A Case of Doubtful Death (26 page)

He made a curt nod of dismissal and began to turn away from her, but she moved quickly so that they still faced each other, and he recoiled in surprise and disdain. ‘Very well, we may arrange to meet at the offices of Mr Rawsthorne, who is not only my solicitor but an old friend of my family.’

The name made him pause. ‘Rawsthorne, you say? Hmm. He is the man I have employed to watch these proceedings.’ There was a brief silence. ‘Very well, if he can vouch for you I will consider it.’ He turned and walked away, but Frances knew she had done enough.

By the time the inquest was due to begin, not only was every available seat in the little hall taken, but there were eager observers standing at the back, a seething knot of hopefuls in the foyer, and a disappointed crowd lurking outside.

‘If we may commence,’ said Hardwicke. ‘This is the resumed inquest on the body of Dr Alastair Mackenzie, which was removed from the catacombs of All Souls Kensal Green on the
9
th of October. I understand that allegations have been made suggesting that the body in the coffin was not a body at all, or if it was, it was not that of Dr Mackenzie. I wish to emphasise that I am entirely satisfied that this was indeed the body of Dr Mackenzie. I have here the death certificate signed by Dr Bonner on the
22
nd of September. I have been given to understand that he is too unwell to attend; nevertheless, we can proceed without him. Dr Bonner has already given evidence that he had for some time been treating Dr Mackenzie for a weak heart and had advised him against overwork, as he had feared that the strain would be too much for him. This advice Dr Mackenzie ignored and when he collapsed in the presence of Dr Bonner there was so little doubt as to the cause that a certificate was signed without further enquiry showing that death was due to cardiac syncope. Dr Mackenzie’s body was laid out at his own premises, the Life House, for a period of four days, after which Dr Bonner saw what he believed were sufficient signs of decomposition – due to a septic condition of the intestines – to be certain that the deceased was indeed dead. The body was coffined on Sunday the
26
th of September, the funeral taking place on the following day. Following this, at the instigation of Miss Frances Doughty –’ there was a buzz of whispers in the courtroom and heads turned in Frances’ direction ‘ – a visit was made to the catacombs at All Souls, where it was discovered that some motion of the body had taken place after the coffin was deposited. I ordered a full post-mortem examination to take place and I now call Dr Collin to give evidence of his findings.’

Dr Collin had always attended Frances’ family and was a prime exponent of the genial manner, something that had become a little strained in Frances’ dealings with him ever since the time she had suggested that he had made a mistake, especially as she was later proved to be correct. The circumstance had not been mentioned since, indeed any discussion of the subject had been very carefully avoided, but Frances was sure that he had never forgiven her. He stepped up to the coroner’s table.

‘I carried out the post-mortem examination of Dr Mackenzie on Wednesday the
13
th of October under the supervision of Professor Stevenson, and with the assistance of Mr Fairbrother, who took notes. In doing so I was obliged to take into account the stated date of death of the doctor and the unusual conditions under which the body had been kept before it was deposited in the catacombs. I looked in particular for any signs that the mechanism in the coffin, which had been activated, might have been influenced by natural means such as the gases of decomposition causing motion of the corpse within the coffin. I was assisted in this by an engineer, who thoroughly tested the apparatus and who is present to give evidence here today.

‘The contents of the stomach suggested to me that Dr Mackenzie’s last meal had been taken on the night of the
21
st of September and that he had been in a fasting state for some time thereafter. There were marked signs of decomposition as one might expect, however, they were not of the extent that I would have expected in the corpse of a man who had died some three weeks ago and been exposed to a warm atmosphere for almost a week before burial. Moreover, I did not detect the advanced sepsis of the intestines described by Dr Bonner. It is my opinion that as of the
13
th of October the man had been dead for ten or maybe twelve days at most.’

A whisper travelled around the court, but was soon stilled as Hardwicke leaned forward to speak. ‘Dr Collin, let me have this quite clearly from you. It is your belief, based upon your many years in medical practice, that Dr Mackenzie died at some date between the
1
st and
3
rd of October?’

