The Notting Hill Mystery Read online

  3.--_Statement of Mrs. Troubridge._

  My name is Ellen Troubridge. My husband is a seafaring man. He iscaptain of a small collier. We live at Shoreham, near Brighton. I haveone daughter, whose name is Ellen. She is married to a man of the nameof Richard Brown. He is in Australia. He went out to Australia in1856. I forget the exact date. It was some time in April or May. Theship's name was the Maria Somes. She sailed from Gravesend. My daughterwas married on the 14th of April. That was not very long before theysailed. She had been engaged to young Brown for three or four years.He came home on purpose to marry her. I don't remember exactly when hecame home. It must have been about a month before. Something of thatkind. He was in a great hurry to get out again. He wanted to marry bylicense, so as to be quicker, but I told him it was a foolish expense.He had the banns put up the first Sunday he was at home. I think it wasthe first, but cannot be quite sure. My daughter was then in service.She was at a shop in Brighton. During the week she used to sleep ata friend's house, and on Saturdays she used to come home to us forSundays. Brown used always to come down on Saturdays. He used to comeby the cheap excursion train. He used to go to Brighton and call forNelly, and walk with her to Shoreham. He used to walk back with herearly Monday morning, and go on to town. He never came at other times.It was no good. Nelly was only at home Sundays. He wanted her to leaveand go to his mother's. She would not leave the shop till her time wasout. I would not let him be at Brighton. I was afraid people mighttalk. So far as I know, he was at home all the rest of the time. Themarriage took place from Mrs. Brown's house. She had a lodger then--aforeigner, I think. He went out of town for two or three days, and lenther his rooms. After the wedding young Brown and my daughter went toSouthend for a few days. I cannot say exactly how long. About a week ora fortnight. On the Saturday before they sailed we all went down toGravesend to meet them and see them off. The ship was to have sailedon the Sunday. We all went to Rosherville, and slept at Gravesend thatnight. I had some friends there who gave us beds. Mrs. Brown went backon Sunday, but I stayed. A young man by the name of Aldridge was withus. He was a friend of Brown's. I did not much like him. He went backwith Mrs. Brown. I think he took lodgings in her house. I cannot callto mind the exact day young Brown came home. I think it must have beensome time in March.

