"Well, there seemed to me to be a mystery which should be unravelled in the public interests. I pieced three things together. The disappearance of Mr. Boyd's clerk, as reported in our paper, the silence of Mr. Boyd respecting that disappearance, upon which, had he written or spoken, he could probably have thrown some light, and the house in Catchpole Square sealed up, so to speak. These things required 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 answer any questions you put to him." Mr. Finnis: "Will you, then Mr. Coroner, ask him at what hour in the morning he made the discovery? I assure you it is a most important point." 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 police station, 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 I noticed dark stains upon the floor of the office and the bedroom, and that I traced these stains to the window at the back. I scraped off a portion of the stains, which I gave to my chief, who handed it to an analyst. 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 and Constable Filey were instructed by the day inspector at the Bishop Street Police Station to enter the house for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was any truth in the information given by Mr. 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 means of a ladder over the wall at the back, and through the window. Corroborating in every particular the evidence of the reporter, he went a step farther. In the bedroom of the deceased he found the key of the street door, which he opened to admit Constable Filey, who was keeping watch in the Square outside. The street door was neither chained 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 same effect. 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 some excitement, it being understood that his daughter was married to the son 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?"