Witness statement in trial for murder: Samuel Davis: [in reply to question about length of time he spent in the water closet] Some few minutes -I cannot say how long, not longer than was necessary... I had a newspaper reading there..." Jonathan Smithies [his defence]: "[Davis] asked me for my Sunday's newspaper, saying he wished to use the watercloset -he took the newspaper... [I waited] sufficient time for him to come out; I then went down again, having occasion to go to the watercloset myself, and asked him if he was coming out, when he said, 'I shall be half an hour yet' -he had the newspaper with him and I suppose he was reading it..."