  4.--_Statement of Dr. Marsden_

  My name is Anthony Marsden. I am a physician, and formerly resided atMrs. Brown's house, in Russell Place. Some three or four years ago Ifound the atmosphere of London beginning to tell upon my health, anddetermined to remove into the suburbs. I bought a small practice inthe neighbourhood of St. John's Wood, and gave up the greater portionof my London patients. I was, however, desirous of not altogetherrelinquishing that connection, and with this object rented two roomsat Mrs. Brown's, where I might be consulted by such patients as Istill retained in that neighbourhood. I used to drive up for thispurpose every Monday and Thursday morning. I had been doing this forsome time, when the first and second floor apartments were taken bythe Baron R**. I did not at first much like him. I thought him animpostor. He seemed, however, to wish to make my acquaintance, and Ifound that he was, at all events, a very highly informed man on allmatters of science. We had frequent conversations respecting mesmerism.He certainly seemed to be himself a believer in it. Were I not myselfthoroughly satisfied of its impossibility, I am not at all sure butthat he might have convinced me on the subject. I am quite unable toaccount for many of the phenomena exhibited. They were, however, ofcourse, to be accounted for in some way. He seemed a very excellentchemist, and we used at times to pursue our investigations together.There was a small room at the back of the house, on the basement floor,which he used as a laboratory. He invited me to make use of it, andI was frequently there. He was always engaged in experiments of onekind or another, and had various ingenious projects in hand. In thelaboratory was a large assortment of chemicals and medicines of variouskinds. In the case of poor patients, I have sometimes asked him tomake up a prescription, and he has done so. At the time at which Iknew him, he was engaged in a series of experiments on the metals, andmore especially on mercury, antimony, lead, and zinc. I think he musthave had almost every preparation of these that is made. I believethat his researches were for the purpose of finding a specific againstthe disease so prevalent among painters, which is known by the name of"lead colic." The laboratory was at the back of the house, and quitedetached from all the other rooms. There was an open space betweenit and the rest of the house, with only a passage communicating withthe offices. This passage was shut off by a glass door, and there wasa wooden door at the end into the laboratory. Both these doors werealways kept closed. They were not usually locked. I told the Baron Ithought they should be, but he said no one would go there. He had aweight put on to the laboratory door to close it. The glass door hada spring already. I frequently made use of his laboratory: sometimeswhen he was absent. I might go there with or without him, whenever Ipleased. There was no attempt at concealing from me anything whateverthat was done there. It was all quite open. I attended Madame R**through greater part of her illness. It was a very long affair, and ofa very singular character. I cannot be at all certain as to the dateat which it commenced. I was not regularly called in at the time, anddid not notice it in my book. The Baron only consulted me in a friendlyway about it, two or three days afterwards. It was certainly as muchas that. I think it was the third day. I cannot be sure of that, but Iam quite sure it was at least the second. By being the second day, Imean that at least one clear day had intervened between the night onwhich she was ill and the day on which I was consulted by the Baron.I cannot swear to more than one, but I think it must have been. Fromwhat the Baron told me of the symptoms, I remember concluding it to bea case of English cholera, but she was almost recovered at the time Ifirst heard of it, and I did not prescribe for her. About a fortnightor three weeks after this she had another slight attack, for whichthe Baron himself also prescribed. He acquainted me on my visit totown with the course he had pursued, and I entirely concurred in histreatment of the case. The attack, however, returned, I think morethan once, and he then asked me to see and prescribe for her. I firstsaw her professionally on the 23rd of May, 1856.[4] This was two daysafter the third or fourth attack, which occurred on the night of the21st of May. As soon as I regularly took up her case, I made notes ofit in my diary. Extracts from this are inclosed (_vide_ 5 _herewith_),showing the progress of the case from time to time. I attended herthroughout her illness. The attacks occurred, as will be seen from mydiary, about every fortnight. They increased in intensity up to the10th of October, 1856. At this time she was apparently, for three orfour days, almost _in articulo mortis_, and I was unable to hold outany hope of her recovery. Another attack would certainly have beenfatal. Happily the disease appeared to have spent itself, and at theexpiration of the fortnight no renewal of the more acute symptomswas experienced. From this date Madame R** progressed steadily butslowly to convalescence, and would no doubt have ultimately entirelyrecovered, but for the unfortunate accident which put an end to herlife. Madame R**'s case was one of great difficulty. It was apparentlyone of chronic gastritis; but its recurrence in an acute form at statedintervals was a very abnormal incident. The case presented, in fact,all the more prominent features of that of chronic antimonial poisoningrecorded by Dr. Mayerhofer in Heller's Archiv., 1846, and alluded toby Professor Taylor in his work on Poisons, p. 539. There were alsostrong points of general resemblance to the other cases of McMullenand Hardman, quoted by Professor Taylor at the same page, and recordedin Guy's Hospital Reports for October, 1857. As matters progressed,I took the opportunity of pointing this out as delicately as I couldto the Baron, and asked if he had any suspicions of foul play. Heseemed at first almost amused by the suggestion; but upon furtherconsultation was inclined to take a graver view of the matter. We wentcarefully through the cases in question, the Baron translating that ofDr. Mayerhofer for my benefit, as I was not a German scholar. At hissuggestion, we determined to analyse the vari
ous excretions, &c., andan examination was accordingly instituted in the Baron's laboratory.He was always very particular in keeping up the supply of medicine,and would never allow the bottles, &c., to be thrown away. There wastherefore some remnant of every medicine that had been made up forher. These we tested carefully, as well as the excreta, &c., both forarsenic and for antimony, but without finding the slightest trace ofeither. The analysis was conducted by the Baron, who took the greatestinterest in it. I could not, perhaps, have done it myself. Such mattershave not come within my line of practice. In such a case I shouldcertainly not trust to my own manipulations. I trusted to those of theBaron, because I knew him to be an expert practical chemist, and inthe daily habit of such operations. My own share in them was limitedto the observation of results, and their comparison with those pointedout by Professor Taylor. I did not take any special pains to ascertainthe purity of the chemical tests employed or of their being in factwhat they were assumed to be. That is to say, when a colourless liquidwith all the apparent characteristics of nitric acid was taken froma bottle labelled "Nit. Ac." I took for granted that nitric acid wasbeing employed. Similarly, of course, with the other chemical agents.It never occurred to me to do otherwise. Nor did I take any especialprecautions to identify the matters examined. Others might certainlyhave been substituted; but if so, it must have been done by the Baronhimself. It was, perhaps, possible that he might have conducted hisinvestigations, under such supervision as I then exercised, withfictitious tests, and it was quite so to substitute other matters andmislead me by subjecting them to a real analysis. That is to say, thiswould have been possible to be done by the Baron. No one else could,under the circumstances, have done it, or at least without his directconnivance. I had no ground for any suspicion of the kind, nor do Isee any now. I think it most unwarrantable. Every circumstance thatcame under my notice goes equally to contravene such a supposition. TheBaron was devotedly attached to his wife: he supplied her liberallywith professional advice, as also with nurses, medicine, and everynecessary; his care for her led him to precautions which, in theirincidental results, must have inevitably exposed any attempt at theadministration of poison. During the severer period of the disorder,he had no opportunity of attempting such a crime, as he universallyinsisted on both food and medicine being both prepared and administeredby the nurses; he himself rendered every assistance in the endeavourto detect any such attempt when its possibility had been suggested bymyself; and lastly, Madame R** did not die, although the investigationhad already removed all suspicion. I think such an imputation whollyunwarranted and unwarrantable from any one circumstance of the case.

  5.--_Extracts from Dr. Marsden's Diary_[5]

  MAY 23rd.--Madame R**, nausea, vomiting, tendency to diarrhoea, profuseperspiration, and general debility. Pulse low, 100. Spirits depressed.Burning pain in stomach--abdomen tender on pressure. Tongue discoloured.

