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- Артур Конан Дойл
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- Tales of Terror and Mystery
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- Стр. 92/137
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That
crime
had
been
committed
was
certain
.
The
bullet
,
which
appeared
to
have
come
from
a
small
pistol
or
revolver
,
had
been
fired
from
some
little
distance
,
as
there
was
no
scorching
of
the
clothes
.
No
weapon
was
found
in
the
compartment
(
which
finally
disposed
of
the
theory
of
suicide
)
,
nor
was
there
any
sign
of
the
brown
leather
bag
which
the
guard
had
seen
in
the
hand
of
the
tall
gentleman
.
A
lady
’
s
parasol
was
found
upon
the
rack
,
but
no
other
trace
was
to
be
seen
of
the
travellers
in
either
of
the
sections
.
Apart
from
the
crime
,
the
question
of
how
or
why
three
passengers
(
one
of
them
a
lady
)
could
get
out
of
the
train
,
and
one
other
get
in
during
the
unbroken
run
between
Willesden
and
Rugby
,
was
one
which
excited
the
utmost
curiosity
among
the
general
public
,
and
gave
rise
to
much
speculation
in
the
London
Press
.
John
Palmer
,
the
guard
was
able
at
the
inquest
to
give
some
evidence
which
threw
a
little
light
upon
the
matter
.
There
was
a
spot
between
Tring
and
Cheddington
,
according
to
his
statement
,
where
,
on
account
of
some
repairs
to
the
line
,
the
train
had
for
a
few
minutes
slowed
down
to
a
pace
not
exceeding
eight
or
ten
miles
an
hour
.
At
that
place
it
might
be
possible
for
a
man
,
or
even
for
an
exceptionally
active
woman
,
to
have
left
the
train
without
serious
injury
.
It
was
true
that
a
gang
of
platelayers
was
there
,
and
that
they
had
seen
nothing
,
but
it
was
their
custom
to
stand
in
the
middle
between
the
metals
,
and
the
open
carriage
door
was
upon
the
far
side
,
so
that
it
was
conceivable
that
someone
might
have
alighted
unseen
,
as
the
darkness
would
by
that
time
be
drawing
in
.
A
steep
embankment
would
instantly
screen
anyone
who
sprang
out
from
the
observation
of
the
navvies
.
The
guard
also
deposed
that
there
was
a
good
deal
of
movement
upon
the
platform
at
Willesden
Junction
,
and
that
though
it
was
certain
that
no
one
had
either
joined
or
left
the
train
there
,
it
was
still
quite
possible
that
some
of
the
passengers
might
have
changed
unseen
from
one
compartment
to
another
.
It
was
by
no
means
uncommon
for
a
gentleman
to
finish
his
cigar
in
a
smoking
carriage
and
then
to
change
to
a
clearer
atmosphere
.
Supposing
that
the
man
with
the
black
beard
had
done
so
at
Willesden
(
and
the
half
-
smoked
cigar
upon
the
floor
seemed
to
favour
the
supposition
)
,
he
would
naturally
go
into
the
nearest
section
,
which
would
bring
him
into
the
company
of
the
two
other
actors
in
this
drama
.
Thus
the
first
stage
of
the
affair
might
be
surmised
without
any
great
breach
of
probability
.
But
what
the
second
stage
had
been
,
or
how
the
final
one
had
been
arrived
at
,
neither
the
guard
nor
the
experienced
detective
officers
could
suggest
.
A
careful
examination
of
the
line
between
Willesden
and
Rugby
resulted
in
one
discovery
which
might
or
might
not
have
a
bearing
upon
the
tragedy
.
Near
Tring
,
at
the
very
place
where
the
train
slowed
down
,
there
was
found
at
the
bottom
of
the
embankment
a
small
pocket
Testament
,
very
shabby
and
worn
.
It
was
printed
by
the
Bible
Society
of
London
,
and
bore
an
inscription
:
"
From
John
to
Alice
.
Jan
.
13th
,
1856
,
"
upon
the
fly
-
leaf
.
Underneath
was
written
:
"
James
.
July
4th
,
1859
,
"
and
beneath
that
again
:
"
Edward
.
Nov
.
1st
,
1869
,
"
all
the
entries
being
in
the
same
handwriting
.
This
was
the
only
clue
,
if
it
could
be
called
a
clue
,
which
the
police
obtained
,
and
the
coroner
’
s
verdict
of
"
Murder
by
a
person
or
persons
unknown
"
was
the
unsatisfactory
ending
of
a
singular
case
.
Advertisement
,
rewards
,
and
inquiries
proved
equally
fruitless
,
and
nothing
could
be
found
which
was
solid
enough
to
form
the
basis
for
a
profitable
investigation
.
It
would
be
a
mistake
,
however
,
to
suppose
that
no
theories
were
formed
to
account
for
the
facts
.
On
the
contrary
,
the
Press
,
both
in
England
and
in
America
,
teemed
with
suggestions
and
suppositions
,
most
of
which
were
obviously
absurd
.
The
fact
that
the
watches
were
of
American
make
,
and
some
peculiarities
in
connection
with
the
gold
stopping
of
his
front
tooth
,
appeared
to
indicate
that
the
deceased
was
a
citizen
of
the
United
States
,
though
his
linen
,
clothes
and
boots
were
undoubtedly
of
British
manufacture
.
It
was
surmised
,
by
some
,
that
he
was
concealed
under
the
seat
,
and
that
,
being
discovered
,
he
was
for
some
reason
,
possibly
because
he
had
overheard
their
guilty
secrets
,
put
to
death
by
his
fellow
-
passengers
.
When
coupled
with
generalities
as
to
the
ferocity
and
cunning
of
anarchical
and
other
secret
societies
,
this
theory
sounded
as
plausible
as
any
.
The
fact
that
he
should
be
without
a
ticket
would
be
consistent
with
the
idea
of
concealment
,
and
it
was
well
known
that
women
played
a
prominent
part
in
the
Nihilistic
propaganda
.
On
the
other
hand
,
it
was
clear
,
from
the
guard
’
s
statement
,
that
the
man
must
have
been
hidden
there
BEFORE
the
others
arrived
,
and
how
unlikely
the
coincidence
that
conspirators
should
stray
exactly
into
the
very
compartment
in
which
a
spy
was
already
concealed
!
Besides
,
this
explanation
ignored
the
man
in
the
smoking
carriage
,
and
gave
no
reason
at
all
for
his
simultaneous
disappearance
.
The
police
had
little
difficulty
in
showing
that
such
a
theory
would
not
cover
the
facts
,
but
they
were
unprepared
in
the
absence
of
evidence
to
advance
any
alternative
explanation
.
There
was
a
letter
in
the
Daily
Gazette
,
over
the
signature
of
a
well
-
known
criminal
investigator
,
which
gave
rise
to
considerable
discussion
at
the
time
.
He
had
formed
a
hypothesis
which
had
at
least
ingenuity
to
recommend
it
,
and
I
cannot
do
better
than
append
it
in
his
own
words
.
