Enigmas of Justice. ried, but it is not less certain that, whether by arts and wiles of his own or without such villanous encouragement, he had unhappily so infatuated young Sarah Stout that she was unable to conceal her passion from the world. Sarah Stout was the daughter of a rather humble but quite respectable Quaker tradesman who dwelt in Hertford. It ap pears that Cowper had long been on some what familiar terms with the family. When he went down to Hertford to meet and ad dress his constituents, or to attend circuit as a barrister, it was his habit to put up at the Stouts. Thus, often meeting the young Quakeress, there was ample opportunity for the growth of a passion which, however she died, was certainly the cause of her death. There is evidence that Cowper behaved in the most outrageous manner in reference to the girl. He not only exchanged secret let ters with her, but his chums and cronies were shown her ardent epistles, which formed a subject of banter and merriment among them. It was in the spring of the year in which the tragedy to be related occurred, that the young barrister and member of Parliament rode into Hertford on horseback to attend the assizes. It was a busy time, and Spen cer Cowper had political as well as legal con cerns afoot. Riding directly to Mrs. Stout's (the father was dead), he told the family that he must go about town on his errands, but would return and dine with them. This he did. After dinner he went away again, promising to come back and spend the even ing. At nine o'clock he once more made his appearance, sat down and dashed off a letter to his wife, and then supped with Mrs. and Sarah Stout. Mrs. Stout then went to bed, leaving the young couple alone together. After a while Sarah called the maid and ordered her to put a warming-pan into Mr. Cowper's bed. This was a little after ten at night. At about quar ter before eleven the maid heard the front door close, and said to herself that the gen tleman had gone. Fifteen minutes later she
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went downstairs to do her last duties be fore going to bed, and to her surprise found the sitting-room empty. Sarah had disap peared as well as Mr. Cowper, and the ser vant surmised that they must have left the house together. At least she had heard the front-door close but once. The anxiety of the mother may well be fancied; but her suspense was brief, and was resolved in a heart-rending manner. The search which took place the next morning resulted in the finding of poor Sarah Stout's body in a mill-dam, about three-quarters of a mile from her home. Inquiry being made for Spencer Cowper, he was discovered at some lodgings in an other part of the town. The statement of the people who kept these lodgings was that he had reached the house just about eleven o'clock, and had gone quietly to bed. Spencer Cowper was arraigned for the murder of Sarah Stout; but at the very outset the question as to the manner of the girl's death became a great difficulty in the way of the prosecution. Had she been en ticed from the house and to the mill-dam, and there been thrown in by Cowper? Or had she, after parting with him, wandered away, and in her despair committed suicide? The only witness as to the direct events of the evening was the serving-maid of the Stouts; her testimony went to show that the door had apparently been opened and shut but once. The inference was that the pair went out together. Cowper, who not only conducted his defence with brilliant ef fect, but made a statement, not under oath, to the Court, did not say whether this was so or not, nor did he give any account of the events of the evening. He could not be cross-examined, and hence the tragedy re mained veiled in mystery. A great deal of evidence was given on both sides as to whether a body thrown into the water after death will sink or float, and as to whether Sarah Stout's body sank or floated; but there was so much contradictory testimony on these points that neither side could be
