[BNP/E3, 279D2 – 42r]
Horace James Faber.
The Case of the Science Master.
By Horace James Faber.
From my earliest youth I have been attracted, in a way more or less morbid, by all things inscrutable or strange, no matter whether fact or fiction. To healthy exercise and even to good reading I have too often preferred that large portion of literature dealing with subjects horrible or mysterious. But my mind was healthy in so far as it rejected with scorn the impossible and, many times, the improbable; miserable inanities of the “Monte Christo” type, stupid extravagances such as flowed swiftly from the pen of Ponson du Terrail and others I found exasperating and foolish.
But if my mind was as morbid as to be charmed, in the usual unwilling way, by such gloomy tales of occultism and inhuman horrors as are by many supplied for the benefit (?) of mankind, it is but just to myself to say that I delighted far more in such lighter tales and problems as only a strong imagination can give us. I am fonder of detective stories than of any other tales. My knowledge of this kind of literature is enormous; with all branches of it am I acquainted and I can almost think that I knew Dupin and gasped with admiration at Lecoq’s mistakes.
I have, of course, often attempted the solution of real problems. Some newspaper articles reporting weird or complicated cases have given me the most unspeakable worry[1]; I have often spent sleepless nights in striving to think out how a wooden-legged burglar with a heavy box, who had burgled some iron safe, could have got out through a 4th story window which was fast closed and shuttered and thence down nothing into the street below. When some smart detective had solved the case, it was found that the man had gone out by the door, a means of exit which I do not think I considered.
[42v][2]
Naturally, I had always longed personally to follow a criminal problem through all its details[3] and thus to have a chance to show[4] my latent powers of detection. I had hoped, moreover, that any case that should come under my observation should not be too horrible. When my chance at last came — and I made nothing of it — my wish, I think, could not have been better fulfilled, since the only crime I have seen dissected, though not in truth very fearful, was as mysterious as any man could wish it.
[Other 3 paragraphs here.].[5]
[44r]
The Case of the Science Master
By Horace James Faber
Many things would dissuade me from giving to the world these details, If I were not urged to write them by two considerations: firstly, by the fact that some doubt as to the true circumstances of this case exists even yet in A —, and secondly by an ardent wish to express in some decisive manner my great admiration for the psychological insight and large intellect of Ex-Sergeant Byng. The event which I will now relate stands vivid and clear before me. My life, in truth, being singularly uneventful and this particular occurrence singularly striking and unusual, I have, as is natural, a minute remembrance of the facts and, in some places, of the conversations themselves.
And it were well here, I think, to warn the reader that I have slightly masked this narration. It is not that I have altered the sequence of events, or even that I have changed the names of individuals: my alterations have been confined to changing entirely the name of the school concerned and to reducing the name of the near village to its initial letters.
Haylington College (as I shall call it) was situate on the main road 2 or 3 miles out of A—, and on the slope of a hill. It consisted of two buildings — one of them standing in a level stretch which contained the Headmaster’s garden, the tennis court and the upper and better cricket ground. This building was the main one. In it were also the Headmaster’s house and the class rooms, except those of the sixth and fifth. These, together with the gymnasium, the armoury and the two laboratories were in a more recent edifice, which had been built half on the same level as the other and half on a bank that sloped so rapidly that what appeared to be the ground floor when approached from the side of the main building, seemed to be almost the second when the spectator came up the ground.
[43r]
Horace James Faber
The case I am about to relate happened at a boy’s college. I was there at the time in the capacity of Senior Assistant Master, having attained this place[6] after some years of drudgery at inferior schools. My billet pleased me very much for not only did the boys appear to me to be better in this college than elsewhere, but the country air and health were incentives to outdoor life such as none had before[7] been to me.
And it were well here etc etc etc (see before).
Haylington Colledge (as I shall call it) etc etc etc (see before).
As it is with this new building that we are concerned I will briefly describe it, referring to the plan I have drawn of the upper floor. Beneath the 2 rooms marked A and B, running the whole breadth of the building was the armoury. Under the strip between these and C was of course the beginning of the staircase and the lobby. Under C was the gymnasium and under D a large classroom. There were the tiled verandahs all along the front of the building and along the back part of the school-room under D and of the armoury. The front door was directly under the window K and there were besides a door under the staircase window L, while the class-room under D had 2 doors each to either of the verandahs, the armoury only one — to its back verandah. Of the upper we shall speak in good time. I now begin with my story.