Dr Collin was impassive. ‘Yes.’

‘But you are aware, of course, that the body was deposited in the catacombs at All Souls on the
27
th of September?’

‘So I understand.’

‘Are you telling this court that Dr Mackenzie, the director of the Life House, the purpose of which is to avoid any possibility of premature burial, was himself buried alive?’

‘Yes, I am.’

The courtroom, every occupant of which had been listening anxiously and quietly so as not to miss a single word, erupted in a torrent of exclamations. Newsmen scribbled rapidly and tore pages out of their notebooks, then ran to the door and handed the fragments of paper to messengers waiting outside. A cry went up in the foyer as the news poured forth to be followed by loud yells from the street. The sensational revelation, thought Frances, would be in America faster than one could imagine it possible. Hardwicke called for silence and the coroner’s officers did their best to restore order, but it was some little time before the tumult died down.

‘Any repeat of this disgraceful conduct and I will have the room cleared,’ said Hardwicke sternly. ‘Now then, Dr Collin, please continue. Did you form any conclusion as to the cause of death?’

‘I did. Dr Mackenzie died of a collapse of the heart brought on by fright. It is my theory that he was placed in the coffin while in a state of suspended animation during which the signs of life were greatly reduced. The peculiar construction of the Life House coffin meant that he had a sufficiency of air for a man in that condition. He subsequently came back to a state of consciousness and was able to operate the mechanism with his hand, but he may well have been unable to call out for assistance. There was a bell in the coffin, but the charcoal packing around the body had moved, probably as a result of his struggles, and prevented its operation. There were abundant signs in the interior of the coffin that he had fought to escape, and there was damage to his hands and knees from his efforts in that respect.’

A groan of distress flowed around the little court, but Hardwicke did not suppress it and it passed. ‘Were there any indications as to what had brought on the condition of suspended animation?’

‘I observed the mark of an injection in the doctor’s left arm and sought further advice on the matter.’

‘Thank you, Dr Collin. If you would step down now, I would like to hear from Professor Stevenson.’

The presence of that renowned gentleman in such a tiny court was a matter of considerable excitement and all heads craned to look. The individual who stepped forward was tall and vigorous looking with a fine dark beard. He was, thought Frances, in the very prime of a man’s life, about two and forty, when his strength and intelligence were at their peak. Everything about his manner and bearing invited confidence in his opinion.

‘I am Dr Thomas Stevenson, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence at Guys Hospital, and adviser to the Home Office. I observed the post-mortem examination of Dr Alastair Mackenzie and removed samples, which I then subjected to a number of tests. My conclusion was that Dr Mackenzie had received an injection of
morphia
, although whether he administered it to himself or it was given by another individual it is impossible to say. The injection was made in the left arm and I have been told that the deceased was right handed. There were no indications on the body that he had been subjected to any forcible restraint, so it is very possible that even if he did not inject himself, it was received voluntarily. The amount of
morphia
in his system would, I believe, have been sufficient in normal cases where the individual was robust and in good health to produce unconsciousness and slow the action of the heart. It would not in such cases have been fatal or even have led to any lasting ill-health. Dr Mackenzie, however, was not a robust man and it is my opinion that the dose of
morphia
in his case could well have resulted in a state of very deep unconsciousness which might to outward appearances have given the impression of death.’

‘In your opinion, was the injection the cause of death?’ asked Hardwicke.

‘Not directly. I believe that had Dr Mackenzie not been placed in a coffin but carefully tended, he might very well have awoken from his stupor.’

There was another rumble of chatter about the little court.

The next witness was a young man who appeared to be in a state of some excitement. He brought a little model with which he demonstrated the beautiful working of the interior mechanism of the coffin, and showed how it was constructed and operated with such glowing and voluble enthusiasm that Dr Hardwicke had to urge him to stop. The main result of his evidence was that the position of the lever admitted only one mode of employment, with the fingers, and he had never known any device to be operated in any other way or indeed at all. The court was left with the profound hope that the reason the mechanism had never before been operated was that the occupant of the coffin had been dead.

