The Solution of a Mystery

J.S. Fletcher

The Solution of a Mystery

Warsaw 2019

Contents

I. ACCORDING TO THE PROSECUTION (Statement of Charles Henderson, Superintendent of Police, Ullathwaite)

II. THE DEFENCE IS SILENCE (Statement of Mr E. H. Wilsborough, Solicitor, of Ullathwaite)

III. THE TWELVE GOOD MEN (Statement of Mr Septimus Nettleton, Foreman of the Jury)

IV. THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH . . (Statement of Richard Radford)

I

ACCORDING TO THE PROSECUTION (Statement of Charles Henderson, Superintendent of Police, Ullathwaite)

At the request of Mr Philip Wynyard Wrenne, chairman of the West Riding magistrates at Ullathwaite, and as Superintendent of the West Riding Constabulary in that district, I proceed to write out, to the best of my ability, all that I know as regards the arrest and trial of Richard Radford, charged with the murder of Roger Maidment at Hagsdene Wood, on the outskirts of Ullathwaite, on the night of October 17, 1899. I shall endeavour to suppress any personal opinion of my own as regards this matter and shall confine myself to the bare facts of the case as they were presented to me in my official capacity. And here I had better explain a certain point in order to make things clear. Ullathwaite, as a borough, has its own borough police and magistrates; they deal with crimes and offences occurring within the borough. Hagsdene Wood, however, is outside the borough boundary; hence the Maidment affair came within the jurisdiction of the county police and justices and became my duty to investigate.

Ullathwaite is a small market-town in the purely agricultural part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its population in 1891 was a little over 4000. Except on market, fair, and auction days it is a slow-going, sleepy place. Being so small everybody–of any consequence–is well known; I mean, everybody is, so to speak, known to everybody else. Society follows the usual lines of English division. In and round about the town there is a small percentage of the upper class. There is a larger one of the middle class, subdivided into the various sections of professional folk, clergy, doctors, lawyers, bankers, better-class tradesmen and people engaged in commerce; beneath these comes the always more numerous class of workers in one or other line of labour. It is safe to repeat, however–and it is pertinent to what I shall have to say in this statement–that in Ullathwaite, whatever his rank or class, almost every man is well known to the rest of his fellow-townsmen. Those familiar with English country-town life will know what I mean when I say that the local newspaper, the Ullathwaite Advertiser, prints nothing but purely local news, and that its editor would regard the production of a monster gooseberry or abnormal vegetable-marrow by John Smith, market gardener, as being of vastly more importance to his readers than an eruption of Vesuvius or a revolution in Brazil.

Being an unmarried man, I live in lodgings, instead of having a house of my own. I lodge with Mrs Marriner, at Oak Cottage, a little way outside the town, on its western border and beyond the borough boundary. I have there three excellent rooms: two sitting-rooms, one of which I use as an office, and a bedroom which has a private bathroom attached to it. About half-past seven o’clock on the morning of October 18, 1899, I was in this bathroom when Mrs Marriner’s servant-maid, Esther Thorp, came knocking at the door, calling my name.

Mr Henderson, Mr Henderson!’ she cried. There’s a man downstairs, sir, says he must see you at once!’

Who is he?’ I called. What name?’

I think it’s Mr Wrenne’s gamekeeper, sir,’ she answered. But I don’t know his name. He says he must see you immediate!’

"Tell him I’ll be there in five minutes,’ I said.

I got out of my bath, had a rub down, and got into some clothes and a dressing-gown. I knew Mr Wrenne’s gamekeeper well enough, a man named Sevidge, and I guessed that if, or as, he wanted me there had been some scrap between him and poachers during the night. But when I went downstairs and saw him standing in Mrs Marriner’s kitchen I knew that there was something more serious than that.

"What is it, Sevidge?’ I asked.

He glanced round to make sure that we were alone. Then he came close.

It’s murder, Mr Henderson!’ he said in a low voice. Do you know that young fellow Maidment–Roger Maidment?’

The rent-collector?’ I replied. Yes!’

He’s lying there in Hagsdene Wood–dead,’ he went on. I found him just now, as I was on my way to Wrenne Park. Been lying there all night from the look of him–clothes wet through, and so on.’

"What makes you think it’s murder?’ I asked.

Ah!’ he answered. No doubt of it. There’s a wound on his left temple–but you’ll see for yourself. And–his pockets are all turned inside out. Murdered–and robbed!’

"Anybody else know?’ I inquired.

Not that I’m aware of,’ he replied. I found him by accident–and came straight back to you.’

