Whose Body? - Dorothy L. Sayers (motivational books to read .TXT) š
- Author: Dorothy L. Sayers
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Here the witness burst into tears and was given some water, while the Coroner refreshed himself with a third lozenge.
Recovering, witness stated that she had certainly looked into all the rooms before going to bed. No, it was quite impossible for a body to be āidden in the flat without her seeing of it. She āad been in the kitchen all evening, and there wasnāt āardly room to keep the best dinner service there, let alone a body. Old Mrs. Thipps sat in the drawing-room. Yes, she was sure sheād been into the dining-room. How? Because she put Mr. Thippsās milk and sandwiches there ready for him. There had been nothing in thereāthat she could swear to. Nor yet in her own bedroom, nor in the āall. Had she searched the bedroom cupboard and the box-room? Well, no, not to say searched; she wasnāt use to searchinā peopleās āouses for skelintons every night. So that a man might have concealed himself in the box-room or a wardrobe? She supposed he might.
In reply to a woman jurorāwell, yes, she was walking out with a young man. Williams was his name, Bill Williams,āwell, yes, William Williams, if they insisted. He was a glazier by profession. Well, yes, he āad been in the flat sometimes. Well, she supposed you might say he was acquainted with the flat. Had she everāno, she āadnāt, and if sheād thought such a question was going to be put to a respectable girl she wouldnāt āave offered to give evidence. The vicar of St. Maryās would speak to her character and to Mr. Williamsās. Last time Mr. Williams was at the flat was a fortnight ago.
Well, no, it wasnāt exactly the last time she āad seen Mr. Williams. Well, yes, the last time was Mondayāwell, yes, Monday night. Well, if she must tell the truth, she must. Yes, the officer had cautioned her, but there wasnāt any āarm in it, and it was better to lose her place than to be āung, though it was a cruel shame a girl couldnāt āave a bit of fun without a nasty corpse cominā in through the window to get āer into difficulties. After she āad put Mrs. Thipps to bed, she āad slipped out to go to the Plumbersā and Glaziersā Ball at the āBlack Faced Ram.ā Mr. Williams āad met āer and brought āer back. āE could testify to where sheād been and that there wasnāt no āarm in it. Sheād left before the end of the ball. It might āave been two oāclock when she got back. Sheād got the keys of the flat from Mrs. Thippsās drawer when Mrs. Thipps wasnāt looking. She āad asked leave to go, but couldnāt get it, along of Mr. Thipps beinā away that night. She was bitterly sorry she āad beāaved so, and she was sure sheād been punished for it. She had āeard nothing suspicious when she came in. She had gone straight to bed without looking round the flat. She wished she were dead.
No, Mr. and Mrs. Thipps didnāt āardly ever āave any visitors; they kepā themselves very retired. She had found the outside door bolted that morning as usual. She wouldnāt never believe any āarm of Mr. Thipps. Thank you, Miss Horrocks. Call Georgiana Thipps, and the Coroner thought we had better light the gas.
The examination of Mrs. Thipps provided more entertainment than enlightenment, affording as it did an excellent example of the game called ācross questions and crooked answers.ā After fifteen minutesā suffering, both in voice and temper, the Coroner abandoned the struggle, leaving the lady with the last word.
āYou neednāt try to bully me, young man,ā said that octogenarian with spirit, āsettinā there spoilinā your stomach with them nasty jujubes.ā
At this point a young man arose in court and demanded to give evidence. Having explained that he was William Williams, glazier, he was sworn, and corroborated the evidence of Gladys Horrocks in the matter of her presence at the āBlack Faced Ramā on the Monday night. They had returned to the flat rather before two, he thought, but certainly later than 1.30. He was sorry that he had persuaded Miss Horrocks to come out with him when she didnāt ought. He had observed nothing of a suspicious nature in Prince of Wales Road at either visit.
Inspector Sugg gave evidence of having been called in at about half-past eight on Monday morning. He had considered the girlās manner to be suspicious and had arrested her. On later information, leading him to suspect that the deceased might have been murdered that night, he had arrested Mr. Thipps. He had found no trace of breaking into the flat. There were marks on the bathroom window-sill which pointed to somebody having got in that way. There were no ladder marks or footmarks in the yard; the yard was paved with asphalt. He had examined the roof, but found nothing on the roof. In his opinion the body had been brought into the flat previously and concealed till the evening by someone who had then gone out during the night by the bathroom window, with the connivance of the girl. In that case, why should not the girl have let the person out by the door? Well, it might have been so. Had he found traces of a body or a man or both having been hidden in the flat? He found nothing to show that they might not have been so concealed. What was the evidence that led him to suppose that the death had occurred that night?
At this point Inspector Sugg appeared uneasy, and endeavoured to retire upon his professional dignity. On being pressed, however, he admitted that the evidence in question had come to nothing.
One of the jurors: Was it the case that any finger-marks had been left by the criminal?
Some marks had been found on the bath, but the criminal had worn gloves.
The Coroner: Do you draw any conclusion from this fact as to the experience of the criminal?
