CORONER: One other point, Miss Stonor. You have no reason to believe that your sister contemplated suicide?
ENID: Certainly not.
CORONER: At the same time when a young lady — admittedly of a nervous, highly-strung disposition — is crossed in her love affairs, such a possibility cannot be excluded. You can throw no light upon such a supposition?
ENID: No.
FOREMAN: Don t you think Mr. Coroner if the young lady had designs upon herself she would have stayed in her room and not rushed out into the passage?
CORONER: Well that is for your consideration and judgement. You have heard this young lady’s evidence. Have any of you any questions to put?
ARMITAGE (rising): Well I’m a plain man, a Methodist and the son of a Methodist —
CORONER: What is your name sir?
ARMITAGE: I’m Mr. Armitage sir. I own the big shop in the village.
CORONER: Well sir?
ARMITAGE: I’m a Methodist and the son of a Methodist —
CORONER: Your religious opinions are not under discussion, Mr. Armitage.
ARMITAGE: But I speaks my mind as man to man I pays my taxes the same as the rest of them.
CORONER: Have you any questions to ask?
ARMITAGE: I would like to ask this young lady whether her stepfather uses her ill for there are some queer stories got about in the village.
CORONER: The question would be out of order. It does not bear upon the death of the deceased.
FOREMAN: Well sir I will put Mr. Armitage’s question in another shape. Can you tell us Miss, whether your stepfather ill used the deceased young lady?
ENID: He — he was not always gentle.
ARMITAGE: Does he lay hands on you? — that’s what I want to know.
CORONER: Really, Mr. Armitage.
ARMITAGE: Excuse me, Mr. Coroner. I’ve lived in this village, boy and man for fifty years and I can look any man in the face.
(ARMITAGE sits.)
CORONER: You have heard the question, Miss Stonor. I don’t know that we could insist upon your answering it.
ENID: Gentlemen, my stepfather has spent his life in the tropics. It has affected his health. There are times — there are times — when he loses control over his temper. At such times he is liable to be violent. My sister and I thought — hoped — that he was not really responsible for it. He is sorry for it afterwards.
CORONER: Well, Miss Stonor, I am sure I voice the sentiments of the Jury when I express our profound sympathy for the sorrow which has come upon you.
(JURY all murmur, “Certainly,” “Quite so,” etc.)
Call Mr. Scott Wilson. We need not detain you any longer.
(ENID rises and goes into the morning-room.)
OFFICER (at door): Mr. Scott Wilson.
(Enter SCOTT WILSON — a commonplace young gentleman.)
CORONER: Swear him, officer —
(SCOTT WILSON mumbles and kisses the Book.)
I understand, Mr. Scott Wilson, that you were engaged to be married to the deceased.
WILSON: Yes, sir.
CORONER: Since how long?
WILSON: Six weeks.
CORONER: Was there any quarrel between you?
WILSON: None.
CORONER: Were you in a position to marry?
WILSON: Yes.
CORONER: Was there any talk of an immediate marriage?
WILSON: Well, sir, we hoped before the summer was over.
CORONER: We hear of obstacles. What were the obstacles?
WILSON: Dr. Rylott. He would not hear of the marriage.
CORONER: Why not?
WILSON: He gave no reason, sir.
CORONER: There was some scandal, was there not?
WILSON: Yes, sir, he assaulted me.
CORONER: What happened?
WILSON: He met me in the village. He was like a raving madman. He struck me several times with his cane, and he set his boar-hound upon me.
CORONER: What did you do?
WILSON: I took refuge in one of the little village shops.
ARMITAGE (jumping up): I beg your pardon, young gentleman, you took refuge in my shop.
WILSON: Yes, sir, I took refuge in Mr. Armitage’s shop.
(ARMITAGE sits.)
CORONER: And a police charge resulted?
WILSON: I withdrew it, sir, out of consideration for my fiancée.
CORONER: But you continued your engagement?
WILSON: I would not be bullied out of that.
CORONER: Quite so. But this opposition, and her fears as to your safety, caused Miss Stonor great anxiety?
WILSON: Yes.
CORONER: Apart from that, you can say nothing which throws any light on this sad event?
WILSON: No. I had not seen her for a week before her death.
CORONER: She never expressed any particular apprehension to you?
WILSON: She was always nervous and unhappy.
CORONER: But nothing definite?
WILSON: No.
CORONER: Any questions, gentlemen. (Pause.) Very good. Call Dr. Watson! You may go.
(SCOTT WILSON goes out through the entrance hall.
OFFICER (at morning-room door): Dr. WATSON!
(Enter DR. WATSON.)
CORONER: You will kindly take the oath. Gentlemen, at the opening of this Court, and before you viewed the body, you had read to you the evidence of Professor Van Donop, the pathologist who is unable to be present to-day. Dr. Watson’s evidence is supplementary to that. You are not in practice, I understand, Dr. Watson?
WATSON: No, sir.
CORONER: A retired Army Surgeon, I understand?
WATSON: Yes.
CORONER: Dear me! you retired young.
WATSON: I was wounded in the Afghan Campaign.
CORONER: I see, I see. You knew Dr. Rylott before this tragedy?
WATSON: No, sir. I knew Mrs. Stonor when she was a widow, and I knew her two daughters. That was in India. I heard of her re-marriage and her death. When I heard that the children, with their stepfather, had come to England, I wrote and reminded them that they had at least one friend.
CORONER: Well, what then?
WATSON: I heard no more until I received a wire from Miss Enid Stonor. I at once came down to Stoke Moran.
CORONER: You were the first medical man to see the body?
WATSON: Dr. Rylott is himself a medical man.
CORONER: Exactly. You were the first independent medical man?
WATSON: Oh, yes, sir.
CORONER: Without going too far into painful details, I take it that you are in agreement with Professor Van Donop’s report and analysis?
WATSON: Yes, sir.
CORONER: You found no physical lesion?
WATSON: No.
CORONER: Nothing to account for death?
WATSON: No.
CORONER: No signs of violence?
WATSON: No.
CORONER: Nor of poison?
WATSON: No.
CORONER: Yet there must be a cause?
WATSON: There are many causes of death which leave no sign.
CORONER: For instance — ?
WATSON: Well, for instance, the subtler poisons. There are many poisons for which we have no test.
CORONER: No doubt. But you will remember, Dr. Watson, that this young lady died some five or six hours after her last meal. So far as the evidence goes it was only then that she could have taken Poison, unless she took it of her own free will; in which case we Should have expected to find some paper or bottle in her room. But it would indeed be a strange poison which could strike her down so suddenly many hours after it was taken. You perceive difficulty?
WATSON: Yes sir.
CORONER: You could name no such poison?
WATSON: No.
CORONER: Then what remains?
WATSON: There are other causes. One may die of nervous shock or one may die of a broken heart.
CORONER: Had you any reason to think that the deceased had undergone ne
rvous shock?
WATSON: Only the narrative of her sister.
CORONER: You have formed no conjecture as to the nature of the shock?
WATSON: No sir.
CORONER: You spoke of a broken heart. Have you any reason for using such an expression?
WATSON: Only my general impression that she was not happy.
CORONER: I fear we cannot deal with general impressions.
(Murmurs of acquiescence from the JURY)
You have no definite reason?
WATSON: None that I can put into words.
CORONER: Has any juror any question to ask?
ARMITAGE (rising): I’m a plain downright man and I want to get to the bottom of this thing.
CORONER: We all share your desire Mr. Armitage.
ARMITAGE: Look here Doctor you examined this lady. Did you find any signs of violence?
WATSON: I have already said I did not.
ARMITAGE: I mean bruises, or the like.
WATSON: No sir.
CORONER: Any questions?
ARMITAGE: I would like to ask the Doctor whether he wrote to these young ladies because he had any reason to think they were ill-used.
WATSON: No, sir. I wrote because I knew their mother.
ARMITAGE: What did their mother die of?
WATSON: I have no idea.
CORONER Really Mr. Armitage you go too far!
(ARMITAGE sits.)
Anything else?
FOREMAN: May I ask, Dr. Watson, whether you examined the window of the room to see if any one from outside could have molested the lady?
WATSON: The window was bolted.
FOREMAN: Yes, but had it been bolted all night?
WATSON: Yes, it had.
CORONER: How do you know?
WATSON: By the dust on the window-latch.
CORONER: Dear me, Doctor, you are very observant!
WATSON: I have a friend, sir, who trained me in such matters.
CORONER: Well, your evidence seems final on that point. We are all obliged to you, Dr. Watson, and will detain you no longer.
(Exit DR. WATSON into the morning-room.)
OFFICER (at door): Mr. Rodgers!
(Enter RODGERS.)
CORONER: Swear him!
(Business of swearing.)
Well, Mr. Rodgers, how long have you been in the service of Dr. Rylott?
RODGERS: For many years, sir.
CORONER: Ever since the family settled here?
RODGERS: Yes, sir. I’m an old man, sir, too old to change. I don’t suppose I’d get another place if I lost this one. He tells me it would be the gutter or the workhouse.