It all happened on a day of June, in early June I may tell you. A cricket match had begun early but I had been unable to attend it.[8]
[45r]
Haylington College, situate on the main-road, 2 or 3 miles out of A–, and in the slope of a hill consisted of 2 buildings, one of them on a level bit of ground which contained the Headmaster’s garden, tennis-court and the upper and better cricket-ground; this building was the main one and contained the Headmaster’s house, all the class-rooms, except those of the VI and V forms, the laboratory, the armoury and the gymnasium. The second building was built half on the same level as the other and half on a bank which sloped rapidly, so that the window which appeared to be on the ground floor when approached from the side of the main building, appeared to be somewhere about the first when the onlooker came up the hill along the road. As it is with this new building that we are concerned I shall describe it a little farther, begging the reader, all the while, to bear with me. The science building, as this younger edifice was called, consisted, in spite of its large appearance, of about two floors – etc –
Not to weary the reader too much with any dry descriptions, I shall at once plunge into my story, explaining on the way any points which may be obscure. On the 16th of April 1896 I was returning from the village about half past seven o’clock and hurrying to the school to see, if I could, the end of the cricket match then as I expected in progress, when I was astonished on reaching the lowest corner of the school ground, where a wall was just being constructed, to hear no shouting or noise from the upper field. I had been walking with my head low, but now on raising it was astonished to see a large crowd of boys hanging round the Science building.
[45v]
I am an ardent lover of all strange things and puzzling, and, in truth of all that exercises and amuses the mind.
[46r]
The Case of the Science-Master. By Horace James Faber.
Many things would dissuade me from giving to the world these details if I were not practically urged so to do by two things: the fact that some doubt as to the true circumstances of this case exists even now[9] in A-, and secondly my ardent wish to express, in some decisive manner my great admiration for the great intellect and psychological insight of Ex-Seargeant Byng. The event which I will now relate stands vivid and clear before me and the reason for this is evident. My life being singularly eventful and this particular recurrence singularly striking and unusual, I have, as is natural, a minute remembrance of the facts and, in many places, of the conversations themselves.
The event I speak of occurred on a day in April, in 1896, to be precise {…}[10]
[40r]
Horace James Faber
Charles Robert Anon.
[40v][11]
[CONSULTAR IMAGEM NO PDF]
Plan
Front verandah
A
Smaller Science
Place Where Master of Science Lay.
B
Place where Deane was supposed to be working.
C
Science laboratory
D
Smaller Science laboratory.
laboratory
laboratory
F A N Pessoa
Place where young Jarvis was working
Dormitorius
store Store Room
Dark room
Anon
Front
The front of the house is on the right side of the road.
Plan of the upper Floor
and
Horace Horace James Faber
Faber
Charles Robert Anon
Charles Robert Anon[12]
[41r]
[CONSULTAR IMAGEM NO PDF]
Gate
Gate
Upper cricket field
Horace James Faber
Gap in the wall
Gates
Lower Cricket field (in kept)
Upper cricket Field
Horace James Faber
Horace James Faber
Horace James Faber
Horace James Faber
H. J. Faber
[13A – 69ar][13]
Gavestone
Mathew Horace Ginkel
On that evening I had been to the near village and was hurriedly returning because I wished to be at the School before the end of the cricket match. I was walking with my head bowed and preserved this position till I was just near the school; suddenly I broke my train of thoughts and looked up, but was not a little staggered to observe not only that the cricket-field was empty, but that the whole human contents of the School were clustered around the science building. Approaching more I perceived with horror and with curiosity that those boys who saw me turned towards me faces white, worried and, as it seemed frightened, furthermore there was no talk among them, they stared blankly at each other with glances of terror and of inquiry, and the smallest boys of the crowd, who seemed uncertain whether to remain or flee, were either weeping weakly or on the (very) verge of tears.
I took two large strides and came up to the nearest group of boys. They appeared to regain their senses and threw off their caps, but all this in a bewildered manner.
“What has happened?” I asked rapidly in an alarmed voice.
“Mr. Cameron, sir…” stammered out one of the lads.
“Well… well…?” I demanded impatiently.
“Dead, sir” whispered the frightened boy.
“Killed, sir” corrected another in a similar tone, but with a slight eye to sensation.
Lewis Henry Henry
Langley Langley Lewis Lewis[14]
[68v][15]
Horace James Faber
I ascended in haste the staircase, but on reaching the end of it recoiled. The door of the science room, or rather one half of it, was open wide, and lying there half-in, half-out was the unfortunate master of science — dead, as far as I could tell. Close by the side of him was an enormous pestle, of that kind as are[16] often used in laboratories in connection with a mortar weighing, jocularly, about a ton. Mr. Cameron lay on his back and though there was no blood upon his head it was clear that the death-blow had been struck him on the top of the head just above the right temple.[17]
[70v]
When I had sufficiently recovered I became conscious that I was in the presence of several. First the Headmaster who, worried and horrified was leaning against the banister; then the police inspector from A — and then — Good heavens! — in the hands of two policemen who had come with the inspector were two boys of the School both weeping in crazy terror. One, a boy in the lower Sixth, was about nineteen years of age, a lazy good-for-nothing sort of fellow to be found in every school generally as a disgrace to it. The other was a smaller boy who was in the upper fifth; he was about sixteen, was weak though very clever, nervous, as far as I could tell, and of a retiring unboyish nature. By the glances of the two policemen I could see that it was in this younger boy that most suspicion was falling.
I got over my surprise and said something — I forget what — to the Headmaster.
“Horrible”, he said to me with a shiver, “a horrible affair, {…}.” Johnson.
There was another long silence. But suddenly the inspector stepped up to the window and said.
“Ha! Here he is!”
I turned to the Headmaster for an explanation; he told me that the inspector referred to a detective who had been at the time in A–.
[70ar]
A man 6 feet in height, thin and stooping in gait whose form nevertheless gave evidence of former strength and agility, Ex-Sergeant Byng looked to me, as he came slowly up the stairs, to be hardly the man to conduct a case. He shook hands with me and with the Head and then turned towards the science-room and the grim form across its threshold. He sidled in and looked round him in a vague uncertain way, stared up at the ceiling, surveyed a packing case which was inside just against the closed half of the door, and came out again. He pointed to the window K which was open.
“Was that open when he was found?”
“Yes,” replied the inspector, “we have touched nothing.”
“Ah!” muttered the Sergeant, “and who are they?” nodding his head at the 2 prisoners.
“Well, they are both suspected; this young’un most. He was seen rushing down stairs just after a crash was ´eard, but w’en he saw ’e was watched tried to make believe he was running up again.”
“Who saw him?”
“Well some boys down there, who were at the front door. The door was closed, but one of them was just opening it to come in to go out of the side door to the cricket field.”[18]
[279D2 – 60r]
Chapter II. The Inquest.
(1)
Herbert Cooper, a pupil at Haylington College was the first to give evidence. He stated that he had been sitting on the door-step of the front door, which was locked, of the science building since half past three o’clock on the day of the crime, exchanging and comparing postage-stamps with two other boys. At about a quarter to five Mr. Cameron appeared, walked in, hung his hat on some pegs placed along the wall, and walked upstairs. Before going up, and while he was hanging up his hat, he had asked witness how the match was going, and said that he (Mr. Cameron) would be on the field in half an hour. That was the last witness had seen of Mr. Cameron in his life —. Questioned by the Coroner, witness added that he had at various times before heard footsteps in the building and some on the stairs but had taken no notice of them, and did not know who was there except in two cases. One person he saw was James Hopley (another boy at school) who opened the door and informed about the match. The second person was Mr. Lewis, the French Master, who opened the door to ask witness the whereabouts of something in the museum, [which is situated in the large room on the ground floor directly underneath the large science room]. Hopley was in the science-building about half-an-hour, and Mr. Lewis about five minutes before Mr. Cameron came; but neither Hopley nor Mr. Lewis were in the building when the science-master came in. Continuing, witness declared that, immediately after seeing Mr. Cameron go up the staircase and having again closed the front door (of course, to [be]
[57r]
C.R.A.
able to lean against it he heard a heavy crash upstairs, {…}. About ten minutes afterwards Hopley returned and began to play the fool; their eyes fell on the form of the Science-Master, stretched as it was found. Witness and Hopley were extremely frightened and rushed off to the cricket field to give the alarm. Witness saw no more of the case. —
On second thoughts, and mainly owing to a question of the Coroner’s, witness could as he thought clearly, and more clearly remember that soon after seeing Mr. Cameron go upstairs and closing the door, and just after hearing the crash some one came down the staircase with a terrible clatter and went out at the side door, as indicated by the sound of the steps. Several other questions were asked, but witness could give no further evidence.
(2)
Francis Farmer, Herbert Henniton and James Hopley corroborated Cooper’s evidence. The first-named, however, on deep consideration remembered hearing, just before the clattering footsteps, other very soft yet rapid footsteps down the stairs. It was impossible not to make noise in going up or down as the stairs were lead-matted and, moreover, the front door, though at that time closed, was only about 4 or 5 ft. distant from the front of the staircase only someone
[57v][19]
in rubber-soled shoes and walking very slowly could manage not to be heard in such circumstance. Considering further, witness was sure these first footsteps were those of someone wearing boots, and stepping carefully on tip-toes, and was almost certain that these first steps had no sooner reached the side door than their noise was swallowed by the clattering descent of someone else, which has been mentioned already.
(3)
David Merton, a surgeon and friend of the Headmaster, was attending the match when Cooper and Hopley gave the alarm. Repairing at once to the science-building with the Headmaster and two other Masters (Messrs. Dane and James) he found Mr. Cameron lying half-in half-out of the large laboratory and near him, outside the door, an enormous pestle, hardly to be wielded with one hand. The Master of Science had been struck etc …, and death was therefore due to concussion of the brain. The pestle was without doubt the weapon used. The brain was by no means[20] strong, strong, deceased having recently suffered from it. A man in good health would not have been killed, but merely stunned, by the blow. Considering the weapon used, witness thought worthy of the greater notice the comparative smallness of the blow. Anyone able to wield the pestle, and striking as it is ordinary to strike would inflict a more grievous hurt. Witness was sure that whoever struck the blow did not swing the pestle through the air, else the
[58r][21]
skull, weak as it was through illness, would have been very severely crushed. It seemed rather to him that the blow was such as might be caused by someone slightly raising the pestle and bringing down sharply on to the head of deceased. It seemed as if the blow had been a rapid one. Its effect was mainly due to the enormous weight of the weapon.
The Headmaster, myself and other Masters were now called to give evidence. The depositions of us all were of very small importance, having regard mainly to the character and habits (as far as we knew them)of the deceased. The burden of our evidence was that poor Cameron had been an orphan, and had only, to our knowledge, one relative, namely an uncle, who lived somewhere in Australia. The Master of Science had been in life a man of extreme manliness and force of character. He was, however, rather brusque in his ways and often contemptuous in his treatment of people through no pride, but through a sense of his superior character. The French Master, Mr. James Lewis, principally corroborated these statements, for he had been with deceased at Oxford, stating, however, that Mr. Cameron’s brusqueness and contempt had been (wrong – His evidence must be opposite) often extremely marked and offensive, and had created him not a few enemies. Mrs. Selden owner of the house where the Master of Science had boarded, also corroborated our statements, adding that deceased had not been always regular in his habits, and was often brusque and contemptuous, though he had never been so to her. A fortnight before his illness he had been very ill from a brain-affection or turn of mind and was still very weak.
[58v][22]
Several other witnesses from the College, here added some slight evidence as to the persons who had been in the Science-Building on the day of the murder, after lunch-time. As far as was known, very few persons had been. Not mentioning Cooper, Turner, Henniton, Hopley and Mr. Lewis (about all of whom former evidence was clear), there had only been in the building, for trivial reasons, such as to get a cap, or to put a book in the class rooms, as far as was known, five boys, three boys of the V. form and Blaver and Deane, who had work upstairs, and were of these 5 the only ones who had not stayed on the ground floor.
Great excitement was caused by the calling of the next witness who was cautious but elected to give evidence. Alfred Dane, a pupil of Haylington College, in the fifth form, said that he had gone at three o’clock to the science building to do some experiments in the further laboratory. He was there because he was going in for an examination and, as he was not very good at physics, Mr. Cameron had asked him to come (if he could) on Saturday at 3 and experiment. The work he had to do was long and witness had remained in the 2nd laboratory since 3 o’clock, and had not come out of it. Questioned he answered that the folding doors between the 2 laboratories were closed, and that he was working at an experiment on the expansion of gases, which had to be verified and repeated several times, on the last bench, facing the window I have marked..... [Witness did not go from the room or shift from his seat till he heard the crash)
[59r]
He was finishing his 2nd experiment when he heard a crash outside.
{…} Witness ended by making some were palpably false assertions, contradicting himself and bursting into convulsive tears. Questioned, he stated that the mortar, with the pestle, inside, had been in the laboratory just inside the door near the parking case marked.... [The mortar and pestle are marked in drawing as…). He had not left his seat till he had heard the crash.
John Blaver was also cautioned, but elected likewise to give evidence. He declared that he was a pupil at H. College, in the 6th form, and that he had that day come up to the classroom at 3.30 to do an imposition for Mr. Lewis, the French Master. He did not know that Deane was in the laboratories; the door of the science rooms was closed, but probably not bolted, as that was never done but at night. Witness went into his classroom, which is opposite the science room, and closed the door. He then proceeded with his task, which was none too short and had to be shown up, finished, at 5 o’clock, on pain of a larger imposition from the Headmaster. At about a quarter to four Witness was too tired and came out downstairs {…}[23]
[52r][24]
The Case of the Science Master
{…} in the blow, which as I have said is impossible , as part of the skull would have been crushed. Did the man hit the head and slip off, not striking the shoulder
I.
_____________________________________________________
It was near the end of the month of May — the precise date I shall not give. The day had been beautiful, the evening was delightful beyond measure. I had been to the near village on urgent business, and was rapidly returning to the school, for I wanted to be there before the light to see what I could of a cricket match that had been going on that day, for which purpose a holiday had been given.
_______
________________________________________________________________
“When first I arrived at the school, I was taken over the grounds and building by the local inspector. I am very sorry to admit that the survey was of small use: neither in the grounds nor within the science building could I see anything suspicious. The crime, I found, was of the worst nature possible for an investigating mind. It was no seeming-complicated affair of exits apparently impossible, where a process of simple reasoning and exclusion, with a little observation or with a few strokes of human-nature unravels the whole embroilment. Neither was it one of those cases where a striking peculiarity, in appearance a stumbling block, is the very they to the truth. Much less was it one of those common butcheries, really so difficult, but where the police inquiry
[48r][25]
and investigation, on the most commonplace lines is the only method of great value. This murder had something of all three types, and a few features particular to itself, which I shall at once enumerate.
“Firstly. The body lay across the half-doorway, the feet inside near the mortar behind the door, the head outside near the outer corner of the wall. The position was that of a man suddenly struck, the expression of the face none at all. The hands were idly stretched on either side of the body. Mr. Cameron had clearly been struck unawares; otherwise he would have shown in his face some of that astonishment or anger which should have been the last emotion of the deceased life. Moreover, a man with a character such as deceased possessed does not, when attacked, let his arms hang at his sides. He might do so through sudden fear or great astonishment, but, as I have just remarked, the face in death was expressionless.[26] The deduction is, therefore, that deceased had been struck unawares.