Inspector Sugg: Looks as if he was an old hand, sir.
The Juror: Is that very consistent with the charge against Alfred Thipps, Inspector?
The Inspector was silent.
The Coroner: In the light of the evidence which you have just heard, do you still press the charge against Alfred Thipps and Gladys Horrocks?
Inspector Sugg: I consider the whole set-out highly suspicious. Thippsās story isnāt corroborated, and as for the girl Horrocks, how do we know this Williams aināt in it as well?
William Williams: Now, you drop that. I can bring a āundred witnessesā
The Coroner: Silence, if you please. I am surprised, Inspector, that you should make this suggestion in that manner. It is highly improper. By the way, can you tell us whether a police raid was actually carried out on the Monday night on any Night Club in the neighbourhood of St. Gilesās Circus?
Inspector Sugg (sulkily): I believe there was something of the sort.
The Coroner: You will, no doubt, inquire into the matter. I seem to recollect having seen some mention of it in the newspapers. Thank you, Inspector, that will do.
Several witnesses having appeared and testified to the characters of Mr. Thipps and Gladys Horrocks, the Coroner stated his intention of proceeding to the medical evidence.
āSir Julian Freke.ā
There was considerable stir in the court as the great specialist walked up to give evidence. He was not only a distinguished man, but a striking figure, with his wide shoulders, upright carriage and leonine head. His manner as he kissed the Book presented to him with the usual deprecatory mumble by the Coronerās officer, was that of a St. Paul condescending to humour the timid mumbo-jumbo of superstitious Corinthians.
āSo handsome, I always think,ā whispered the Duchess to Mr. Parker; ājust exactly like William Morris, with that bush of hair and beard and those exciting eyes looking out of itāso splendid, these dear men always devoted to something or otherānot but what I think socialism is a mistakeāof course it works with all those nice people, so good and happy in art linen and the weather always perfectāMorris, I mean, you knowābut so difficult in real life. Science is differentāIām sure if I had nerves I should go to Sir Julian just to look at himāeyes like that give one something to think about, and thatās what most of these people want, only I never had anyānerves, I mean. Donāt you think so?ā
āYou are Sir Julian Freke,ā said the Coroner, āand live at St. Lukeās House, Prince of Wales Road, Battersea, where you exercise a general direction over the surgical side of St. Lukeās Hospital?ā
Sir Julian assented briefly to this definition of his personality.
āYou were the first medical man to see the deceased?ā
āI was.ā
āAnd you have since conducted an examination in collaboration with Dr. Grimbold of Scotland Yard?ā
āI have.ā
āYou are in agreement as to the cause of death?ā
āGenerally speaking, yes.ā
āWill you communicate your impressions to the Jury?ā
āI was engaged in research work in the dissecting room at St. Lukeās Hospital at about nine oāclock on Monday morning, when I was informed that Inspector Sugg wished to see me. He told me that the dead body of a man had been discovered under mysterious circumstances at 59 Queen Caroline Mansions. He asked me whether it could be supposed to be a joke perpetrated by any of the medical students at the hospital. I was able to assure him, by an examination of the hospitalās books, that there was no subject missing from the dissecting room.ā
āWho would be in charge of such bodies?ā
āWilliam Watts, the dissecting-room attendant.ā
āIs William Watts present?ā inquired the Coroner of the officer.
William Watts was present, and could be called if the Coroner thought it necessary.
āI suppose no dead body would be delivered to the hospital without your knowledge, Sir Julian?ā
āCertainly not.ā
āThank you. Will you proceed with your statement?ā
āInspector Sugg then asked me whether I would send a medical man round to view the body. I said that I would go myself.ā
āWhy did you do that?ā
āI confess to my share of ordinary human curiosity, Mr. Coroner.ā
Laughter from a medical student at the back of the room.
āOn arriving at the flat I found the deceased lying on his back in the bath. I examined him, and came to the conclusion that death had been caused by a blow on the back of the neck, dislocating the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae, bruising the spinal cord and producing internal haemorrhage and partial paralysis of the brain. I judged the deceased to have been dead at least twelve hours, possibly more. I observed no other sign of violence of any kind upon the body. Deceased was a strong, well-nourished man of about fifty to fifty-five years of age.ā
āIn your opinion, could the blow have been self-inflicted?ā
āCertainly not. It had been made with a heavy, blunt instrument from behind, with great force and considerable judgment. It is quite impossible that it was self-inflicted.ā
āCould it have been the result of an accident?ā
āThat is possible, of course.ā
āIf, for example, the deceased had been looking out of the window, and the sash had shut violently down upon him?ā
āNo; in that case there would have been signs of strangulation and a bruise upon the throat as well.ā
āBut deceased might have been killed through a heavy weight accidentally falling upon him?ā
āHe might.ā
āWas death instantaneous, in your opinion?ā
āIt is difficult to say. Such a blow might very well cause death instantaneously, or the patient might linger in a partially paralyzed condition for some time. In the present case I should be disposed to think that deceased might have lingered for some hours. I base my decision upon the condition of the brain
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