Very well,’ I said. Now do something for me, Sevidge. The nearest of my men is Walshaw–’

"I know where he lives,’ he said.

Run down to him, then,’ I continued. Tell him to get two or three other men and to see Dr Simpson, and bring them all as quickly as possible to Hagsdene Wood. Then come back here and I’ll go along with you.’

He was an obliging fellow, Sevidge, and he hastened away there and then, while I hurried upstairs to finish dressing. While I dressed, I reflected on what I knew of Roger Maidment. He was a young fellow of, perhaps, five-and-twenty years of age, who, having been a clerk in an accountant’s office, had recently set up for himself as a collector of rents, and, I believe, had got quite a nice little business together. I happened to know, too, that he collected the rents of some property that lay on the farther side of Hagsdene Wood; probably he had been returning with the money in his pocket when, as Sevidge seemed to suggest, he had been waylaid, murdered, and robbed.

Sevidge was back within half an hour; as soon as I had swallowed a cup of tea and a mouthful of bread I set out with him. Hagsdene Wood was half a mile away. It was a bit of old woodland, thick with ancient oak and beech, which lay between the outskirts of the town and Wrenne Park–a gloomy and lonely place, intersected by two or three paths which formed short cuts from the neighbouring roads and lanes. And it was within a few yards of one of these paths that I found Maidment’s dead body: it had evidently been dragged from the path to where it lay. One glance at the dead man’s face and head showed me what had happened. He had been struck a terrible blow on the left temple–a blow sufficient to cause death, and probably repeated. Another glance confirmed what Sevidge had already told me–the dead man’s pockets had been turned out.

There was nothing to be done till my men and the doctor arrived, and as I was not very familiar with Hagsdene Wood I looked round to get my bearings. Through the trees, perhaps fifty or sixty yards away, at the edge of the wood, I saw the roof and chimneys of a house: it appeared to be the only house anywhere near where we stood.

Whose house is that, Sevidge?’ I asked. I suppose you know?’

Yes, sir,’ he answered. Mr Hebb lives there.’

I knew all about Hebb. He was managing clerk to Mr John Radford, a well-known solicitor of the town, and at that time Mayor of Ullathwaite.

I’ll just step across and find out if they heard anything during the night,’ I said. If Dr Simpson and the police come while I’m away, tell them I’ll be back in a few minutes. Touch nothing, Sevidge, till they come.’

No intention, sir!’ he replied grimly. Not to my taste.’

I went across the wood to Hebb’s house. It was a small place, an old-fashioned cottage really, standing in a pretty, tree-surrounded garden. I knocked at the front door, which faced the edge of the wood–knocked twice before I got any response. Then I heard a key turned, a bolt drawn; the door opened, and I found myself confronting Mrs Hebb. She was a very pretty, well-developed young woman of perhaps twenty-five years of age, the English type of fair hair and blue eyes; an attractive woman altogether. That I had disturbed her before she could complete her toilet was evident; her hair was loose about her shoulders, and she was still in a dressing-gown. Her eyes opened wide when she saw me–I was, of course, well known to her by sight, though I could not remember seeing her before.

Good morning, Mrs Hebb,’ I said. Sorry to disturb you. But–something’s happened just inside the wood there, and I wanted to ask you if you or your husband heard any sounds of a struggle or anything of that sort last evening, or during the night?’

Mrs Hebb turned very pale–indeed, the colour completely left her cheeks, which were naturally very rosy.

Last night?’ she faltered. I–we–I–we never–’

Hebb suddenly appeared behind his wife–in his shirt and trousers. He too stared at the sight of me.

"Something wrong, Superintendent?’ he asked.

There’s something very wrong,’ I replied. I don’t want to alarm Mrs Hebb, though. I came to ask if you or she, or both, heard any sound–cries, anything of that sort–from this wood last evening, or during the night?’

Hebb shook his head.

I was out till nearly midnight last night,’ he answered. It was my night at the School Board meeting at Heckinley–I’m clerk there, you know. I don’t get back till the very last train. No. I heard nothing during the night. Did you, Lettie?’

I heard nothing,’ replied Mrs Hebb. Her colour was coming back, and her voice grew firm. Neither last evening nor during the night.’

What is it, Superintendent?’ asked Hebb. Poachers?’

The fact is,’ I answered, there’s a dead man lying in the wood. You know him, I dare say. Maidment–Roger Maidment, the rent-collector.’

I was watching them both narrowly as I said this. Mrs Hebb’s pretty face puckered itself into a look of something like fear; Hebb simply stared.

