Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
Themostthatcouldbesaidwasthattheirappearancewasnotinconsistentwiththetheorythattheyweremadebytheaccused,anditwasfurthershownthathisbootswereverymuddyuponthatnight.Therehadbeenaheavyshowerintheafternoon,andallbootswereprobablyinthesamecondition.
SuchisabaldstatementofthesingularandromanticseriesofeventswhichcentredpublicattentionuponthisLancashiretragedy.Theunknownoriginofthedoctor,hiscuriousanddistinguishedpersonality,thepositionofthemanwhowasaccusedofthemurder,andtheloveaffairwhichhadprecededthecrimesallcombinedtomaketheaffaironeofthosedramaswhichabsorbthewholeinterestofanation.ThroughoutthethreekingdomsmendiscussedthecaseoftheBlackDoctorofBishop’sCrossing,andmanywerethetheoriesputforwardtoexplainthefacts;butitmaysafelybesaidthatamongthemalltherewasnotonewhichpreparedthemindsofthepublicfortheextraordinarysequel,whichcausedsomuchexcitementuponthefirstdayofthetrial,andcametoaclimaxuponthesecond.ThelongfilesoftheLancasterWeeklywiththeirreportofthecaseliebeforemeasIwrite,butImustcontentmyselfwithasynopsisofthecaseuptothepointwhen,upontheeveningofthefirstday,theevidenceofMissFrancesMortonthrewasingularlightuponthecase.
Mr.PorlockCarr,thecounselfortheprosecution,hadmarshalledhisfactswithhisusualskill,andasthedayworeon,itbecamemoreandmoreevidenthowdifficultwasthetaskwhichMr.Humphrey,whohadbeenretainedforthedefence,hadbeforehim.