  26th.--Madame R** slightly better--less nausea and pain.

  30th.--Madame R**. Improvement continues.

  JUNE 2nd.--Madame R** improving.

  6th.--Ditto.

  9th.--Recurrence of symptoms on Saturday evening.[6] Increased nausea,vomited matter yellow with bile. Pulse low, 105. Throat sore, andslight constriction. Tongue foul.

  13th.--Symptoms slightly ameliorated. Treatment continued.

  16th.--Ditto. Tongue slightly clearer. Pulse 100.

  20th.--Improvement continued. Pulse slightly firmer.

  23rd.--Ditto.

  24th.--Special visit. Return of symptoms last night. Great increaseof nausea and vomiting--very yellow with bile. Throat sore and tonguefoul. Abdomen very tender on pressure. Slight diarrhoea. Tinglingsensation in limbs.

  27th.--Slight improvement.

  30th.--Continued, but slight. Pulse firmer.

  JULY 3rd.--Improvement continued, especially in throat. Perspirationstill distressing. Less tingling in limbs.

  6th.--Improvement continued. Pulse somewhat firmer, 110.

  (10th to 20th.--Absent in Gloucestershire.)

  20th.--A slight rally. Baron says attack shortly after last visit, butrecovery for time more rapid.

  24th.--Improvement continues, but less rapid. Pulse 110.

  27th.--Recurrence yesterday. Vomiting, purging amounting to diarrhoea.Soreness and aphthous state of mouth and throat. Perspiration. Pain inabdomen. Complains of taste in mouth like lead. Pulse low, 115. Qy.antimony? Speak, Baron.

  31st.--Analysis--satisfactory. Symptoms slightly abated.

  AUGUST 3rd.--Improvement continued. Pulse 112, firmer.

  7th.--Same.

  10th.--Return of vomiting and purging. General aggravation of symptoms.Much prostrated.

  24th, 28th, 31st.--Slight improvement.

  SEPTEMBER 4th.--Improvement continued, but slight.

  7th.--Return of severe symptoms. Vomiting, extremely yellow, muchbile. Diarrhoea. Pulse low and fluttering, 120. Violent perspiration.Slight wandering. Extreme soreness and constriction of throat. Slightconvulsive twitchings in limbs. Great exhaustion and prostration.

  10th, 14th, 18th.--Very slight abatement of symptoms.

  21st.--Violence of symptoms increased. Pulse 125. Great prostration.

  25th, 28th.--Very slight amelioration. Pulse 125. Wandering.

  OCTOBER 1st, 4th, 8th.--Symptoms slightly less severe.

  11th.--Aggravation of all symptoms. Pulse 132, low and fluttering. Faceflushed and pale. Much convulsive twitching in limbs. Power of speechquite gone. Entire prostration. Can hardly live through night.

  12th, 13th, 14th.--Special visits. No perceptible change.

  15th.--Pulse a shade firmer, 136.

  N.B.--From this date recovery slow but steady.

  6.--_Memorandum by Mr. Henderson._

  From the very vague nature of the foregoing evidence, so far as datesare concerned, it was, as you will at once perceive, no very easy taskto determine the precise day of Madame R**'s first attack. To the viewof the case, however, which I was even then inclined to adopt this wasa matter of the last importance, and I determined to spare no effortto elucidate it if possible from the very loose data furnished by thedepositions. In this I have, I think, been successful; but, as theprocess has been somewhat complicated, I must ask you to follow methrough it step by step.

  The difficulty of tracing the truth seemed at first sight not a littleaugmented by the fact that no one had been in the house but Mrs. Brownherself, whose memory, even had it afforded any clue, could not havebeen relied on. On further consideration, however, I began to fancymyself mistaken in this respect, and finally conceived a hope that thisvery fact might, if properly handled, prove an assistance instead of anobstacle to my investigation. The following was the course of reasoningI pursued.

  There are only two points on which Mrs. Brown appears to be certain;her son's presence in England, and her being herself alone in thehouse on the actual day in question. The only chances of successtherefore seemed to be:--First, in ascertaining precisely the limitof time within which such a combination was possible; and, second, indetermining by a process of elimination the actual day or days on whichsuch a combination could fall.

  The result has been far more complete than at the outset of theinvestigation I could venture to hope.

  1st. For the period of time to which our researches should be directed.

  This was obviously limited by the residence of Richard Brown inEngland, and my first efforts were therefore directed towardsdetermining the exact dates of his arrival and departure.

  1. On inquiry at Liverpool, I found that the only vessels which hadarrived from Melbourne during the month of March, 1856, were as follows:

  Ship. Captain. Owners. Arrived.

  James Baines McDonald Jas. Baines & Co 4th MarchLightning Enright " 24th "Emma Underwood Pilkington Bros 27th "

  Of these the James Baines left Melbourne on the 28th November, and theLightning on the 28th December. The
exact date of sailing of the Emma Ihave not been able to ascertain, but it is immaterial to the case.

  The fragment of newspaper preserved by Mrs. Brown has no date, norcould I at first find any clue by which it might be determined. Thelast paragraph, however, commences as follows: