CHAPTER XXXII.
"THE LITTLE BUSY BEE'S" REPORT OF THE INQUEST.
This morning, at the Coroner's Court, Bishop Street, Mr. John Kent,the Coroner for the district, opened an inquiry into the death of Mr.Samuel Boyd, of Catchpole Square, who was found dead in his house onSaturday, the 9th inst., under circumstances which have already beenreported in the newspapers.
The coroner, addressing the jury, said the initial proceedings wouldbe chiefly formal. Their first duty would be to view the body of thedeceased; after that certain witnesses would be examined who wouldtestify to the finding of the body, and others who would give evidenceof identification. The inquiry would then be adjourned till Wednesday,on which day medical and other evidence would be forthcoming. Herefrained from any comment on the case, and he advised the jury toturn a deaf ear to the strange rumours and reports which were incirculation; it was of the utmost importance that they should keep anopen mind, and be guided only by the evidence which would be presentedto them. Much mischief was frequently done by the prejudice aroused byinjudicious public comment on a case presenting such singular featuresas the present. Comments of this nature were greatly to be deplored;they hampered, instead of assisting, the cause of justice.
The jury then proceeded to Catchpole Square to view the body, and upontheir return to court Mr. Finnis, Q.C., rose and stated that heappeared for Lord and Lady Wharton, who had a close and peculiarinterest in the inquiry.
The Coroner said the inquiry would be conducted in the usual manner,without the aid of counsel, whose assistance would be available inanother court, but not in this, where no accusation was broughtagainst any person, and where no person was on his trial.
Mr. Finnis: "Our desire is to render material assistance to you andthe jury. Lady Wharton----"
The Coroner: "I cannot listen to you, Mr. Finnis."
Mr. Finnis: "Lady Wharton has most important, I may say mostextraordinary evidence to give----"
The Coroner: "Her evidence will be received, but not to-day. Pray beseated."
Mr. Finnis: "Her ladyship is in attendance."
The Coroner: "She is at liberty to remain; but I repeat, her evidencecannot be received to-day. Only formal evidence will be taken toenable the body to be buried."
Mr. Finnis: "Evidence of identification, I understand?"
The Coroner: "Yes."
Mr. Finnis: "Lady Wharton's evidence bears expressly upon this point."
The Coroner: "It must be tendered at the proper time."
Mr. Finnis: "With all respect, Mr. Coroner, I submit that this is theproper time."
The Coroner: "I am the judge of that. I ask you not to persist. Ishall conduct this inquiry in accordance with my duties as Coroner."
The first witness called was Mr. Robert Starr.
"You are a reporter?"
"A special reporter and descriptive writer for 'The Little Busy Bee.'"
"Were you the first person to enter the house in Catchpole Squareafter the death of Mr. Samuel Boyd?"
"I cannot say. Some person or persons had been there before me, as isproved by a broken window at the back of the house through which Iobtained entrance, but whether after or before the death of Mr. Boydis unknown to me."
"It appears, however, to have been a recent entrance?"
"It appears so."
"You have no knowledge of these persons?"
"None whatever."
"Having obtained entrance into the house, what next did you do?"
"I went through a passage, and up a staircase to another passage whichleads to the street door. In this passage are doors opening intovarious rooms. I looked into these rooms without making any discovery,until I came to one which seems to have been used as an office. Thereare two doors in this office, one opening into a small room in which Isaw nothing to arouse my suspicions, the other opening into a largerroom which I found was a sleeping apartment."
"Examine this plan of the rooms, and tell us whether it is accurate?"
"Quite accurate, so far as my memory serves."
"The room on the right is the sleeping apartment?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Samuel Boyd's bedroom?"
"I do not know. There was a bed in it, and the usual appointments of abedroom. I stepped up to the bed, and saw it was occupied. Examiningcloser, I discovered that the person in it was dead."
"By the person you mean Mr. Samuel Boyd?"
"I do not. I have never seen Mr. Boyd in his lifetime, and I could nottherefore identify the body. But from the fact of the house being his,and from certain rumours of foul play which had reached me, I assumedthat it was he."
"You examined the body?"
"Yes, and I observed marks on the throat which favoured thepresumption that the man had been murdered."
"In his sleep?"
"I cannot vouch for that."
"Were there any signs of a struggle?"
"None. The limbs were composed, and what greatly surprised me was theorderly condition of the bedclothes."
"How long did you remain in the house?"
"About two hours."
"During that time were you quite alone?"
"Quite alone."
"Were there any indications of a robbery having been committed?"
"I observed none. The clothes of the deceased were on a chair, andthere was no appearance of their having been rifled. There is a safefixed to the wall; it did not seem to have been tampered with."
"Having completed your examination, what next did you do?"
"I left the house, and proceeded to the Bishop Street Police Stationto give information of my discovery."
"And after that?"
"I went to the office of 'The Little Busy Bee,' and wrote an accountof what I had seen and done, which, being published, was the firstinformation the public received of the murder--if murder it was."
"Had any orders been given to you to take action in this matter?"
"None. I acted entirely on my own initiative."
"What impelled you?"
"Well, there seemed to me to be a mystery which should be unravelledin the public interests. I pieced three things together. Thedisappearance of Mr. Boyd's clerk, as reported in our paper, thesilence of Mr. Boyd respecting that disappearance, upon which, had hewritten or spoken, he could probably have thrown some light, and thehouse in Catchpole Square sealed up, so to speak. These thingsrequired to be explained, and I set about it."
Mr. Finnis, Q.C.: "Now, Mr. Starr, at what time in the morning----"
The Coroner: "No, no, Mr. Finnis. I instruct the witness not to answerany questions you put to him."
Mr. Finnis: "Will you, then Mr. Coroner, ask him at what hour in themorning he made the discovery? I assure you it is a most importantpoint."
The Coroner: "At what hour in the morning did you enter the house?"
"At a little after ten."
"And you left it?"
"At a few minutes before twelve. I went straight to the policestation, where, no doubt, the time can be verified."
"Have you any other information to give bearing on this inquiry?"
"One thing should be mentioned. In my printed narrative I state that Inoticed dark stains upon the floor of the office and the bedroom, andthat I traced these stains to the window at the back. I scraped off aportion of the stains, which I gave to my chief, who handed it to ananalyst. His report is that they are the stains of human blood."
"Were they stains of old standing?"
"No. I scraped them off quite easily."
"Did you observe any blood on the bedclothes?"
"None whatever."
The next witness was Constable Simmons, who stated that he andConstable Filey were instructed by the day inspector at the BishopStreet Police Station to enter the house for the purpose ofascertaining whether there was any truth in the information given byMr. Starr.
"At what time were those instructions issued?"
"Somewhere about
three o'clock."
"So that three hours elapsed before any action was taken?
"I am under orders, sir."
The witness then gave an account of how he got into the house by meansof a ladder over the wall at the back, and through the window.Corroborating in every particular the evidence of the reporter, hewent a step farther. In the bedroom of the deceased he found the keyof the street door, which he opened to admit Constable Filey, who waskeeping watch in the Square outside. The street door was neitherchained nor bolted. He did not see any stains of blood on the floor;he did not look for them.
Constable Filey, who was next examined, gave evidence to the sameeffect. Neither of these officers was acquainted with Mr. Samuel Boyd,and could not therefore speak as to the identification of the body.
Inspector Robson was then called. His appearance caused someexcitement, it being understood that his daughter was married to theson of the deceased.
"You are an inspector of police?"
"Yes. At present on night duty at the Bishop Street Station."
"You were acquainted with Mr. Samuel Boyd?"
"Not personally. I have seen him several times, but have never spokento him."
"You are sufficiently familiar with his features to identify him?"
"I am."
"When did you first hear of his death?"
"On Saturday afternoon, when I was sitting at home with my wife and mynephew, Mr. Richard Remington. The boys were calling out news of amurder in Catchpole Square, and we went out and bought a paper."
"Before Saturday afternoon had your attention been directed in any wayto the house in which the deceased resided?"
"Yes. Last Tuesday night a woman was brought into the office who madea statement respecting the disappearance of her husband, who had beenin the service of the deceased."
"What is the name of the woman?"
"Mrs. Abel Death. I advised her to apply to the magistrate on thefollowing morning, in order that it might be made public."
"After reading the news in the paper on Saturday afternoon what didyou do?"
"I went to the Bishop Street Station, and learned that constables hadbeen sent to enter the house, for the purpose of ascertaining if thestatement made by the reporter was correct."
"And then?"
"I went to Catchpole Square, accompanied by Constable Applebee and mynephew, Mr. Richard Remington--both of whom were acquainted with thedeceased--I entered the house and saw the body. I identified it as thebody of Mr. Samuel Boyd."
"Is there any doubt in your mind on the point?"
"Not the slightest. I have seen him scores of times, and his featureswere quite familiar to me."
"You saw the marks on his throat?"
"Yes."
"Have you any idea as to the cause of his death?"
"It appeared to me to have been caused by strangulation."
"Now, Inspector Robson, I wish to ask you if you formed any idea as tohow long he had been dead. You cannot, of course, speak with theauthority of an expert, but we should like to hear what yourimpression was?"
"My impression was that he had been dead several days."
At this answer considerable commotion was caused by a lady exclaiming"Impossible! Impossible!"