Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Man with the Watches
Theexpresswasthenallowedtoproceed,butanewguardwassentwithit,andJohnPalmerwasdetainedasawitnessatRugby.Thecarriagewhichincludedthetwocompartmentsinquestionwasuncoupledandside-tracked.Then,onthearrivalofInspectorVane,ofScotlandYard,andofMr.Henderson,adetectiveintheserviceoftherailwaycompany,anexhaustiveinquirywasmadeintoallthecircumstances.
Thatcrimehadbeencommittedwascertain.Thebullet,whichappearedtohavecomefromasmallpistolorrevolver,hadbeenfiredfromsomelittledistance,astherewasnoscorchingoftheclothes.Noweaponwasfoundinthecompartment(whichfinallydisposedofthetheoryofsuicide),norwasthereanysignofthebrownleatherbagwhichtheguardhadseeninthehandofthetallgentleman.Alady’sparasolwasfoundupontherack,butnoothertracewastobeseenofthetravellersineitherofthesections.Apartfromthecrime,thequestionofhoworwhythreepassengers(oneofthemalady)couldgetoutofthetrain,andoneothergetinduringtheunbrokenrunbetweenWillesdenandRugby,wasonewhichexcitedtheutmostcuriosityamongthegeneralpublic,andgaverisetomuchspeculationintheLondonPress.
JohnPalmer,theguardwasableattheinquesttogivesomeevidencewhichthrewalittlelightuponthematter.TherewasaspotbetweenTringandCheddington,accordingtohisstatement,where,onaccountofsomerepairstotheline,thetrainhadforafewminutessloweddowntoapacenotexceedingeightortenmilesanhour.
