Chapter 19
Wednesday, 31 October, 1888
Old Bailey (Central Criminal Courts)
The chief inspector was next in the witness box. Keats bit the inside of his lip, drawing blood. This was going to be brutal.
“Chief Inspector Fisher, you are with Special Branch, is that not correct?” Arnett opened.
“Yes, I am.”
“And the prisoner is your subordinate?”
“Yes, Detective-Sergeant Keats has been with the Yard since January of last year.”
“How has he performed in his duties?”
“With excellence. He is one of my top men.”
Which wasn’t what you said a few days ago.
“In the early morning of the fourteenth of October you received a summons from Inspector Hulme. What did you do when you arrived at the Hallcox residence?”
“I spoke with Hulme, and at that point I assumed command of the investigation,” Fisher replied evenly.
“Is that usual procedure?”
“Not always.”
“What led you to that decision?”
“The sensitivity of the situation. If indeed Sergeant Keats were responsible for Miss Hallcox’s death, then it was paramount that the investigation be conducted as impartially as possible.”
“Why do you think you would be more impartial than Hulme?”
An excellent question. Keats leaned forward, curious to hear the response.
“At the time I felt it was the wisest move,” Fisher replied.
“And yet, Chief Inspector, you promptly altered department policy and summoned Dr. Reuben Bishop to the scene. Why?”
“Dr. Bishop has an excellent reputation, and I felt I wanted all avenues pursued in this case.”
“You have had difficulties with the Home Office coroners in the past?”
“No. I just felt Dr. Bishop would be a better choice.”
“Why?”
“He does not confine himself solely to examining the body. He takes into account the scene of the crime and other minutiae that are often overlooked.”
“Did you not summon Dr. Bishop in the matter of a death on the Friday evening before the Hallcox murder?”
“Yes.”
“So you were aware that Dr. Montrose had taken up work with Dr. Bishop?”
“I was not aware that Montrose was working with Bishop on a regular basis.”
“But you were aware that Dr. Montrose and the prisoner were friends?”
“Yes,” Fisher conceded.
“How did Dr. Montrose react when he learned his best friend was the prime suspect?”
“With deep shock.”
“Was he so shocked that he might have been tempted to alter the evidence in favor of the prisoner?”
Wescomb stood. “I must object, your lordship. The witness could not possibly have known Dr. Montrose’s intentions at that time.”
“I agree with the defence’s objection,” Justice Hawkins said.
“As your lord pleases,” Arnett said smoothly.
“Chief Inspector,” Justice Hawkins inquired, “is it not possible that Dr. Montrose might have overheard the prisoner’s name mentioned by one of the constables, or a bystander perhaps?”
“I do not believe so, your lordship. I was very particular as to who knew the truth of the matter.”
Hawkins nodded. “What was Montrose’s reaction upon learning the news?”
“As would be expected, the doctor was devastated, to say the very least. I sincerely believe that neither Montrose nor Dr. Bishop were aware my sergeant was the suspect until after the post-mortem had been completed.”
Hawkins nodded again. “You may proceed, Mr. Arnett.”
The prosecutor began anew. “In the past, has the prisoner shown a propensity toward women of ill repute?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Fisher replied evenly.
“No need to warn him about such behavior?”
“No. By all accounts, he is a sober and well-mannered gentleman.”
“Who gives money to prostitutes out of the kindness of his heart?”
“Yes. It is a Christian act, after all.”
“I have no other questions.”
Wescomb rose. “Chief Inspector Fisher, why did you assign Inspector Ramsey to investigate the sergeant’s alibi?”
“I felt the reputation of Scotland Yard was at stake, and I wanted no stone left unturned.”
“And it was Ramsey who found the sergeant’s boots, proving he was in Ingatestone?”
“Yes.”
“Could it be said that the inspector is partial to Sergeant Keats in any manner, perhaps inclined to alter evidence in his favor?”
Fisher shook his head. “No, just the opposite, in fact. The inspector is not fond of the sergeant, and the feeling is quite mutual. That’s why I assigned him the task.”
Good old Ram. As thickheaded as any you might find.
“At the beginning of this month, Sergeant Keats attempted to arrest Desmond Flaherty and a number of other anarchists. Was he wounded in that action?”
“Yes, quite seriously.”
“Did he receive a commendation?”
“Yes, one for bravery.”
“That will be all, Chief Inspector.”
Fisher looked up at Keats and then returned to his seat.
That went better than I hoped.
There was a brief pause and then Dr. Reuben Bishop took his place in the witness box. Keats leaned forward, keen to hear Bishop’s testimony. After a brief explanation of the doctor’s credentials, Arnett went to work.
“During the post-mortem, did you note any appearance of violation?” he asked.
“None.”
“Was there evidence of sexual congress?”
“Yes.”
“The cause of death?”
“Death was caused by asphyxiation secondary to strangulation.”
“What was the murder weapon?”
“The sash from her dressing gown being the weapon. The victim was killed a few feet away from the bed. The murderer stood behind her and tightened the sash until life was extinct.”
“How did you determine that location?”
“There was urine in the carpet, which is consistent with the bladder sphincter relaxing upon death.”
“At approximately what time do you believe she was killed?”
“Somewhere between the hours of nine and quarter past midnight, given the remains of the meal in her stomach and the lack of rigor mortis.”
“Were there any other medical findings, Doctor?”
Bishop’s moustache twitched. “Miss Hallcox suffered from syphilitic infection.”
Arnett nodded. “Was there any external evidence of this infection?”
“No. It was beyond that stage.”
“So one of her admirers would not know that he was being exposed to the disease?”
“No.”
“I would suspect that it would come as a considerable shock to learn the truth.”
“Yes,” Reuben replied cautiously, “though he would not have learned of it for at least ten days at the earliest, usually three weeks.”
“How long would you say that Miss Hallcox had had this disease?”
“It was in the latter stages. We found evidence that the disease had progressed to her brain.”
“Then her prognosis was grave?”
“Very likely.”
“And anyone who was with her?”
“It would depend on whether or not they contracted the disease.”
Keats gut tightened. Where was this going?
“That night, were you aware that your assistant, Dr. Montrose, is a close friend of the prisoner?”
“I was aware that he knew Sergeant Keats. That, however, was not germane to my investigation. I am solely interested in physical evidence.”
“How admirable. Who summoned you to this investigation?”
“Chief Inspector Fisher.”
“Why not the Home Office coroner?”
“I do not know. I was summoned, and I performed my duties as required by law.”
“Were either you or Dr. Montrose left alone with the evidence at any time during the investigation?”
Reuben’s eyes narrowed. “No. We conducted the post-mortem together. We delivered the findings to Scotland Yard together.”
“No further questions.”
Wescomb rose. “Dr. Bishop, how long have you been a forensic pathologist?”
“Just about seven years.”
“How many cases have you handled?”
“I believe it stands at somewhere near sixty.”
“Have you ever compromised evidence either in favor of the prosecution or the defence?”
“Certainly not!”
“I didn’t think so. When did you learn that Sergeant Keats was a suspect in the Hallcox murder?”
“The following morning, when we delivered the post-mortem findings to Scotland Yard.”
“As to those hairs you found in Miss Hallcox’s bed, did you compare them to a sample taken from Sergeant Keats?”
“Yes. A sample was obtained from the hairbrush in his rooms.”
“Did any of them match as to color?”
“No, none of them matched any of the four types found in the sheets.”
“Four? I thought there were only three.”
“The fourth sample belonged to Miss Hallcox.”
“I see. What of any of the household staff?”
“The hairs match none of Miss Hallcox’s domestic staff.”
“That will be all, Doctor.”
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