WILLIAM ROBERT HICKS, OF BODMIN. 
75 
justice in this case was real justice, as it was in Mr. Baring 
Gould's story, is another matter which has nothing to do with 
Hicks. Before venturing upon the story, I must tell what happened 
to Hicks in consequence of his amusing his numerous friends 
with it. He was on a jury himself, and when he and his fellow- 
jurymen took their seats round a table to consider their verdict, 
he observed that a profound silence reigned, and no one, not even 
the foreman, took any steps to begin business. Hicks waited 
with some curiosity to see what would happen, looking out as 
usual for something to turn into ridicule. At last the foreman 
looked very hard at him, and said, " Now none o' your nonsense, 
Mr. Hicks." 
A doctor of the name of Donnell was tried, at the assizes at 
Launceston, for the murder, by poison, of an old aunt of his at 
Flushing, and Dr. Cookworthy, a very well-known man in the 
county, gave evidence as to the fact of arsenic being found in the 
stomach, which puzzled the jury immensely. Dr. Cookworthy, 
being a man of considerable force of character, and afraid of no 
one, got into a wrangle w r ith the judge and counsel, lost his 
temper, and unintentionally muddled the case. 
Hicks used to tell the story something in this way. He called 
the heroes by their right names, but I substitute common names 
for the reasons I have given. 
Hicks met Mr. Lush, whom he knew very well, at Liskeard, 
and said to him, "What are you doing here?" Lush said he 
was attending Liskeard market, and that he attended Callington 
market and Liskeard market alternate weeks. " Oh," said Hicks, 
"I should have thought Launceston market was the nearest for 
you!" Lush replied, "Ah, I arn't a been to Launceston market 
not since thicky Donnell was tried ! I was voreman to the jury 
at that there trial." "Were you ?" said Hicks. "Why did not 
you bring him in guilty ?" "There you go, Mr. Hicks," said 
Lush ; " that 's why I don't go to Launceston market. Everybody 
says, £ Why didn't you bring un in guilty V Sech hignorance ! 
What can they know about the caze, and what us had zaid to us ? 
Us was shut up with no vire nor candle, nor nothing to ate nor 
drink for hours. Us came to decision in the dark." "How was 
it then?" said Hicks. Lush explained by telling the facts. "Us 
was shut up without vire nor candle, and nothing to ate nor drink, 
and 'twas that dark I couldn't zee the jury, but I know'd zome 
