“Were Patterson’s hands open or closed?”
“Open,” McLane stopped, then continued more slowly. “Judging from his position I should say that Patterson had first fallen on his knees and then plunged forward on his face, his hands looked as if he had braced them to break his fall.”
“Mr. Barclay testified that he had turned the body over to see who it was,” put in the coroner quickly.
“So he had, but only partly to one side; Patterson’s legs were still doubled up under him.”
“Was there much blood on Patterson’s clothes and about the floor where he lay?”
“No, very little; the bullet penetrated a vital point under the shoulder blade, and the wound bled internally.”
“How long should you say Patterson lived after being shot?”
“Possibly three minutes; not longer.”
“How soon after the extinguishing of the fire did you find Mr. Barclay bending over Patterson’s body?”
“Almost immediately—say three or four minutes. The whole fire,” added McLane, “from the time of its discovery until it was extinguished, only lasted twenty-five minutes.”