William Tomkins was called, and Dig, with his tawny mane more than usually dishevelled, and an excited look on his face, entered the box. He glared round him defiantly, and then dug his hands into his pockets and waited for his questions.
“Your name is William Tomkins?” began Barnworth.
“Sir William Tomkins, Baronet,” said the witness, amidst laughter.
“To be sure, I beg your pardon, Sir William. And what are you, pray?”
“A baronet.” (Loud laughter.)
“A baronet in reduced circumstances, I fear. You work in the boiler department of this factory?”
“All right, go on.”
Here the judge interposed.
“The witness must remember that he is bound to answer questions properly. Unless he does so I shall order him to be removed.”
This somewhat damped the defiant tone of Digby, and he answered the further questions of counsel rather more amiably. These had reference to the discovery of the body on the morning of the 5th, with the details of which the reader is already acquainted. The public began to get a little tired of this constant repetition of the same story, and were about to vote the proceedings generally slow, when a double event served to rouse their flagging attention.