, which were peculiarly black and
mobile.

Barton