‘My lords,’ interjected Sir Impey, ‘if the learned Attorney-General considers the word murder to be a triviality, it would be interesting to know to what words he does attach importance.’
‘The learned Attorney-General has agreed to substitute another word,’ said the Lord High Steward soothingly, nodding to Sir Wigmore to proceed.
Sir Impey, having achieved his purpose of robbing the Attorney-General’s onslaught on the witness of some of its original impetus, sat down, and Sir Wigmore repeated his question.
‘I mentioned it first to Mr Murbles about three weeks ago.’
‘Mr Murbles is the solicitor for the accused, I believe?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And how was it,’ inquired Sir Wigmore ferociously, settling his pince-nez on his rather prominent nose, and glowering at the witness, ‘that you did not mention this letter at the inquest or at the earlier proceedings in the case?’
‘I wasn’t asked about it, sir.’
‘What made you suddenly decide to go and tell Mr Murbles about it?’
‘He asked me, sir.’
‘Oh, he asked you; and you conveniently remembered it when it was suggested to you?’
‘No, sir. I remembered it all the time. That is to say, I hadn’t given any special thought to it, sir.’
‘Oh, you remembered it all the time, though you hadn’t given any thought to it. Now I put it to you that you had not remembered about it at all till it was suggested to you by Mr Murbles.’
‘Mr Murbles didn’t suggest nothing, sir. He asked me whether any other letters came by that post, and then I remembered it.’
‘Exactly. When it was suggested to you, you remembered it, and not before!’
‘No, sir. That is, if I’d been asked before I should have remembered it and mentioned it, but, not being asked, I didn’t think it would be of any importance, sir.’
‘You didn’t think it of any importance that this man received a letter a few hours before his – decease?’
‘No, sir. I reckoned if it had been of any importance the police would have asked about it, sir.’
‘Now, James Fleming, I put it to you again that it never occurred to you that Captain Cathcart might have received a letter the night he died till the idea was put into your head by the defence.’
The witness, baffled by this interrogative negative, made a confused reply, and Sir Wigmore, glancing round the house as much as to say, ‘You see this shifty fellow,’ proceeded:
‘I suppose it didn’t occur to you either to mention to the police about the letters in the post-bag?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Why not?’
‘I didn’t think it was my place, sir.’
‘Did you think about it at all?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Do you ever think?’
‘No, sir – I mean, yes, sir.’
‘Then will you please think what you are saying now.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘You say that you took all those important letters out of the house without authority and without acquainting the police?’
‘I had my orders, sir.’
‘From whom?’
‘They was his grace’s orders, sir.’
‘Ah! His grace’s orders. When did you get that order?’
‘It was part of my regular duty, sir, to take the bag to the post each morning.’
‘And did it not occur to you that in a case like this the proper information of the police might be more important than your orders?’
‘No, sir.’
Sir Wigmore sat down with a disgusted look; and Sir Impey took the witness in hand again.
‘Did the thought of this letter delivered to Captain Cathcart never pass through your mind between the day of the death and the day when Mr Murbles spoke to you about it?’
‘Well, it did pass through my mind, in a manner of speaking, sir.’
‘When was that?’
‘Before the Grand Jury, sir.’
‘And how was it you didn’t speak about it then?’
‘The gentleman said I was to confine myself to the questions, and not say nothing on my own, sir.’
‘Who was this very peremptory gentleman?’
‘The lawyer that came down to ask questions for the Crown, sir.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sir Impey smoothly, sitting down, and leaning over to say something, apparently of an amusing nature, to Mr Glibbery.
The question of the letter was further pursued in the examination of the Hon. Freddy. Sir Wigmore Wrinching laid great stress upon this witness’s assertion that deceased had been in excellent health and spirits when retiring to bed on the Wednesday evening, and had spoken of his approaching marriage. ‘He seemed particularly cheerio, you know,’ said the Hon. Freddy.
‘Particularly what?’ inquired the Lord High Steward.
‘Cheerio, my lord,’ said Sir Wigmore, with a deprecatory bow.
