Sherlock Holmes (42 page)

The day of the Inquest had arrived and Holmes
had risen bright and early. “Come along, Watson. We want a front
row seat!” I knew that he said this in jest as he being the person
representing Flora's family, he would already be at the front of
the court!

The Inquest
was to be convened not far from Broad Street, in the concert room
of the Crown and Glove Hotel
and
conducted by the local Coroner, Mr Thomas Hughes, with a 14 man
jury. We hailed a cab and soon arrived at the hostelry. The Crown
and Glove was, considering the area, quite a grand building. It was
built in red, London brick with contrasting brickwork around the
windows which, in turn, were acid etched and gilded with Acanthus
leaves.

The Hotel housed two bars and signs directed
the public to the Coroners court. A constable was on duty at the
entrance to the concert room and he saluted smartly as we
approached. Holmes passed the constable a note for the Coroner.
This advised him that Holmes was to be the representative of the
Smith Family. The constable saluted again and directed us to a
single row of chairs which had been arranged facing a small raised
stage.

Upon the stage, the curtains had been pulled
back and a central table, with a single chair, had been reserved
for the Coroner. To the sides were two smaller tables. One for the
court recorder and one for a legal assistant, should the Coroner
need clarification on any points of law. The jury were to be seated
to one side of the court so that they could have a clear view of
both the stage and also the 'body' of the court, as it were.

The room began to fill, mostly, it seemed,
with local people who were simply curious but also with some
members of the Smith family. I saw little Alfie and his cousin,
Lucy, sitting between a lady and gentleman who I took to be Alfie's
parents. Alfie waved only to be scolded by his mother. Sitting
amongst the public I observed two reporters complete with note
books. One of them was to be seen making sketches of the improvised
courtroom.

The police presence had notably increased
and, as I watched, the fourteen members of the jury filed in and
sat on their allotted chairs. On the opposite side of the room a
table and two chairs had been set out. From my position, I saw
Flora being led in, handcuffed to a female police officer. Holmes,
I could, see had noticed her and gave her a nod and a smile. Flora,
in turn, responded with a weak smile but she looked unwell. Her
complexion was quite grey.

Once everyone was seated, a door to the side
of the stage opened and the Coroner, flanked by his assistants,
entered. As one, the whole room rose and waited until the Coroner
was seated before sitting once more.

Clearing his throat, the Coroner, Mr Hughes,
addressed the court. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today not
to apportion blame but to determine facts. From those facts we will
make a finding, a representation, if you will, to the authorities
who will in turn decide whether any further action needs to be
taken. This is an inquisitorial process, it is not a trial with a
defendant and a prosecutor. We are here to find out why these
deaths occurred, the cause and the circumstances. I shall call
witnesses and listen to testimony from interested parties. I
understand that Mr Sherlock Holmes is here on behalf of the Smith
family, is that so?”

Holmes stood and bowed slightly towards the
Coroner. “Indeed, sir. I am.”

The Coroner nodded and Holmes resumed his
seat. I leant towards Holmes and whispered, “This seems very
formal, Holmes. It must be very frightening for Flora and her
family.”

Holmes’ face was impassive. “I fear it may
become quite difficult for them.”

The Coroner continued by stating that he was
satisfied with the identification of the two persons who had
perished and called the first witness, Sergeant Grey.

A tall police Sergeant in full uniform and
sporting fine 'mutton chop' whiskers approached the table where
Flora sat. He was then sworn in to give evidence under oath. In his
testimony, he repeated what he had written in his report. He then
added that the hammer that was found in the scullery had been
tested for finger prints and those found on the handle matched
those of Flora Smith. At this, there was the sound of booing and
loud muttering from the public.

The Coroner struck the table firmly with his
gavel, saying loudly, “Silence!”

Sergeant Grey was about to sit down when
Holmes rose and addressed the Coroner. “If you please, sir. I would
like to question this witness.” The Coroner nodded. Holmes turned
to Sergeant Grey and smiled. “Tell me, Sergeant, how was the
behaviour of Flora Smith when you first met her?”

