, to put it mildly,
to nothing but highly undesirable results, and he claimed that the
Corporation had the right to deprive the existing Town Trustees of their
power, and to take into its own hands the full administration of the
borough finances. And of course there was much bitter animosity aroused
by this proposal, because the Town Trustees have had a free hand and
done what they liked with the town's money for a couple of centuries!"

The Coroner, who was making elaborate notes, lifted his pen.

"Who are the Town Trustees at present, Mr. Epplewhite?" he inquired.

Epplewhite smiled, as a man might smile who knows that a question is
only asked as a mere formality.

"The Town Trustees at present, sir," he answered quietly, "are Mr.
Alderman Crood, Deputy Mayor; Mr. Councillor Mallett, Borough Auditor;
and Mr. Councillor Coppinger, Borough Treasurer."

Amidst a curious silence, broken only by the scratching of the Coroner's
pen, Alderman Crood rose heavily in his place amongst the spectators.

"Mr. Coroner," he said, with some show of injured feeling, "I object,
sir, to my name being mentioned in connection with this here matter.
You're inquiring, sir----"

"I'm inquiring, Mr. Crood, into the circumstances surrounding the death
of John Wallingford," said the Coroner. "If you can throw any light on
them, I shall be glad to take your evidence. At present I am taking the
evidence of another witness. Yes, Mr. Epplewhite?"

"Well, sir, I come to recent events," continued Epplewhite, smiling
grimly as the Deputy-Mayor, flushed and indignant, resumed his seat.
"The late Mayor was very well aware that his proposals were regarded,
not merely with great dislike, but with positive enmity. He, and those
of us who agreed with him, were constantly asked in the Council Chamber
what right we had to be endeavouring to interfere with a system that had
suited our fathers and grandfathers? We were warned too, in the Council
Chamber, that we should get ourselves into trouble----"

"Do you refer to actual threats?" asked the Coroner.

"Scarcely that, sir--hints, and so on," replied the witness. "But of
late, in the case of the late Mayor, actual threats have been used. And
to bring my evidence to a point, Mr. Coroner, I now wish to make a
certain statement, on my oath, and to produce a certain piece of
evidence, to show that Mr. Wallingford's personal safety was threatened
only a few days before his murder!"

Thus saying, Epplewh