"You previously said an old woman," said the Coroner, referring to his
notes. "How do you know she was old?"
"I can't say if she was old or young," said the witness candidly; "it's
only a manner of speaking. She had a dark shawl over her head and a dark
dress. I couldn't say if she was old or young, fair or dark, stout or
lean, tall or short. The night was dark."
The Coroner referred to the plan.
"There is a gas-lamp near the window of the bedroom. Did you not see her
in that light?"
"Oh, yes, sir; but just for a moment. I took very little notice. Had I
known that the gentleman was to be murdered, I should have taken a great
deal of notice."
"Well, about this locked door?"
"It was locked over-night, sir, but when I went next morning, it was
not locked. I knocked and knocked, but could get no answer. As it was
eleven, I thought the gentleman was sleeping very long, so I tried to
open the door. It was not locked, as I say--but," added witness with
emphasis, "the window was snibbed and the blind was down."
"That is natural enough," said the Coroner. "Mr. Bolton, after his
interview with the woman, would of course snib the window, and pull down
the blind. When he went away next morning he would unlock the door."
"Begging your pardon, sir, but, as we know, he didn't go away next
morning, being in the packing case, nailed down."
The Coroner could have kicked himself for the very natural mistake
he had made, for he saw a derisive grin on the faces around him, and
particularly on that of Inspector Date.
"Then the assassin must have gone out by the door," he said weakly.
"Then I don't know how he got out," cried Eliza Flight, "for I was up at
six and the front and back doors of the hotel were locked. And after six
I was about in passages and rooms doing my work, and master and missus
and others were all over the place. How could the murderer walk out,
sir, without some of us seeing him?"
"Perhaps you did, and took no notice?"
"Oh, sir, if a stranger was around we should all have taken notice."
This concluded the evidence, which was meagre enough. Widow Anne was
indeed recalled to see if Miss Flight could identify her as the woman
who, had been talking to Bolton, but witness failed to recognize her,
and the widow herself proved, by means of three friends, that she had
been imbibing gin at home on the night and at the hour in question.
Also, there was no evidence to connect this unknown woman with the
murder, and no sound--according to the unanimous testimony of the
inmates of the Sailor's Rest--had been heard in the bedroom of Bolton.
Yet, as the Coroner observed, there must have been some knocking and
hammering and ripping going on. But of this nothing could be proved,
and although several witnesses were examined again, not one could throw
light on the mystery. Under these circumstances the jury could only
bring in a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons
unknown, which was done. And it may be mentioned that the cord with
which Bolton had been strangled was identified by the landlord and the
chamber-maid as belonging to the blind of the bedroom window.