The prisoner was found not guilty; the murder was still unavenged.
Then once more the judge spoke.
"I wish to make public recognition," he said, "of the fairness and ability with which the case was conducted on both sides.

The prosecution, as it was their duty to do, forged the chain of evidence against Mr.
Assheton as strongly as they were able, and pieced together incriminating circumstances against him with a skill that at first seemed conclusive of his guilt.

The first thing that occurred to make a weak link in their chain was the acknowledgment of a certain witness that the stick with which the murder was supposed to have been committed was not left on the spot by the accused, but by himself.

Why he admitted that we can only conjecture, but my conjecture is that it was an act of repentance and contrition on his part.

When it came to that point he could not let the evidence which he had himself supplied tell against him on whom it was clearly his object to father the crime.