The Scarlet Bat: A Detective Story — David Hume — John Shaqi
The Scarlet Bat: A Detective Story
David Hume · en
Afterwards followed the cause of the trouble. Fairy Fan, exquisitely
dressed, and quite overcome with emotion, deposed that the two men
both asked her to marry them. She refused both, as she wished to stay
with her dear uncle. Starth and Lancaster hated one another, but she
never thought it would come to this. Starth usually started the
quarrel, but it was always Lancaster who threatened. He frequently
expressed a wish that Starth was dead. Lancaster told her that when
slumming for his newspaper he sometimes carried a revolver. The weapon
produced in court was his. She had seen it once. It had belonged to
his father, Lancaster said. The elder Lancaster's name was Frank also,
hence the initials on the silver plate. The death of Starth and the
wickedness of Lancaster had inflicted two several shocks on her, so
that she had been out of the bill at the Piccadilly Theatre. She never
thought Lancaster was so bloodthirsty. He always seemed to be such a
quiet young man. Starth's language was certainly most insulting.
Mildred Starth was then called. She deposed that she was a sister of
the deceased. She lived in Essex, and saw very little of her brother.
They got on pretty well, but she was fond of a quiet life, and her
brother was never happy unless he was leading a fast one. On the night
previous to the murder she was in town. Her brother was in the box at
the Piccadilly Theatre; that was the last she saw of him. He seemed
excited and a little overcome with drink. She had heard him express
hatred of Lancaster, but he was careful in her presence not to explain
the reason. She had never heard him threaten Lancaster, but twice she
had heard him express fears lest Lancaster should kill him. He
described Lancaster as a ruffian from San Francisco. Witness had never
seen the accused man.
This formed the gist of evidence collected by the police, and it was
quite enough to permit the coroner making a speech strongly condemning
Lancaster. He said that no doubt Lancaster had intimated his intention
of calling on Starth, as there was no reason to believe that Starth,
who was manifestly afraid of his opponent, had invited him to come.
Lancaster had undoubtedly brought the revolver with him, and it would
seem that he had called on deceased with the intention of committing
the murder. Perhaps Starth--as seemed probable--had torn Lancaster's
card in two (the pieces having been found), and the insult had fired
Lancaster's rage. Hence the murder. It seems that no one heard the
shot; at all events no one could be found who could give such
evidence. The jury must therefore take the doctor's opinion that
Starth had been shot between six and eight. It was impossible to say
why Lancaster had remained behind with his victim's body until nine.
But he apparently did, as he was seen leaving the house by the
servant, Matilda Samuels. The jury had inspected the body, they had
heard the evidence and the cause of death, and on the facts before
them would give their verdict.