‘I do not know whether that is a dictionary word,’ said his lordship, entering it upon his notes with meticulous exactness, ‘but I take it to be synonymous with cheerful.’
The Hon. Freddy, appealed to, said he thought he meant more than just cheerful, more merry and bright, you know.
‘May we take it that he was in exceptionally lively spirits?’ suggested Counsel.
‘Take it in any spirit you like,’ muttered the witness, adding, more happily, ‘Take a peg of John Begg.’
‘The deceased was particularly lively and merry when he went to bed,’ said Sir Wigmore, frowning horribly, ‘and looking forward to his marriage in the near future. Would that be a fair statement of his condition?’
The Hon. Freddy agreed to this.
Sir Impey did not cross-examine as to witness’s account of the quarrel, but went straight to his point.
‘Do you recollect anything about the letters that were brought in the night of the death?’
‘Yes; I had one from my aunt. The Colonel had some, I fancy, and there was one for Cathcart.’
‘Did Captain Cathcart read his letter there and then?’
‘No, I’m sure he didn’t. You see, I opened mine, and then I saw he was shoving his away in his pocket, and I thought—’
‘Never mind what you thought,’ said Sir Impey. ‘What did you do?’
‘I said, “Excuse me, you don’t mind, do you?” And he said, “Not at all”; but he didn’t read his; and I remember thinking—’
‘We can’t have that, you know,’ said the Lord High Steward.
‘But that’s why I’m so sure he didn’t open it,’ said the Hon. Freddy, hurt. ‘You see, I said to myself at the time what a secretive fellow he was, and that’s how I know.’
Sir Wigmore, who had bounced up with his mouth open, sat down again.
‘Thank you, Mr Arbuthnot,’ said Sir Impey, smiling.
Colonel and Mrs Marchbanks testified to having heard movements in the Duke’s study at 11.30. They had heard no shot or other noise. There was no cross-examination.
Mr Pettigrew-Robinson gave a vivid account of the quarrel, and asserted very positively that there could be no mistaking the sound of the Duke’s bedroom door.
‘We were then called up by Mr Arbuthnot at a little after 3 a.m.,’ proceeded witness, ‘and went down to the conservatory, where I saw the accused and Mr Arbuthnot washing the face of the deceased. I had pointed out to them what an unwise thing it was to do this, as they might be destroying valuable evidence for the police. They paid no attention to me. There were a number of footmarks round about the door which I wanted to examine, because it was my theory that—’
‘My lords,’ cried Sir Impey, ‘we really cannot have this witness’s theory.’
‘Certainly not!’ said the Lord High Steward. ‘Answer the questions, please, and don’t add anything on your own account.’
‘Of course,’ said Mr Pettigrew-Robinson. ‘I don’t mean to imply that there was anything wrong about it, but I considered—’
/> ‘Never mind what you considered. Attend to me, please. When you first saw the body, how was it lying?’
‘On its back, with Denver and Arbuthnot washing its face. It had evidently been turned over, because—’
‘Sir Wigmore,’ interposed the Lord High Steward, ‘you really must control your witness.’
‘Kindly confine yourself to the evidence,’ said Sir Wigmore, rather heated. ‘We do not want your deductions from it. You say that when you saw the body it was lying on its back. Is that correct?’
‘And Denver and Arbuthnot were washing it.’
‘Yes. Now I want to pass to another point. Do you remember an occasion when you lunched at the Royal Automobile Club?’
‘I do. I lunched there one day in the middle of last August – I think it was about the sixteenth or seventeenth.’
‘Will you tell us what happened on that occasion?’
‘I had gone into the smoke-room after lunch, and was reading in a high-backed arm-chair, when I saw the prisoner at the Bar come in with the late Captain Cathcart. That is to say, I saw them in the big mirror over the mantelpiece. They did not notice there was anyone there, or they would have been a little more careful what they said, I fancy. They sat down near me and started talking, and presently Cathcart leaned over and said something in a low tone which I couldn’t catch. The prisoner leapt up with a horrified face, exclaiming, “For God’s sake, don’t give me away, Cathcart – there’d be the devil to pay.” Cathcart said something reassuring – I didn’t hear what, he had a furtive sort of voice – and the prisoner replied, “Well, don’t, that’s all. I couldn’t afford to let anybody get hold of it.” The prisoner seemed greatly alarmed. Captain Cathcart was laughing. They dropped their voices again, and that was all I heard.’
