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Contributor: J. W. T. Ley

TRIAL OF JOHN JASPER

TRIAL OF JOHN JASPER

Lay Precentor of Cloisterham Cathedral in the County of Kent, for the

MURDER OF EDWIN DROOD

Engineer.

Heard by

MR. JUSTICE GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON

sitting with a Special Jury, in the King's Hall, Covent Garden, W.C., on Wednesday, the 7th January, 1914.

Verbatim Report of the proceedings from the Shorthand Notes of J. W. T. LEY.

LONDON CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD. 1914

KING'S HALL, COVENT GARDEN

JANUARY 7th, 1914.

Under the Auspices of The Dickens Fellowship

JUDGE, WITNESSES, COUNSEL AND JURY

JUDGE Mr. G. K. CHESTERTON

COUNSEL FOR THE PROSECUTION Mr. J. CUMING WALTERS and Mr. B. W. MATZ

COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENCE Mr. CECIL CHESTERTON and Mr. W. WALTER CROTCH

JOHN JASPER Mr. FREDERICK T. HARRY

ANTHONY DURDLES Mr. BRANSBY WILLIAMS

THE REVD. SEPTIMUS CRISPARKLE Mr. ARTHUR WAUGH

MISS HELENA LANDLESS Mrs. LAURENCE CLAY

"'ER ROYAL HIGNESS PRINCESS PUFFER" Miss J. K. PROTHERO

BAZZARD Mr. C. SHERIDAN JONES

THE CLERK OF ARRAIGNS Mr. WALTER DEXTER

THE USHER Mr. A. E. BROOKES CROSS

POLICE OFFICERS Mr. H. H. PEARCE and Mr. C. H. GREEN

The JURY will be chosen from among the following:

Mr. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW Sir FRANCIS C. BURNAND Sir EDWARD RUSSELL Dr. W. L. COURTNEY Mr. W. W. JACOBS Mr. PETT RIDGE Mr. HILAIRE BELLOC Mr. TOM GALLON Mr. MAX PEMBERTON Mr. G. S. STREET Mr. COULSON KERNAHAN Mr. EDWIN PUGH Mr. WILLIAM DE MORGAN Mr. ARTHUR MORRISON Mr. RAYMOND PATON Mr. FRANCESCO BERGER Mr. RIDGWELL CULLUM Mr. JUSTIN HUNTLY MCCARTHY Mr. OSCAR BROWNING Mr. WM. ARCHER

Barristers, Reporters and Spectators.

INDICTMENT

JOHN JASPER

for the

MURDER

TRIAL

Holden at the ASSIZES at WESTMINSTER, on the 7th January, 1914.

ASSIZE COURT } KING'S HALL, COVENT GARDEN } To wit: County of LONDON }

The Jurors for this trial upon their oath present, that JOHN JASPER on the 24th day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty in the Parish of Cloisterham and within the jurisdiction of the said Court, feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought did kill and murder one EDWIN DROOD against the peace of every true Dickensian.

INDICTMENT

WHEREAS, in support of the above Indictment, divers allegations are set forth, as follows, that is to say:--

The accused, JOHN JASPER, aged 26, is Choirmaster at Cloisterham Cathedral, otherwise known as "lay precentor." He lodges over the Gateway of the Cathedral. For some years he admits he has been in the habit of taking opium, and has resorted to an Opium Den in the East End of London kept by an elderly woman known as "Princess Puffer."

The man of whose murder he stands accused was his nephew, EDWIN DROOD, in his 21st year, and by profession an Engineer. The Prisoner, who was likewise Trustee and Guardian of the said Edwin Drood, professed the greatest affection for him, and on the occasion of his visits to Cloisterham manifested every appearance of joy and satisfaction.

The said Edwin Drood was betrothed to one Rosa Bud, this being in fulfillment of a contract made by their respective parents . Certain formalities in connection with the confirmation of this engagement, notably the handing of a ring by Mr. Grewgious, solicitor, Staple Inn, legal adviser to Edwin Drood, were witnessed by Mr. Grewgious's clerk, Bazzard. There is evidence to show that they had grown weary of each other, and wished the Contract to be annulled. On the other hand, Jasper, the Accused, was admittedly in love with Rosa Bud, and it is alleged was secretly jealous of his nephew. Miss Bud, on her part, deposes that she not only disliked but "feared" Jasper and avoided his attentions as much as possible. Eventually the engagement between Edwin Drood and Rosa Bud was rescinded by mutual consent; but the said John Jasper, for sufficient reasons, was not at the time warned of this fact. The circumstance, however, was revealed to Mr. Grewgious.

WITNESSES will be called to prove that in the early part of the year, the Accused, Jasper, accompanied a stonemason named Durdles to the Cathedral and made particular enquiry into the destructive qualities of quicklime. It is also alleged that Jasper applied a drug to this same Durdles, causing sleep, and that he then appropriated his keys, and therefrom made a close investigation of the vaults, especially of the Sapsea vault, which was partly hollow.

There were also residing in Cloisterham an orphan brother and sister, twins, by name Neville and Helena Landless. They came from Ceylon, where they had been subjected to personal ill-treatment, and after staying with Mr. Honeythunder, their guardian, Neville was lodged with Canon Crisparkle, and Helena was sent to Miss Twinkleton's school. Neville Landless is described as "fierce" and hot-blooded, Helena Landless is "almost of the gipsy type." Between her and her brother is a strong bond of affection. In her girlhood she had escaped at times from her cruel step-father by disguising herself as a boy. She is a woman of much daring.

Soon after their arrival in Cloisterham, they met Drood, Jasper and Miss Bud at a party. It will be given in evidence that there was a contention between Drood and Neville, and that Jasper afterwards fomented the ill-feeling and charged Neville Landless with being "murderous." At the same time, Miss Landless was seized with an instinctive hostility towards Jasper, who, she thought, was unduly menacing Rosa Bud. Matters between the two young men were smoothed over to some extent, and on the following Christmas Eve, John Jasper decided to bring them together at a convivial gathering in his own house.

On December 23rd Jasper visited the Opium Den in London. Next day he returned to Cloisterham, and was followed thither by the Opium Woman, who had heard him use threatening language in his sleep towards someone called "Ned" .

At night the three men met and dined. It was a night of wild storm. The next morning Jasper hastened to Canon Crisparkle's house shouting excitedly that his dear nephew had disappeared, and that he was convinced he had been murdered.

He plainly indicated that he believed the murderer was Neville Landless, in whose company Drood had left Jasper's house at midnight; and Neville Landless was apprehended, but subsequently released for want of evidence.

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