swered.

"Did anybody examine it?"

"I think not."

"Thank you." Mr. Horwitz sat down, and the triumphant squeak of his
quill pen was heard above the muttered disapproval of the jury.

"We shall now take the evidence of the doctors, gentlemen," said the
coroner, "and we will begin with that of the divisional surgeon. You saw
the deceased, I believe, Doctor," he continued, when Dr. Davidson had
been sworn, "soon after the discovery of the murder, and you have since
then made an examination of the body?"

"Yes. I found the body of the deceased lying in her bed, which had
apparently not been disturbed. She had been dead about ten hours, and
rigidity was complete in the limbs but not in the trunk. The cause of
death was a deep wound extending right across the throat and dividing
all the structures down to the spine. It had been inflicted with a
single sweep of a knife while deceased was lying down, and was evidently
homicidal. It was not possible for the deceased to have inflicted the
wound herself. It was made with a single-edged knife, drawn from left to
right; the assailant stood on a hassock placed on a box at the head of
the bed and leaned over to strike the blow. The murderer is probably
quite a short person, very muscular, and right-handed. There was no sign
of a struggle, and, judging by the nature of the injuries, I should say
that death was almost instantaneous. In the left hand of the deceased
was a small tress of a woman's red hair. I have compared that hair with
that of the accused, and am of opinion that it is her hair."

"You were shown a knife belonging to the accused?"

"Yes; a stencil-knife. There were stains of dried blood on it which I
have examined and find to be mammalian blood. It is probably human
blood, but I cannot say with certainty that it is."

"Could the wound have been inflicted with this knife?"

"Yes, though it is a small knife to produce so deep a wound. Still, it
is quite possible."

The coroner glanced at Mr. Horwitz. "Do you wish to ask this witness any
questions?" he inquired.

"If you please, sir," was the reply. The solicitor rose, and, having
glanced through his notes, commenced: "You have described certain
blood-stains on this knife. But we have heard that there was
blood-stained water in the wash-hand basin, and it is suggested, most
reasonably, that the murderer washed his hands and the knife. But if the
knife was washed, how do you account for the bloodstains on it?"