‘Thank you.’
Sir lmpey took over the witness with a Belial-like politeness.
‘You are gifted with very excellent powers of observation and deduction, Mr Pettigrew-Robinson,’ he began, ‘and no doubt you like to exercise your sympathetic imagination in a scrutiny of people’s motives and characters?’
‘I think I may call myself a student of human nature,’ replied Mr Pettigrew-Robinson, much mollified.
‘Doubtless, people are inclined to confide in you?’
‘Certainly. I may say I am a great repository of human documents.’
‘On the night of Captain Cathcart’s death your wide knowledge of the world was doubtless of great comfort and assistance to the family?’
‘They did not avail themselves of my experience, sir,’ said Mr Pettigrew-Robinson, exploding suddenly, ‘I was ignored completely. If only my advice had been taken at the time—’
‘Thank you, thank you,’ said Sir Impey, cutting short an impatient exclamation from the Attorney-General, who thereupon rose and demanded:
‘If Captain Cathcart had had any secret or trouble of any kind in his life, you would have expected him to tell you about it?’
‘From any right-minded young man I might certainly have expected it,’ said Mr Pettigrew-Robinson blusteringly; ‘but Captain Cathcart was disagreeably secretive. On the only occasion when I showed a friendly interest in his affairs he was very rude indeed. He called me—’
‘That’ll do,’ interposed Sir Wigmore hastily, the answer to the question not having turned out as he expected. ‘What the deceased called you is immaterial.’
Mr Pettigrew-Robinson retired, leaving behind him the impression of a man with a grudge – an impression which seemed to please Mr Glibbery and Mr Brownrigg-Fortescue extremely, for they chuckled continuously through the evidence of the next two witnesses.
Mrs Pettigrew-Robinson had little to add to her previous evidence at the inquest. Miss Cathcart was asked by Sir Impey about Cathcart’s parentage, and she explained, with deep disapproval in her voice, that her brother, when an all-too-experienced and middle-aged man of the world, had, nevertheless ‘been entangled by’ an Italian singer of nineteen who had ‘contrived’ to make him marry her. Eighteen years later both parents had died. ‘No wonder,’ said Miss Cathcart, ‘with the rackety life they led,’ and the boy had been left to her care. She explained how Denis had always chafed at her influence, gone about with men she disapproved of, and eventually gone to Paris to make a diplomatic career for himself, since which time she had hardly seen him.
An interesting point was raised in the cross-examination of Inspector Craikes. A penknife being shown him, he identified it as the one found on Cathcart’s body.
By Mr Glibbery: ‘Do you observe any marks on the blade?’
‘Yes, there is a slight notch near the handle.’
‘Might the mark have been caused by forcing back the catch of a window?’
Inspector Craikes agreed that it might, but doubted whether so small a knife would have been adequate for such a purpose. The revolver was produced, and the question of ownership raised.
‘My lords,’ put in Sir Impey, ‘we do not dispute the Duke’s ownership of the revolver.’
The court looked surprised, and, after Hardraw the gamekeeper had given evidence of the shot heard at 11.30, the medical evidence was taken.
Sir Impey Biggs: ‘Could the wound have been self-inflicted?’
‘It could, certainly.’
‘Would it have been instantly fatal?’
‘No. From the amount of blood found upon the path it was obviously not immediately fatal.’
‘Are the marks found, in your opinion, consistent with deceased having crawled towards the house?’
‘Yes, quite. He might have had sufficient strength to do so.’
‘Would such a wound cause fever?’
‘It is quite possible. He might have lost consciousness for some time, and contracted a chill and fever by lying in the wet.’
‘Are the appearances consistent with his having lived for some hours after being wounded?’
‘They strongly suggest it.’
