Witness: "The Rev. Mr. Clarke had called in the afternoon, and after he left, Mr. Horran was very cross. As he was good-tempered up till Mr. Clarke's visit, I suppose Mr. Clarke put him out in some way."
The Coroner gave instructions that Mr. Clarke should be called as a witness, since this had not been done. Meanwhile, Clarice Baird deposed that the deceased was her guardian, and had been ill with some mysterious disease for ten years, more or less. Usually, he was good tempered. She did not see him on the evening of the crime, as he refused to receive her, being out of temper. Dr. Jerce had told her that Mr. Clarke had seen deceased, and Dr. Jerce was vexed, as he did not wish deceased, in his bad state of health, to be worried with business. Witness also stated how she had found the gold box, and had handed it to Dr. Jerce, who had taken it, along with the picture of the Purple Fern and the letter given to him by the sick man of Tea Street, Whitechapel, to Scotland Yard. Deceased had seemed much agitated when he found the picture of the Purple Fern in the unaddressed envelope outside his window, but had never gone into details about the matter, and she had not found an opportunity of speaking to him on the subject. As a matter of fact, deceased had fallen asleep while talking of the picture of the fern, and witness had picked it up. Beyond that he was agitated, witness had no reason to believe that Mr. Horran expected to be murdered. Still, since the other seven deaths, connected with the Purple Fern, had always been preceded by the same warning, it was possible that Mr. Horran was in dread of a violent death. Witness also stated, that she had heard no noise or cry during the night, and, indeed, had known nothing of the crime, until Chalks, the valet, came up to lead her down to the scene of the tragedy. From the disposition of the bedclothes, she fancied that deceased must have been stabbed in his sleep, before he had time to wake or call out. Witness had told the valet to leave the room exactly as it was, when found by him, and had then sent for the police.
Coroner: "When you found the box, did you see deceased about it?"
Witness: "No, sir! Mr. Horran was asleep for hours and hours, and I had no opportunity."
Coroner: "Would you have done so had deceased been awake?"
Witness: "Certainly!"
Dr. Jerce, re-called, said that he had not related the finding of the gold box to deceased, since he was already in a state of nervous excitement, owing to the visit of Mr. Clarke. Witness intended to wait until Mr. Horran was more composed, and then it was his intention to tell him about the golden box, and about Osip--that is, such details as were in the letter given to him by the young man who died in Tea Street. Dr. Jerce stated that he had placed all evidence in the hands of the Scotland Yard authorities on the same night that he went up, and that he had intended to come down next day and relate everything to deceased, whom he hoped to find more composed. "But when I arrived at the Crumel railway station," ended witness, "I found that my poor friend had been murdered."
Mr. Clarke, hastily summoned from the vicarage, then put in an appearance, and stated that he had received money from Mr. Horran, through his solicitor, Mr. Barras. He had long wished to see Mr. Horran on the matter of the interest, which was overdue, and for payment of which witness was being pressed. But Dr. Jerce would not allow witness to see Mr. Horran because Mr. Horran's health was delicate, and--according to Dr. Jerce--it would have been detrimental to his condition to worry him with business. Witness, however, was passing The Laurels, and saw the French window of Mr. Horran's bedroom open. He, therefore, slipped in on the impulse of the moment. Mr. Horran had expressed himself as angry about the thousand pounds loan, as he declared that he had not given Mr. Barras leave to lend money at the rate of ten per cent. He had told witness that he would write to Barras, and would see him--witness--in a few days, about the matter, telling him not to worry in the meantime. Deceased certainly appeared to be very much annoyed, and witness expressed his regret that he had not obeyed Dr. Jerce's wish and had refrained from paying the visit. His only excuse was that he had slipped into the bedroom on the impulse of the moment, and on seeing the window open from the lane.
Coroner: "You can see the window from the lane?"
Witness: "Certainly--very plainly."