Being requested to continue his narrative, and relate what happened afterwards, witness went on to say that on reaching Strong's cottage, although there was a light in one of the windows, no one came in response to his repeated knocking, and that at length he went away, convinced that Strong was not at home. As there seemed no likelihood of more rain, the moon being now shining, he determined to return by way of the foot-path through the meadows by the river This would take him quite a mile out of his way, but that did not matter as he was in no hurry to reach home. As he was walking through the fields, he heard the sounds of a man and woman quarrelling. As the man seemed to be ill-using the woman, he went a little out of his road to ascertain what was the matter. On coming up to the pair he remonstrated with the man for his behavior, when both he and the woman turned upon him, and demanded to know what right he had to interfere between husband and wife. So enraged was the woman, that she took up a stone and flung it at him, hitting him over the left eye. For a few moments he felt stunned, and by the time he had recovered himself, both the man and the woman had disappeared. St. Mary's clock was striking midnight as he opened the garden gate of his own house.
In reply to a question by the Coroner, witness stated that, in company with Mr. Mace, he had visited the strong room. He had found the door of the bullion safe open, and from the cursory examination, which was all he had yet had time to make, he had no doubt that gold and notes to the amount of between three and four thousand pounds, together with the twelve hundred pounds' worth of change, had been abstracted from the coffers of the Bank.
"Am I to understand, Mr. Brancker," asked the Coroner, "that you know nothing whatever as to the origin of the bloodstains on the floor of your office, nor of the marks of a similar kind scattered about the contents of your drawer?"
"I know nothing of them whatever, sir, and I was never more surprised in my life than when I saw them there this morning."
"I presume that you locked your drawer before leaving it last evening?"
"To the best of my recollection I did."
"And you found it locked on your arrival this morning?"
"I certainly did. To me the whole affair is utterly inexplicable."
At this juncture, who should shoulder his way into the room but William Strong, the man Mr. Brancker had been so anxious to see the previous evening. Mr. Mace recognized him, and whispered to the Coroner, and next moment, greatly to his surprise, Strong was summoned by name out of the crowd, and sworn by the Coroner's clerk.
"Have you any objection to tell the Court where you were last evening between the hours of half-past ten and half-past eleven?" queried the Coroner.