"Yes, sir; I have a few questions to ask. Now, Mr. Cousins, you say that you took part in dragging the canal. You are in charge of the drags, are you not?"
"Yes, sir; they are always kept in readiness at the lockhouse."
"How came you to use the drags? I suppose you don't take them down and spend a day or two in dragging the canal unless you have reason for supposing that a body is there."
"No, sir. The afternoon before a woman came up crying and said that her child had fallen into the water. He had gone out in the morning to play, and when dinner-time came and he didn't return she searched everywhere for him, and two children had just told her that they were playing with him on the bank of the canal, and that he had fallen in. They tried to get him out, but he sank, and they were so frightened that they ran home without saying anything. But they thought now that they had better tell. I said that she had better go to the police station and repeat her statement, and they would send a constable to help me. She did that, and came back with the policeman. It was getting late then, but we took a boat and dragged the canal for two or three hours. The next morning she came again, and said that the boys had shown her just where her child fell in, and we dragged there and found this body. We brought it ashore, and after we had carried it to the lockhouse we set to work again, but could not find any other body."
"What became of the woman?"
"She was with us till we fetched up this body. When she saw it she ran away crying, and did not come back again."
"You have not seen her since, Mr. Cousins?"
"No, sir; I have not seen her since. I believe the constable made inquiries about her."
"Thank you, I have nothing more to ask."
The policeman then entered the box and gave his evidence shortly, as to assisting in the operation of dragging and to finding the body.