“Secondly. The blow was not great. The blow may have been nervously dealt, or the pestle may have been thrown. One thing was impossible — namely that the blow should have half missed, for in such case, not only would the mark have been greater, but considering the part of the head struck (just above the right temple), the missing would have seriously hurt the shoulder or the arm, as had not at all been the case. But the best proof against such a theory is that the blow had struck a part[27] of the top head whence the weapon could not have slipped, unless great strength had been expended.
[48v]
But against the theory of the murderer leaving by this window is the fact that it is very hard to open and to shut, and makes a great noise in the doing. Now, it is not natural that the criminal should have run the risk of making such a noise, not only in opening it (for it had been shut) but also in closing it from outside. I was therefore convinced that the murderer had gone down the stairs.
_____________________________________________________
Considering again the part of the head struck, we cannot but reject the possibility of the pestle having been thrown, as to strike thus, it would have to describe a strange curve in the air, and no one would be likely to make it act in a manner so stupid. Mr. Cameron, it is true, may have entered the room with his head bowed (though such, as I had ascertained, was never his manner of walking): this would seem to make possible the throwing hypothesis, were it not for the fact that it takes at the least a little noise to throw a thing like the pestle and the deceased would have looked up at such noise. It is therefore evident that all possibilities the one that the blow had been nervously dealt is the best, though the subject is clearly one admitting of more solutions.
“Thirdly. The only exits available were the open window in the further laboratory, in front of which young Deane had been working; the windows of the room where Blaver had been writing, some of which were open and the others let down but not fastened; the window facing the top of the staircase, which also was down but not fastened; and finally, the staircase itself. Of these I at once rejected the first, because of its height from the ground and the impossibility of obtaining hold either to get down or up on the roof, not to speak of the fact that it could be clearly seen from the road for a long distance, besides the fact that young Deane had been working in this far room and would (when he was coming out) have met the murderer if he went towards the room.
[56r]
The height of the window and far situation dispose of the idea of the murderer hiding till young Deane had come out and then had gone in and out through this exit. Of course, in considering this window, I rejected for the moment the possibility of Deane being the murderer. Putting aside, also for the moment, the possibility of Blaver having killed Mr. Cameron, and considering the second exit, or rather exits, I found that through four of the 6 windows it was inconceivable that the murderer should have passed, as 2 of them gave on to the back verandah and lower cricket field, where some little boys were playing and the other two could be easily observed by the servants in the school-building, in the grounds, or in the headmaster’s house. The remaining two windows (looking to the road), which, I may see, were let down but not fastened, could not have been used in as much as the staircase window also gave on to the tile of the front verandah and had the advantage of being nearer to the door of the science room_____ As regards the third mode of exit — the window facing the staircase — we find greater probability, not only in its nearness, but also in the fact that it is not visible for a great portion of the road, as it stands almost in a corner, shutting out the view from one side, and on the other side, the road goes down again from the hill.[28]
[56v]
1. Inexpression of Mr. Cameron’s face.
2. Smallness of blow.
3. Murderer left by the staircase.
4 Murderer seems not to have been premeditated, since, if murderer were acquainted with the school, he would hardly kill his man with Blaver and Deane, working so near, and under the possibility of either of these coming out; or, if he were not acquainted with the school, what kind of man could he be to choose such a place for a murder — a place full of boys and where any of these might unexpectedly turn up?
5. Now there is the extraordinary fact that nothing was heard or seen of the murderer. Deane told me that when he came up to work he neither saw nor heard anybody; neither, he asserted, did he become conscious of the presence of anybody in the outer room, or beyond, except on two occasions — one which he now knows to be when Blaver came up and the other he does not remember well, but it was about half an hour before the crash. Blaver also testifies to having seen or heard nothing, but he confesses to have been too intent on his lines to take notice of any sound except a large one.
[47r]
Let us keep these five facts in mind, for our deductions must be based upon them. But, before proceeding, we have to draw some conclusions from these very facts. Firstly, the inexpression of Mr. Cameron’s face indicates, or seems to indicate, that the blow had been struck from behind or from the side. From the part of the head struck it is clear that the blow was not delivered from the left side; it might have been possible to be dealt from behind, but it seems, if it be not evident from the position of the box, that the blow was either struck from the front or from the side, towards the front. The Inspector of Police was not making any blunder when he said that anyone standing on the packing case and hitting just as the deceased entered the science building, would have hit Mr. Cameron on this very part of the head, and knocked the body over just to where it lay.
__________
# This murderer seems to me not to have been premeditated, inasmuch as Mr. Cameron came upstairs alone and from his leaving the front door of the building to the hearing of the crash there was no time for a discussion or an altercation upstairs.[29]
[51r]
These, gentleman, were the only deductions I felt sure in making before the inquest.
