The prisoner was called upon to plead guilty or not guilty, and answered, "Not guilty"; and then Barnworth rose and opened the case for the prosecution.
"My lord, and gentlemen of the jury," he began; "the prisoner at the bar is charged with the wilful murder of John Smith, on the night of Tuesday, February 4." This was interesting, for Tuesday, February 4, was the date of the Bickers affair.
"I shall, as briefly as possible, narrate the circumstances of this unfortunate affair.

The prisoner, Thomas Bolts, is a workman in the employ of a large firm of engineers in this neighbourhood, in which the murdered man was also engaged as a foreman and overseer.

It is unnecessary, gentlemen of the jury, to explain to you that the works in question are divided into several distinct departments, or shops.

I need not describe them all, but two of them were the screw department and the boiler department.

Smith was foreman and overseer of the screw department, while the prisoner was one of the skilled workmen in the boiler department.