One of the foremen of the estate--to prove the great care with which the Squire had searched for traces of the missing man.

One of the estate labourers--to prove the actual finding of the body.

The doctor--to prove, beyond all doubt, that the deceased had broken his neck.
The coroner, an elderly man, obviously well satisfied with the trend of things, took off his spectacles and turned to the jury.
"You have heard everything there is to be heard, gentlemen," said he.

"As I remarked at the opening of this inquest, the case is one of great simplicity.

You will have no difficulty in deciding that the deceased came to his death by accident--as to the exact wording of your verdict, you had better put it in this way:--that the deceased Bassett Oliver died as the result--" Petherton, who, noticing the coroner's deafness, had contrived to seat himself as close to his chair of office as possible, quietly rose.
"Before the jury consider any verdict," he said in his loudest tones, "they must hear certain evidence which I wish to call.