'It seemed to have been slept in the night before, and the clothes
were not much disarranged; but on the lower sheet, close to the
bolster, was a large stain of blood.
'The stain was about the size of a cheese-plate, dark in the centre,
and fainter round the edge. There was no other trace of violence.
'The room was then searched. All present took part in the search
except prisoner, who sat in a chair looking on.
'Deceased's clothes, worn by her the day before, were found in their
proper places, thus negativing the idea that she could have gone away
herself. Her nightdress, on the other hand, was missing. This would
point to the prisoner's having killed her in her sleep and disposed of
the body as it was.
'No further trace of violence was discovered in the room. The butler
then got them all out, and locked both doors on the outside. He then
went for the police.
'This was about half-past nine. On his way to the police-station he
met Mr. Lewis, deceased's nephew. He stopped him and related the
circumstances.
'Mr. Lewis was greatly upset. As soon as he was able to speak he
pointed out that the only possible author of the crime was Miss Owen.
He turned and accompanied Simons to the police-station.
'At the police-station they found Sergeant James Evans. To him Simons
detailed the incidents already described. Mr. Lewis then stepped
forward and said:
'"I charge Eleanor Owen with the murder of my aunt, Ann Elizabeth
Lewis. I have made some money, and, please God, I'll spend every
penny of it rather than my poor aunt shall remain unavenged."'
('All this is not evidence,' muttered the barrister, impatiently
scoring out the paragraph with his pencil. 'Why does Pollard put
in things like this? Perhaps it supplies a clue, though, to his
enthusiasm,' added Mr. Prescott thoughtfully. 'I dare say he's got
this Lewis behind him, and is bleeding him pretty freely. That
accounts for the figures on my brief, so I oughtn't to complain. But
I wish to goodness it were anybody but old Owen's daughter. Why, I
can remember kissing her when she was only six years old.')
'Sergeant Evans, who will be called as a witness, now proceeded to the
house and made a thorough search. Two important facts were now
discovered.
'The butler had left the house by the back door, but on returning with
Mr. Lewis the party entered by the front. Simons stepped forward with
his latchkey to open the door, but found the latch already lifted, and
stuck fast in its raised position.
'This was a thing which always occurred if the latch was lifted too
high. The keyhole is shaped like an inverted T, and the members of the
household who carried keys were generally careful not to push them
too far upward, lest this result should occur.
'Counsel will probably be inclined to see a sufficient explanation of
the incident in the agitation and haste by which a criminal would
naturally be overcome just after the commission of such a crime.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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