This completed the evidence, which, thought Frances, left the jurors in something of a quandary. There was little doubt as to the cause of Mackenzie’s death, but it was necessary to determine the contribution made by the injection, whether or not a crime had been committed, and how much they ought to condemn the negligence of Dr Bonner.

Dr Hardwicke cut through the difficulty by addressing the jurymen, who gave great attention to his every word. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘I am sure you appreciate that you have a very difficult task to perform. The revelation that shortly prior to his death Dr Mackenzie received an injection of morphine, even if it was not a fatal one, must give rise to considerable concern about the circumstances that led to his being placed in his coffin, which was then deposited in the catacombs while he was still alive. You may feel, as I do, that the absence from this court of Dr Bonner, the only person present at the collapse of Dr Mackenzie, apart from the unfortunately still missing Mr Palmer, is much to be regretted and renders it impossible for you to reach a verdict at this time. Dr Bonner may well be able to supply this court with valuable information about the tragic events and I must express my concern that his sudden indisposition has coincided with today’s hearing.’ The jurymen, sensing that they were about to be temporarily relieved of responsibility, nodded with some alacrity. ‘It is my intention, therefore, to adjourn the proceedings in the hope that in one week’s time Dr Bonner will be sufficiently restored to health to attend. Perhaps, if we are fortunate, Mr Palmer may have reappeared by then.’

As the proceedings closed, the pressmen made a unified dash for the door. David Mackenzie and Mr Rawsthorne rose from their seats and stood to one side, talking very quietly and earnestly. Frances sought out Mr Fairbrother, who was looking pale with shock. ‘Please, I would rather not say anything just now —’ he said and hurried out onto the street in search of a cab. Frances quickly followed him and when he saw this he increased his pace to a run, trotting down Church Street and waving wildly at passing hansoms, which were either occupied or being rapidly taken by pressmen struggling for precedence. As he looked about him seeking some avenue of escape, Frances gathered her skirts and ran after him. Astonished and dismayed to see that she was in pursuit, Fairbrother dashed out of Church Street and began to run up the better populated Edgware Road. In any formal race he would undoubtedly have outpaced her, but he had seriously underestimated the energy of a tall young woman unafraid of long walks, and her single-minded determination and willingness to fling herself pell-mell down a public street in a good cause. When he was finally able to hail a cab, the brief pause as he stepped in gave her enough time to catch him up and leap breathlessly inside. ‘Miss Doughty!’ he exclaimed in astonishment as she crushed in beside him.

There was the sting of sweat on her brow and it was a curious feeling, almost a good one. The two of them, red-faced and panting, stared at each other, he in alarm and she in triumph. ‘Dr Bonner is not ill at all,’ she gasped. ‘Either that or he is suffering from nothing more deadly than remorse. And you have been deputed to tell him the verdict so that he may act accordingly. What is he about to do? Run away? Disappear like Mr Palmer? Make a pretence of being dead to avoid the consequences of his own actions? I doubt that the public or the police would countenance
that
happening a second time amongst the directors of the same business.’

‘Oh this is too terrible!’ exclaimed Fairbrother. ‘I know that Dr Bonner is a good man and never meant to do any harm. And he has a great deal to worry him at the moment. He has had a letter this morning from Mr Marsden saying that a Mr Darscot has made a claim on Dr Mackenzie’s estate for a debt of £
500
and has a signed agreement to prove the matter, and there is nothing with which to pay! And now this! It could be the ruination of the Life House!’

‘What has Dr Bonner told you about the night that Dr Mackenzie was supposed to have died?’

‘Only what everyone knows!’

‘Omitting, I assume, the little detail of the injection? Or did he mention that?’

Fairbrother ran the back of his hand across his brow and there was a darkly haunted expression circling his eyes. Frances felt sure that the recent revelations had come as a shock. ‘No, he did not. Of course, Dr Mackenzie might very well have injected himself without Dr Bonner noticing.’