Good Lord!’ he exclaimed. Maidment! Ah!–last night, I happen to know, was the night he collected rents from that property the other side of Hagsdene Wood. He used to make a short cut across the wood coming back–I’ve met him now and then. But–do you say he’s dead?’

Murdered!’ I answered. And robbed, too, no doubt. Well, you heard nothing?’

Nothing!’ they said, speaking together. Nothing at all.’

I left them and went back to the wood. My men had just arrived with Dr Simpson: we stood by while the doctor made a preliminary examination of the dead man.

He’s been struck two heavy blows with some blunt weapon–perhaps a very heavy walking-stick,’ he said, rising from his knees. Either would be sufficient to kill.’ Then, glancing at the turned-out pockets, he added, "Case of murder for the sake of robbery, I suppose?’

How long do you think he’s been dead, doctor?’ I asked. We must fix the approximate time if we can.’

Dr Simpson looked at his watch.

It’s now nearly half-past eight,’ he replied. I should say he’s been dead–and death would be instantaneous–roughly speaking, about ten hours.’

"That would make it about half-past ten last night,’ I remarked.

"About,’ he assented.

Having given certain orders to my men about the removal of the body, and the fencing off and guarding of the place where it had been found, I took Sevidge with me and, leaving Hagsdene Wood by the opposite side, went to visit the tenants of the property between it and Wrenne Park from whom Maidment collected rents.

2

The houses to which Sevidge and I now repaired made a little colony of their own, set in a narrow valley on the western side of Hagsdene Wood, and near the main entrance to Wrenne Park. I knew something about them and their owner. A few years previously a retired tradesman of Ullathwaite, Mr Stephen Winterbotham, having the chance of securing it at a fairly low price, had bought up the land in this valley, and had thereupon caused to be built some twelve or fifteen residences of the small villa type. Once erected, they had let readily, and were now all in occupancy. Mr Winterbotham, having amused and occupied himself by watching their construction, had, as soon as they were all finished and let, retired to enjoy the rest of his life at Scarborough, and had entrusted the collection of his rents to Roger Maidment. And Maidment, as I quickly ascertained, always called in person for the rents on the 17th day of each month. Why on that particular date I do not know, unless it was that the leases or agreements dated from some previous 17th.

I had no difficulty in getting the information I wanted. Maidment had been there the night before, and, going from house to house, had duly collected his rents. Some of the tenants had paid him by cheque; some in banknotes; some in gold; the total amount he received came to something like £112. More than a half of this was in notes and gold. Whether he had other moneys on him in addition to this when he was attacked, murdered, and robbed it was not, of course, possible to say: perhaps he had.

Nor had I any difficulty in ascertaining particulars about a highly important matter in reconstructing Maidment’s doings–the matter of exact time. Maidment had made his first call at the houses in Hagsdene Park–the general name of the little colony–at a quarter to nine the previous evening; his last at ten o’clock. He had stayed chatting a little at the last place; it would, they said, be about a quarter past ten when he left. As far as Sevidge and I could reckon things it would take him about twenty minutes to walk from this house to where his dead body was found in Hagsdene Wood.

Sevidge and I were coming away with this information–I had made a note of the various amounts collected by Maidment, and of the times concerned–when I heard my name called from one of the houses, and turned to find a tenant named Collingwood hailing me from his window.

Will you come back a minute, Superintendent?’ he called. I’ve something to tell you.’

We went back; Collingwood met us at his door and took us into his parlour. I had, of course, told him, as I had told all the other tenants, of what had happened.

I’ve just thought of something that may be of use to you,’ he said. It’s a small matter, but I suppose it’s in these cases as in most others–every little helps. As I told you before, I paid Maidment my month’s rent, six pounds, last night in gold–six sovereigns. Now amongst the six there was a sovereign with a hole in it!’

"A hole?’ I exclaimed.

A small hole–just drilled through, under the rim,’ he answered. As if it had been used as a pendant on a watch-chain. I don’t know where I got it–in change, somewhere, I suppose. I’d never noticed it, never known that I had it until I was counting out the six sovereigns to Maidment. Then we both noticed it. He made some remark about defaced coinage. I offered to go upstairs and get him another. No, he said, it wasn’t worth the trouble: he’d shove it into the bank amongst all the others; he said they’d never notice it. But–there it is! A sovereign with a hole in it. Worth anything as a clue, Superintendent?’

It was a very small clue, but, after all, it was a clue, and I made a note of it. A sovereign... through which a small hole had been drilled.

3

I went back to