“On the next day I attended the inquest, and here I got information of great importance. I need not, I think, repeat the evidence; it would be a waste of time, inasmuch as we all remember the details. I shall therefore proceed with my reasoning. Now, for the evidence at the inquest to aid my investigation, it is needful that such evidence be true. In this case we could see that the witness had spoken the truth in all cases but two — those of Deane and Blaver. It became clear to me that, if I were to find a good clue I must needs reduce these false statements to facts — in other words, reject and add as should be necessary. To this I had first to see whether I could or could not disprove the guilt of both boys. Moreover, since observation had been of no value, the only way to do this was by human-nature, that is, by analysing the characters of young Deane and of Blaver and by making deductions therefrom”.
“Now,” continued the Ex-Sergeant, wrinkling his brow in an effort for clearness, “{…}
__________
See papers attached
[4v]
“Now”, continued the Ex-Sergeant with enforced slowness, “I do not intend so far to waste your time as to enter into any discussion regarding character or its analysis. But before I continue I must explain that there is a wide difference between understanding a man’s character, and knowing his characteristics. If I understand a man’s characteristics — that is to say, the traits of his character — and no more, I shall never be able to understand that man. But if I possess in a high degree the qualities of introspection and analysis, and can make them act rapidly, I can overlook the characteristics entirely, for I grip on the soul of the man. To say that a man is brave, generous, wise and so on is not to describe his character, but merely to give us his qualities. Now qualities are but the outer works of character. Let me exemplify: a phrenologist can read your characteristics as they are written on your head, but unless he has a great analytic and self-intrusive mind (such as about one man has in three generations) he will be unable to read the soul of you, and entirely incapable of perceiving motive. No phrenologist has yet perceived, firstly that there is a part of character which is not written in the head, nay, nor in any feature or form; secondly that character can be made clear by a fundamental appreciation that reduces its manifestdness to unity and
[4r]
makes action and motive transparent. Man, considered as an individual is unexplainable; man in the sense of men, unified and simple. It is this perception of unity in character that gives to greatly imaginative self-analytic men the power of creating figures animated with life — a power often (as in the case of Shakespeare) timelessly rapid and unconscious in is workings[30]. As a last instance, if any common person were to set down on paper a number of characteristics and, in writing a novel, made a figure therein to possess them and act consistently with them, what would be the fault of that figure?
“It would lack life”, I put in.
“Decidedly”, answered the Sergeant, “If characteristic were character anyone of us might be a Shakespeare. Let me now proceed with my reasoning.”
“But,” here I interrupted, “is it not at all possible to determine the inner character (as you call it) of a person by phrenology?”
“Well,” replied the Sergeant, “not by phrenology itself but, almost always, as I have already said by the union of phrenology and a most powerful reason, such as only a man of genius (in the highest sense) can have. But in some cases phrenology is of no use.”
“Let us, however, continue, and examine at once young Deane’s evidence. The way to begin this is to see, by what we know of his character,
[6v]
whether he were, or were not, able to commit a murder. The circumstances against him are: the smallness of the blow; the ease with which he could take the pestle out of the mortar near the door, climb on the packing case and strike; the crash of the pestle which his nervousness and weak grip might cause; not to speak of the fact that the deceased had been struck on the one part of the head which anyone on the packing case would hit.
“Let us now see it we can clear him. Young Deane’s character is of a type I call the enthusiastic or the excitable, as distinct from two other types – the animal and the spiritual — in this lying the distinction, namely that passions are the soulstiness of the animal emotions of the enthusiast and institutions and the like of the spiritualist. Now for criminal purposes and to be able to determine action and motive we need but find to which of these types the person belongs we would judge, and whether he have courage or not.
[6r]
Now young Deane’s agitation and utter confusion are sufficient to mark him of the enthusiastic type, while in his evidence he gave proof of not possessing courage. With this knowledge we can make our deductions. Now, telling me the truth, gentlemen, do you think that a boy of this temperament (not a man, whose passions might overwhelm the emotional fundament of his character), not possessing courage etc. and being moreover of a slender build, could commit a crime of this kind, that is to say, murder a man of masterful character (whom the said boy knew) and of physical strength far above the normal? I trust that the question is clear.”
“Extremely clear”, one of us here chimed in, “and I am convinced of young Deane’s innocence. Your way of proving, Sergeant, though wholly unusual is convincing.”
“I am glad to hear you say so. As a matter of fact, a man of young Deane’s type — a man, that is to say, as Deane will be when he grows up — rarely commits a crime. Not that I have studied police records to be able to say so, but that I know such things to be true, from mental truth. But of his I shall speak a little hereafter.”
[10v]
[“]I shall now proceed to investigate Blaver’s case.”
“Ah,” I put in, “it seems to me that he is now implicated, since young Deane is innocent. But, Sergeant, how do you explain Deane’s agitation and palpable falsehoods he told?”
“Oh we’ll get to that in due time. What I now wish to decide is whether Blaver is innocent. Treating him as we have treated young Deane, {…} We shall see what the points against him are.