CORONER: Who tells you?
RODGERS: Him, sir — the master. But I am not saying anything against him, sir. No, no, don’t think that — not a word against the master. You won’t misunderstand me?
CORONER: You seem nervous?
RODGERS: Well, I’m an old man, sir, and things like this —
CORONER: Quite so, we can understand. Now, Rodgers, upon the night of April 14, you helped to carry the deceased to her room.
RODGERS: Did I, sir? Who said that?
CORONER: We had it in Miss Stonor’s evidence. Was it not so?
RODGERS: Yes, yes, if Miss Enid said it. What Miss Enid says is true. And what the master says is true. It’s all true.
CORONER: I suppose you came when you heard the scream?
RODGERS: Yes, yes, the scream in the night; I came to it.
CORONER: And what did you see?
RODGERS: I saw — I saw — (Puts his hands up as if about to faint.)
CORONER: Come, come, man, speak out.
RODGERS: I’m — I’m frightened.
CORONER: You have nothing to fear. You are under protection of the law. Who are you afraid of? Your master?
RODGERS (rising): No, no, gentlemen, don’t think that! No, no!
CORONER: Well, then — what did you see?
RODGERS: She was on the ground, sir, and Miss Enid beside her — both in white night clothes. My master was standing near them.
CORONER: Well?
RODGERS: We carried the young lady to her room and laid her on her couch. She never spoke nor moved. I know no more indeed I know no more.
(Sinking into his chair.)
CORONER: Any questions, gentlemen?
ARMITAGE: You live in the house all the time?
RODGERS: Yes, sir.
ARMITAGE: Does your master ever knock you about?
RODGERS: No, sir, no.
ARMITAGE: Well, Mr. Scott Wilson told us what happened to him, and I know he laid the gardener up for a week and paid ten pound to keep out of court. You know that yourself.
RODGERS: No, no, sir, I know nothing of the kind.
ARMITAGE: Well, every one else in the village knows. What I want to ask is — was he ever violent to these young ladies?
FOREMAN: Yes, that’s it. Was he violent?
RODGERS: No, not to say violent. No, he’s a kind man, the master.
(Pause.)
CORONER: Call Mrs. Staunton, the housekeeper. That will do.
(Exit RODGERS into the servant’s hall.)
(Enter MRS. STAUNTON from the morning-room.)
CORONER: You are housekeeper here?
MRS. STAUNTON: Yes, sir. (Standing.)
CORONER: How long have you been here?
MRS. STAUNTON: Ever since the family settled here.
CORONER: Can you tell us anything of this matter?
MRS. STAUNTON: I knew nothing of it, sir, till after the poor young lady had been laid upon the bed. After that it was I who took charge of things, for Dr. Rylott was so dreadfully upset that he could do nothing.
CORONER: Oh! he was very upset, was he?
MRS. STAUNTON: I never saw a man in such a state of grief.
CORONER: Living in the house you had numerous opportunities of seeing the relations between Dr. Rylott and his two stepdaughters.
MRS. STAUNTON: Yes, sir.
CORONER: How would you describe them?
MRS. STAUNTON: He was kindness itself to them. No two young ladies could be better treated than they have been.
CORONER: It has been suggested that he was sometimes violent to them.
MRS. STAUNTON: Never, sir. He was like a tender father.
ARMITAGE: How about that riding switch? We’ve heard tales about that.
MRS. STAUNTON: Oh, it’s you, Mr. Armitage? There are good reasons why you should make mischief against the Doctor. He told you what he thought of you and your canting ways.
CORONER: Now, then, I cannot have these recriminations. If I had known, Mr. Armitage, that there was personal feeling between the Doctor and you —
ARMITAGE: Nothing of the sort, sir. I’m doing my public duty.
CORONER: Well, the evidence of the witness seems very clear in combating your assertion of ill-treatment. Any other Juror? Very good, Mrs. Staunton.
(Exit MRS. STAUNTON into the servants’ hall.)
Call Dr. Grimesby RYLOTT.
OFFICER (calls at morning-room door): Dr. Rylott.
(Enter DR. RYLOTT.)
CORONER: Dr. Rylott, do you identify the body of the deceased as that of your stepdaughter, Violet Stonor?
RYLOTT: Yes, sir.
CORONER: Can you say anything which will throw any light upon this unhappy business?
RYLOTT: You may well say unhappy, sir. It has completely unnerved me.
CORONER: No doubt.
RYLOTT: She was the ray of sunshine in the house. She knew my ways. I am lost without her.
Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) Page 943