Re-examining, Sir Wigmore Wrinching established that the wound and general appearance of the ground were equally consistent with the theory that deceased had been shot by another hand at very close quarters, and dragged to the house before life was extinct.
‘In your experience is it more usual for a person committing suicide to shoot himself in the chest or in the head?’
‘In the head is perhaps more usual.’
‘So much as almost to create a presumption of murder when the wound is in the chest?’
‘I would not go so far as that.’
‘But, other things being equal, you would say that a wound in the head is more suggestive of suicide than a body-wound?’
‘That is so.’
Sir Impey Biggs: ‘But suicide by shooting in the heart is not by any means impossible?’
‘Oh dear, no.’
‘There have been such cases?’
‘Oh, certainly; many such.’
‘There is nothing in the medical evidence before you to exclude the idea of suicide?’
‘Nothing whatever.’
This closed the case for the Crown.
15
BAR FALLING
Copyright by Reuter, Press Association, Exchange Telegraph, and Central News.
WHEN Sir Impey Biggs rose to make his opening speech for the defence on the second day, it was observed that he looked somewhat worried – a thing very unusual in him. His remarks were very brief, yet in those few words he sent a thrill through the great assembly.
‘My lords, in rising to open this defence I find myself in a more than usually anxious position. Not that I have any doubts of your lordships’ verdict. Never perhaps has it been possible so clearly to prove the innocence of any accused person as in the case of my noble client. But I will explain to your lordships at once that I may be obliged to ask for an adjournment, since we are at present without an important witness and decisive piece of evidence. My lords, I hold here in my hand a cablegram from this witness – I will tell you his name; it is Lord Peter Wimsey, t
he brother of the accused. It was handed in yesterday at New York. I will read it to you. He says: “Evidence secured. Leaving tonight with Air Pilot Grant. Sworn copy and depositions follow by S.S. Lucarnia in case accident. Hope arrive Thursday.” My lords, at this moment this all-important witness is cleaving the air high above the wide Atlantic. In this wintry weather he is braving a peril which would appal any heart but his own and that of the world-famous aviator whose help he has enlisted, so that no moment may be lost in freeing his noble brother from this terrible charge. My lords, the barometer is falling.’
An immense hush, like the stillness of a black frost, had fallen over the glittering benches. The lords in their scarlet and ermine, the peeresses in their rich furs, counsel in their full-bottomed wigs and billowing gowns, the Lord High Steward upon his high seat, the ushers and the heralds and the gaudy king-of-arms, rested rigid in their places. Only the prisoner looked across at his counsel and back to the Lord High Steward in a kind of bewilderment, and the reporters scribbled wildly and desperately stop-press announcements – lurid headlines, picturesque epithets, and alarming weather predictions, to halt hurrying London on its way. ‘PEER’S SON FLIES ATLANTIC’; ‘BROTHER’S DEVOTION’; ‘WILL WIMSEY BE IN TIME?’; ‘RIDDLESDALE MURDER CHARGE: AMAZING DEVELOPMENT.’ This was news. A million tape-machines ticked it out in offices and clubs, where clerks and messenger-boys gloated over it and laid wagers on the result; the thousands of monster printing-presses sucked it in, boiled it into lead, champed it into slugs, engulfed it in their huge maws, digested it to paper, and flapped it forth again with clutching talons; and a blue-nosed ragged veteran, who had once assisted to dig Major Wimsey out of a shell-hole near Caudry, muttered: ‘Gawd ’elp ’im, ’e’s a real decent little blighter,’ as he tucked his newspapers into the iron grille of a tree in Kingsway and displayed his placard to the best advantage.
After a brief statement that he intended, not merely to prove his noble client’s innocence but (as a work of supererogation) to make clear every detail of the tragedy, Sir Impey Biggs proceeded without further delay to call his witnesses.
Among the first was Mr Goyles, who testified that he had found Cathcart already dead at 3 a.m., with his head close to the water-trough which stood near the well. Ellen, the maid-servant, next confirmed James Fleming’s evidence with regard to the post-bag, and explained how she changed the blotting-paper in the study every day.