The Sergeant rubbed his whiskers. “Well, sir.
She was unsteady, confused, like. She was staggering as if she had
taken some drink but she hadn't, I smelled her breath and I found
no intoxicants when I searched the house.”

Holmes continued. “The hammer you discovered
in the scullery that had Flora's fingerprints upon the handle, was
it hidden?”

Sergeant Grey replied immediately, “No, sir.
It was in plain view beneath the sink.”

 Holmes put his index finger to his
lips. “Was there evidence of any blood or hair at all on the hammer
head?”

The Sergeant referred to his pocket book.
“No, sir. Just a little coal dust.”

Holmes nodded. “Oh, just one final thing,
Sergeant. Did you examine the window in the back bedroom?"

The Sergeant nodded. "Yes, sir. There was a
piece of folded newspaper inserted in the gap in the frame,
seemingly to stop draughts of air entering the room."

Holmes paused. "Did you also examine the
chimney in the back bedroom at Broad Street? When I visited the
property, I determined that it had been blocked by a previous
tenant.”

The Sergeant looked quite shocked and
stammered, “Why... no, sir. It never occurred to me.” Holmes
thanked the Sergeant and sat down.

The next witness to be called was Dr Parry.
As expected, he presented his findings admirably including the
results of his analysis of the blood samples and stomach
contents.

At the completion of Dr Parry's evidence,
Holmes rose from his chair again, asking, “If I may...” The coroner
nodded and simply waved in Holmes’ direction. “Dr Parry, you stated
that the lungs and blood of the victims showed evidence of
inhalation of carbonic oxide gas. How is carbonic oxide gas formed
in a domestic situation?”

Dr Parry turned and faced the jury. He then
proceeded as though he was giving a lecture. "Carbonic oxide gas is
an invisible and odourless gas produced when a source of carbon, in
a fuel, for example coal gas, coal, coke or wood, is burned with an
insufficient or restricted supply of oxygen. It is a natural
product of combustion and is present in the smoke given off as the
fuel burns.”

Holmes nodded. “What would happen then, Dr
Parry, if a room was lacking in a source of fresh air and the smoke
could not escape?”

Dr Parry continued. “If a room were not to be
properly ventilated, these gases would build up very rapidly to a
point where they would become fatal."

Holmes nodded. "Tell me, Dr Parry, what would
be the effects of this gas on a person who had, say, bronchitis
compared to a younger, fitter person?"

Dr Parry thought for a moment. "In my
opinion, the person with bronchitis would become breathless and
agitated as they tried to breathe faster, to catch their breath.
This would, in turn, draw in more of the carbonic oxide gas. Their
complexion would become reddish purple in colour as their blood
became damaged by the gas. In the healthy person, the same
concentration of gas might make them unable to move for some hours
after waking. It may also cause them to be severely confused and
have difficulty with their balance."

Holmes referred to the notes he had made from
the post-mortem report. "I noticed, in the coal cellar at Broad
Street, that there were marks on the steps and on the wall that
suggested a person had fallen down the cellar steps. How might that
be in keeping with your examination of the body of James
Smith?"

Dr Parry replied without hesitation. "The
injuries I discovered on the body, the grazing to the arm, the
broken fingernails with coal dust residue, the bruising to the face
and ribs are all conducive with a fall down a flight of steps."
Holmes nodded to Dr Parry and sat down.

Holmes did not rise to ask questions as
family members were called to relate the background of the family
and to describe how Flora's parent's health had deteriorated over
the preceding months. Only at the end did Holmes, once again,
stand.

Half facing the Coroner and the jury, he
proceeded thus. "Sir, as a representative of the Smith family, I
would like to make a statement regarding the facts as I see
them."

The Coroner nodded. "I am sure the court
would welcome your appraisal, Mr Holmes." Holmes bowed briefly.