[10r]
First there is the fact that it was possible for him, as for Deane, when he heard Mr. Cameron begin slowly to ascend the stairs, to cross over to the science room, obtain the pestle from the mortar, which, as you will remember, was just inside the door, and creeping behind the deceased, strike him. The fact that Mr. Cameron might have seen him with the pestle is of no importance, since Mr. Cameron would not have suspected anything, but entered the laboratory
[9r]
with Blaver following. Neither is the the part of the head where deceased was hit unreachable from behind, though it would not be easy to strike it. # All these facts could implicate Blaver; but one fact saves him completely. Now, we cannot but admit that Blaver is of the animal type, likewise, from his evidence, that he has no courage.
_______________________
Moreover the one thing which, as I noticed, made most impression on the jury at the inquest was the personal appearance and bearing of Blaver which pointed him out as far more probably a murderer than young Deane.#
[9v]
Now, to speak truly, there is this difference between Deane and Blaver, that, whereas the first could not at all have committed this crime, the second, under a passion, might do so. But of the animal type under a passion or not, brave or cowardly, there is no boy nor man who ever strikes a small blow, with whatever weapon he have. This consideration not only proves Blaver to be innocent, but proves the criminal not to be of the animal type at all.
Moreover since Blaver could only commit the crime under a passion, the greater the blow would have been. Besides, when we consider the inexpression of the face we can
[50v]
hardly suppose that anything would have occurred in the short space between Mr. Cameron leaving the other boys downstairs and the crash of this body on the floor. I think that I have now proved conclusively enough that Blaver also is innocent; it would therefore be superfluous for me to point out how much more unsure Blaver’s attitude at the inquest would have been, had he committed this crime.”
“Sergeant,” here I interrupted, “this case is getting very dark. If neither Blaver nor Deane is culpable, who on earth is the criminal?”
“We shall get there in due time; now, knowing the statements of these two boys at the inquest to be false, purely by reason, and having shown the boys themselves to be innocent, let us endeavour to explain the confusion of their statements, and to find out the truth which is in them. Now we have already seen that, though both Deane and Blaver lack courage, yet otherwise their characters are antipodal. Having knowledge of their characters by this time, we may ask ourselves what effect would an accusation of murderer have upon them[31]? Basing our answer on that knowledge, we reply that while a mere cowardly fear of a death-penalty overwhelms Blaver, young Deane is
[50r]
the prey of wider fears, not only of his life (for he does not know that the death-penalty is not extended to boys of his age) but of the disgrace of it all and the shame, which tear his high moral sense. Blaver has no moral sense; he is not timid; he is cowardly: the difference is clearly seen in the fact that Deane will be shy in society and Blaver assuredly not. You see, I hope, the difference between the two characters; one is pitiable and the other contemptible.
“Now, when these two boys know that they must give evidence at the inquest, what is the effect on their several minds? We can answer at once. Deane, on whose minds are preying the fear of death and the fear of shame, not less the knowledge that he, a shy and diffident lad, is to appear before many eyes, sharp eyes and of men adversely disposed, is thrown into complete confusion. He is rendered unable to think, to plan a defence for himself. Blaver is of a more base type; his fears are more on the scare of death; he is thrown into a palpitation, but, like all beings of the animal type, he finds that his low cunning arguments with his fears. The time to give evidence arrives. Young Deane is the first. His natural nobleness — the moral basis of his character, asserts itself and he determines to speak the truth. So he does up to a certain point, where after stating that he had heard a crash in the outer room, his confusion conquers and he breaks in with an astonishingly false declaration — namely, that he had then walked out of the building, as if such a proceeding, after hearing the crash, were possible without coming across the body. Let me impress upon your
[49r]
minds, gentlemen, the place where these inconsideration occurred. We now turn to Blaver. He has heard young Deane’s evidence and his cunning has naturally suggested that he should make a declaration entirely false; he is not so stupid that he cannot notice the flaw in Deane’s evidence and he determines entirely to avoid the possibility of any such flaw. This is the reason why he says that he has passed Mr. Cameron at the top of the stairs and heard the crash when half-way down the second flight (just where it is impossible to see the place where the deceased lay). This did not seem to strike the jury as a lie and yet it is, I think, quite evident that not only it is incredible that he should have heard such a large crash from so little a distance and not have felt astonished at it, but also the evidence as to the footsteps heard by the boys downstairs proves distinctly that no one came down so immediately after the crash. Perceiving the effect of his falsehood on the jury, Blaver is put at his ease, and by being thus eased, he betrays himself. He is not clever enough to lie well; he does not understand that the accepting as true of a portion of his declaration ought not in any way to ease his mind, but rather ought to make him all the more careful not to make the remainder of his deposition contradict what he has already said. Blaver stupidly supposes that, having convinced the jury of his innocence by falsehood, he is now at liberty to tell the truth and that by telling the truth he may release his mind from the strain of invention and conclude his evidence the quicker. It is not evident to his coarse brain that, outside of
[49v]
a declaration entirely true, the best thing is a declaration entirely false. A declaration wholly untrue stands some chance of not being disproved; but a declaration only half true must be of a very peculiar or felicitous kind not to be torn to pieces by the criticism of the meanest intellect. Accordingly, Blaver, after easily and truly answering some questions, in answering another gives himself away by saying that he opened the door of his class-room just after hearing the crash, whereas he had before declared that he found Mr. Cameron on the stairs and that.... the crash had occurred while he was more than half-way down the staircase.”
