He stated that up to the day and night immediately preceding
the catastrophe, he had lost to a heavy amount, but that, at their last
sitting, he had not only won back his original loss, but upwards of
four thousand pounds in addition; in evidence of which he produced
an acknowledgment of debt to that amount in the handwriting of the
deceased, and bearing the date of the fatal night. He had mentioned the
circumstance to his lady, and in presence of some of the domestics;
which statement was supported by their respective evidence. One of the jury shrewdly observed that the circumstance of Mr. Tisdall's
having sustained so heavy a loss might have suggested to some
ill-minded persons, accidentally hearing it, the plan of robbing him,
after having murdered him, in such a manner as might make it appear that
he had committed suicide; a supposition which was strongly supported by
the razors having been found thus displaced, and removed from their
case. Two persons had probably been engaged in the attempt, one watching
by the sleeping man, and ready to strike him in case of his awakening
suddenly, while the other was procuring the razors and employed in
inflicting the fatal gash, so as to make it appear to have been the act
of the murdered man himself. It was said that while the juror was making
this suggestion Sir Arthur changed colour. Nothing, however, like legal evidence appeared against him, and the
consequence was that the verdict was found against a person or persons
unknown; and for some time the matter was suffered to rest, until, after
about five months, my father received a letter from a person signing
himself Andrew Collis, and representing himself to be the cousin of the
deceased. This letter stated that Sir Arthur was likely to incur not
merely suspicion, but personal risk, unless he could account for certain
circumstances connected with the recent murder, and contained a copy of
a letter written by the deceased, and bearing date--the day of the
week, and of the month--upon the night the deed of blood had been
perpetrated. Tisdall's note ran as follows:--


"DEAR COLLIS,--I have had sharp work with Sir Arthur; he tried some of
his stale tricks, but soon found that _I_ was Yorkshire too; it would
not do--you understand me. We went to the work like good ones, head,
heart and soul; and, in fact, since I came here, I have lost no time. I am rather fagged, but I am sure to be well paid for my hardship; I
never want sleep so long as I can have the music of a dice-box, and
wherewithal to pay the piper. As I told you, he tried some of his queer
turns, but I foiled him like a man, and, in return, gave him more than
he could relish of the genuine _dead knowledge_. "In short, I have plucked the old baronet as never baronet was plucked
before; I have scarce left him the stump of a quill; I have got
promissory notes in his hand to the amount of--if you like round
numbers, say, thirty thousand pounds, safely deposited in my portable
strong-box, _alias_ double-clasped pocket-book. I leave this ruinous old
rat-hole early on to-morrow, for two reasons--first, I do not want to
play with Sir Arthur deeper than I think his security, that is, his
money, or his money's worth, would warrant; and, secondly, because I am
safer a hundred miles from Sir Arthur than in the house with him. Look
you, my worthy, I tell you this between ourselves--I may be wrong, but,
by G----, I am as sure as that I am now living, that Sir A---- attempted
to poison me last night. So much for old friendship on both sides! "When I won the last stake, a heavy one enough, my friend leant his
forehead upon his hands, and you'll laugh when I tell you that his
head literally smoked like a hot dumpling. I do not know whether his
agitation was produced by the plan which he had against me, or by his
having lost so heavily--though it must be allowed that he had reason to
be a little funked, whichever way his thoughts went; but he pulled
the bell, and ordered two bottles of champagne. While the fellow was
bringing them he drew out a promissory note to the full amount, which he
signed, and, as the man came in with the bottles and glasses, he desired
him to be off; he filled out a glass for me, and, while he thought my
eyes were off, for I was putting up his note at the time, he dropped
something slyly into it, no doubt to sweeten it; but I saw it all, and
when he handed it to me, I said, with an emphasis which he might or
might not understand:

"'There is some sediment in this; I'll not drink it.' "'Is there?' said he, and at the same time snatched it from my hand and
threw it into the fire. What do you think of that? have I not a tender
chicken to manage? Win or lose, I will not play beyond five thousand
to-night, and to-morrow sees me safe out of the reach of Sir Arthur's
champagne. So, all things considered, I think you must allow that you
are not the last who have found a knowing boy in

    "Yours to command,
      "HUGH TISDALL." Of the authenticity of this document I never heard my father express a
doubt; and I am satisfied that, owing to his strong conviction in favour
of his brother, he would not have admitted it without sufficient
inquiry, inasmuch as it tended to confirm the suspicions which already
existed to his prejudice. Now, the only point in this letter which made strongly against my
uncle was the mention of the "double-clasped pocket-book" as the
receptacle of the papers likely to involve him, for this pocket-book
was not forthcoming, nor anywhere to be found, nor had any papers
referring to his gaming transactions been found upon the dead man. However, whatever might have been the original intention of this
Collis, neither my uncle nor my father ever heard more of him; but he
published the letter in Faulkner's Newspaper, which was shortly
afterwards made the vehicle of a much more mysterious attack. The
passage in that periodical to which I allude appeared about four years
afterwards, and while the fatal occurrence was still fresh in public
recollection. It commenced by a rambling preface, stating that "a
_certain person_ whom _certain_ persons thought to be dead, was not
so, but living, and in full possession of his memory, and moreover
ready and able to make _great_ delinquents tremble." It then went on
to describe the murder, without, however, mentioning names; and in
doing so, it entered into minute and circumstantial particulars of
which none but an _eye-witness_ could have been possessed, and by
implications almost too unequivocal to be regarded in the light of
insinuation, to involve the "_titled gambler_" in the guilt of the
transaction. My father at once urged Sir Arthur to proceed against the paper in an
action of libel; but he would not hear of it, nor consent to my father's
taking any legal steps whatever in the matter. My father, however, wrote
in a threatening tone to Faulkner, demanding a surrender of the author
of the obnoxious article.