"We have heard how Flora Smith staggered in
distress to a local shop after being trapped under the bodies of
her parents for several hours. That fateful night, she had lit a
fire in the bedroom for the first and, unfortunately, the last time
using waste coke called Rattle-Jacks. She had done this not knowing
that the chimney had been almost totally blocked by Mr Levy, the
previous tenant. Flora's father, James Smith, had blocked a source
of ventilation into the room and these pieces of coke had then
burned with little oxygen. This caused them to produce a deadly
concentration of an invisible and odourless gas which, due to the
poor health of the victims, killed them. Flora Smith, herself, was
gravely affected to the extent that she became confused and lost
the ability to move. It took several hours before she had the
strength to raise the alarm. This was not a willful act, on her
part.”

Holmes paused for a moment to let the jury
consider what he had said. “James Smith's body showed injuries
consistent with a fall down the cellar steps. His wife had chronic
bronchitis and easily fell victim to the toxic gas. Her body shows
the classic signs of poisoning by carbonic oxide gas. There is no
evidence to suggest foul play and expert testimony has been given
that there is no evidence of willful poisoning. Indeed, the tissue
samples obtained by Dr Parry only show damage consistent with the
inhalation of carbonic oxide gas, the same gas that so very nearly
claimed the life of Flora Smith.”

Holmes again paused briefly and turned, very
slightly, to look fully at the jury. “Gentlemen. The mentioning of
the hammer by the Police is necessary to provide a complete picture
but I trust that you will agree that it is not relevant to the
Smith's deaths. It is my submission that the court should consider
a verdict of Accidental Death."

Holmes sat down and I felt moved to pat him
soundly on the back. I turned and looked over towards the jury. I
could see heads nodding, plainly showing that they too had been
influenced by my friend's submission to the court.

As there were no further witnesses to be
called, the Coroner addressed the jury. "Gentlemen of the jury. Do
you wish to retire to consider your findings?" The gentleman at the
end of the first row of jurors, who I imagined to be the foreman,
turned and had hurried conversations with his fellow jurors, all of
whom appeared to nod in agreement.

Turning back to the Coroner, the foreman
stood and addressed him. "No, sir. That will not be necessary. We
are unanimous in our finding of Accidental Death for James and
Catherine Smith."

With that pronouncement, a huge cheer sounded
from the assembled public and it took several minutes for the
constables to restore order. Unfortunately, for Flora, this did not
mean immediate release. She was taken back to Bow Street Police
Station and had to wait until the following day when we attended
the Magistrates Court. The court required two sureties of ten
guineas, which Holmes and I were glad to provide, before Flora
could be released on bail.

On her release, Holmes was almost bowled over
as Flora ran and flung herself into his arms. "Thank you! Oh thank
you, Mr Holmes." She finally let Holmes go and, with a tear in her
eye, she ran to her family. I firmly believe that the tear on
Holmes’ cheek was not one of Flora’s.

We heard a few days later that Flora had
appeared at the Police Court and, that in view of the findings of
the Inquest, the police would not proceed further in the matter and
the prisoner, Flora Smith, was duly discharged.

~~~***~~~

It was an unusual conversation
one evening in Baker Street, towards the end of October 1901 which
began the curious case that I have here recorded as that of 'The
Angel's Trumpet'. We had just finished dinner and Mrs Hudson was
clearing our dining table when Holmes noticed that she had paused
and was looking directly towards him. She seemed troubled. It was
as though she was about to say something but was unsure of
herself.

“What is it, Mrs Hudson?” asked
Holmes, clearly sensing that something was amiss.

Mrs Hudson looked away, saying,
“Why, it's nothing really, Mr Holmes. You will think me a silly old
woman...”

Holmes rose from his leather
armchair and walked towards Mrs Hudson, gently taking her arm and
guiding her to our settee, saying, “That is something I would never
do. Please, sit for a moment.”

Mrs Hudson gave the briefest of
smiles and sat. Her hands, I saw, were constantly twisting at the
material of her apron. “Well, sir, I am concerned about my niece,
Charlotte. She obtained a position, as a maid, at an address in
Portman Square a few months ago and has been very happy there.”