“By Jove,” there I interrupted, “your dissection of character is marvellous. You make things extremely clear. They could not have been otherwise.”
The Sergeant coloured with modesty and pleasure.
“I am glad you understand my reasoning so well. I hope to make all parts of it as clear as I have made it hitherto. We shall see now {…}
[1] worry /[pain]\
[2] thereto
thereto
[3] details /[ins and outs]\
[4] to show /of showing\
[5] therefore
thereto
thereto
Robert
attention
Robert
attention
Verandah
attention
Verandah
I am in receipt of your letter
Charles
Verandah
Verandah
attention
[6] place /position\
[7] /formerly\ before
[8] [43v]
Gahu.
Eras untold had rolled upon the earth
A dreary weight of years and woe, the spring
Millions of times had oped the curling bud
Which autumn’s blast made wither. But not now
Were seasons upon earth, nor shone the sun
To warn the stricken stretches of the East
Or smelt the frost on hyperborean lands;
{…}
________________________________________________________
And if some year the seasons sunning saw
As they had run of yore, how could the sun
Cheer the bleak rocks, or with his vernal touch
Awake love-glances from the parchèd sands
Of deserts dread forlorn? Could any light {…}
[9] now /yet\
[10] [46v]
thereto thereto thereto
thereto yet yet yet
Carlyle – Style thereto thereto
And yet I do believe that in the real man of genius, the inspired soul, seeking or unseeking, finds in some sure way, its best and its aptest expression. In many a man of genius do I find the expression of his thoughts, of his feelings, however similar these may be to those of any other man, in receiving from him a particular turn are given to us in the gap most appropriate. Therefore though we may curse and deprecate Carlyle as a stylist, we cannot if we consider altogether not find out that in no other style could Carlyle’s thoughts be so expressed. This quaint, frantic style, his frequent extravagance of diction all unite to produce in our minds a singular idea of earnestness and of force {…}
[11] Front CRAnon
I am in receipt
Plan Plan Plan Plan
Plan Plan Plan
Plan Plan
CRA
Front verandah Verandah
[12] 360
180
120
60
Horace
Plan
360
180
370
Horace James Faber
[13] 900
900
Lewis
Lewis
[14] [69av]
Yours very truly Yours very truly
[68r]
Yours obediently,
Yours truly
Charles Robert Anon
Yours respectfully
Yours very truly
Charles Robert Anon.
______
Yours very truly
Charles Robert Anon.
___
Yours very faithfully
Ch. Robert Anon
Yours Obediently. Yours Truly
Charles Robert Anon
5’4
2’2
21
30
[15]
540
370
240
1150
[16] is are
[17] [70r]
French Essay. French Essay.
Another Essay.
Another Essay.
Charles Robert Anon
Charles the Great — notes.
Charles Robert Anon
Men of to-day, and yester’s nought
In times ago where’er were ye?
Who gave a guess, or gave a thought
That such as you to-day should be.
Charles Robert Anon
Charles Robert Anon.
Charles Robert Anon.
Charles Robert Anon
(Ye.) Percy B Shelley
Ah doomed on life’s inconstant sea,
After to-day we’ll think of ye?
Percy B Shelley Percy B Shelley
[18] [70av]
reveal Blaver
__________
attentive
attentive
attentive attentive
St Stuart
S. Stuart
Stuart
S. Stuart
S Stuart S. Stuart
Men of To-day.
[19] Marsden attention Marsden
[20] by no means /not at all\
[21] Dr. Marsden
[22] 140
12
1680
[23] [59v]
Intellectual
Courageous
Non-Courageous
Genius
Instincts are generally poisoners
Sensitive
Sensitive
Sensitive
Yours very truly
C. R. Anon
matter matter
matter
matter
generally so
matter
matter thereto
matter
matter
matter
matter matter
matter matter
the matter
the matter
matter
matter
matter
Yours very truly
C. R. Anon
Yrs faithfully
C. R. Anon
[24] Mandeville attentive
[25] Mandeville
Mandeville
Mandeville
Mandeville
[26] “Rapid Review”
March.
The People’s University — Ruskin Hall. Page 257.
[27] a part /the right half\
[28]
The Natural Philosopher
I.
A certain great philosopher and thinker,
One to whom science nothing e’er denied,
Self-charitable, wise, though a deep drinker,
Once on a summer’s night just went and died,
Bless me, ‘s that true? Ah yes! For king and thinker
Must both alike into the unknown glide.
And all of us are bound to Nature’s rules
E’en though we be philosophers and /or\ fools.
II.
Smith was his name – a common name on earth
His early life (told one by an old lady)
Was very simples – He killed his mother at birth
His father died of drink. His life was shady.
But his great son from youth displayed great worth
{…}
And at the age of ten had gist fifteen
(I haven’t got one and am turned sixteen)
III.
[29] [47v]
And an eternal ALL exists
And nought else
[30] unconscious /unimpressed\ in is workings /[in its possessor]\
[31] them /[the boys]\
