of
murdering him are the three Indians--and that the object contemplated
(and achieved) by the crime, was to obtain possession of the diamond,
called the Moonstone.

The facts from which this conclusion is drawn, are derived partly from
an examination of the room at the tavern; and partly from the evidence
obtained at the Coroner's Inquest.

On forcing the door of the room, the deceased gentleman was discovered,
dead, with the pillow of the bed over his face. The medical man who
examined him, being informed of this circumstance, considered the
post-mortem appearances as being perfectly compatible with murder by
smothering--that is to say, with murder committed by some person, or
persons, pressing the pillow over the nose and mouth of the deceased,
until death resulted from congestion of the lungs.

Next, as to the motive for the crime.

A small box, with a sealed paper torn off from it (the paper containing
an inscription) was found open, and empty, on a table in the room.
Mr. Luker has himself personally identified the box, the seal, and
the inscription. He has declared that the box did actually contain the
diamond, called the Moonstone; and he has admitted having given the
box (thus sealed up) to Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite (then concealed under a
disguise), on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of June last. The fair
inference from all this is, that the stealing of the Moonstone was the
motive of the crime.

Next, as to the manner in which the crime was committed.

On examination of the room (which is only seven feet high), a trap-door
in the ceiling, leading out on to the roof of the house, was discovered
open. The short ladder, used for obtaining access to the trap-door (and
kept under the bed), was found placed at the opening, so as to enable
any person or persons, in the room, to leave it again easily. In the
trap-door itself was found a square aperture cut in the wood, apparently
with some exceedingly sharp instrument, just behind the bolt which
fastened the door on the inner side. In this way, any person from the
outside could have drawn back the bolt, and opened the door, and have
dropped (or have been noiselessly lowered by an accomplice) into the
room--its height, as already observed, being only seven feet. That some
person, or persons, must have got admission in this way, appears evident
from the fact of the aperture being there. As to the manner in which
he (or they) obtained access to the roof of the tav