Understanding that something terrible had occurred, she rang at the
front door, roused Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two women made
their way into the study, having first dispatched the maidservant to
the police-station. At the side of the table, away from the window, Dr. Lana was discovered
stretched upon his back and quite dead. It was evident that he had
been subjected to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened and there
were marks of bruises about his face and neck. A slight thickening and
swelling of his features appeared to suggest that the cause of his
death had been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional
clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of which were perfectly
clean. The carpet was marked all over, especially on the side of the
door, with traces of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the
murderer. It was evident that someone had entered by the surgery door,
had killed the doctor, and had then made his escape unseen. That the
assailant was a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and
from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that point the police
found it very difficult to go. There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor's gold watch was safe in
his pocket. He kept a heavy cash-box in the room, and this was
discovered to be locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression that a
large sum was usually kept there, but the doctor had paid a heavy corn
bill in cash only that very day, and it was conjectured that it was to
this and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box was due. One
thing in the room was missing--but that one thing was suggestive. The
portrait of Miss Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table,
had been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. Woods had
observed it there when she waited upon her employer that evening, and
now it was gone. On the other hand, there was picked up from the floor
a green eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not remember to have
seen before. Such a patch might, however, be in the possession of a
doctor, and there was nothing to indicate that it was in any way
connected with the crime. Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and Arthur Morton, the
young squire, was immediately arrested. The evidence against him was
circumstantial, but damning. He was devoted to his sister, and it was
shown that since the rupture between her and Dr. Lana he had been heard
again and again to express himself in the most vindictive terms towards
her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere about eleven
o'clock entering the doctor's drive with a hunting-crop in his hand. He had then, according to the theory of the police, broken in upon the
doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been loud enough to
attract the attention of Mrs. Woods. When Mrs. Woods descended, Dr.
Lana had made up his mind to talk it over with his visitor, and had,
therefore, sent his housekeeper back to her room. This conversation
had lasted a long time, had become more and more fiery, and had ended
by a personal struggle, in which the doctor lost his life. The fact,
revealed by a post-mortem, that his heart was much diseased--an ailment
quite unsuspected during his life--would make it possible that death
might in his case ensue from injuries which would not be fatal to a
healthy man. Arthur Morton had then removed his sister's photograph,
and had made his way homeward, stepping aside into the laurel bushes to
avoid Mrs. Madding at the gate. This was the theory of the
prosecution, and the case which they presented was a formidable one. On the other hand, there were some strong points for the defence. Morton was high-spirited and impetuous, like his sister, but he was
respected and liked by everyone, and his frank and honest nature seemed
to be incapable of such a crime. His own explanation was that he was
anxious to have a conversation with Dr. Lana about some urgent family
matters (from first to last he refused even to mention the name of his
sister). He did not attempt to deny that this conversation would
probably have been of an unpleasant nature. He had heard from a
patient that the doctor was out, and he therefore waited until about
three in the morning for his return, but as he had seen nothing of him
up to that hour, he had given it up and had returned home. As to his
death, he knew no more about it than the constable who arrested him. He had formerly been an intimate friend of the deceased man; but
circumstances, which he would prefer not to mention, had brought about
a change in his sentiments. There were several facts which supported his innocence. It was certain
that Dr. Lana was alive and in his study at half-past eleven o'clock. Mrs. Woods was prepared to swear that it was at that hour that she had
heard his voice. The friends of the prisoner contended that it was
probable that at that time Dr. Lana was not alone. The sound which had
originally attracted the attention of the housekeeper, and her master's
unusual impatience that she should leave him in peace, seemed to point
to that. If this were so then it appeared to be probable that he had
met his end between the moment when the housekeeper heard his voice and
the time when Mrs. Madding made her first call and found it impossible
to attract his attention. But if this were the time of his death, then
it was certain that Mr. Arthur Morton could not be guilty, as it was
AFTER this that she had met the young squire at the gate. If this hypothesis were correct, and someone was with Dr. Lana before
Mrs. Madding met Mr. Arthur Morton, then who was this someone, and what
motives had he for wishing evil to the doctor? It was universally
admitted that if the friends of the accused could throw light upon
this, they would have gone a long way towards establishing his
innocence. But in the meanwhile it was open to the public to say--as
they did say--that there was no proof that anyone had been there at all
except the young squire; while, on the other hand, there was ample
proof that his motives in going were of a sinister kind. When Mrs.
Madding called, the doctor might have retired to his room, or he might,
as she thought at the time, have gone out and returned afterwards to
find Mr. Arthur Morton waiting for him. Some of the supporters of the
accused laid stress upon the fact that the photograph of his sister
Frances, which had been removed from the doctor's room, had not been
found in her brother's possession. This argument, however, did not
count for much, as he had ample time before his arrest to burn it or to
destroy it. As to the only positive evidence in the case--the muddy
footmarks upon the floor--they were so blurred by the softness of the
carpet that it was impossible to make any trustworthy deduction from
them. The most that could be said was that their appearance was not
inconsistent with the theory that they were made by the accused, and it
was further shown that his boots were very muddy upon that night.