The day of the Inquest had arrived and Holmes had risen bright and early. “Come along, Watson. We want a front row seat!” I knew that he said this in jest as he being the person representing Flora's family, he would already be at the front of the court!
The Inquest was to be convened not far from Broad Street, in the concert room of the Crown and Glove Hotel and conducted by the local Coroner, Mr Thomas Hughes, with a 14 man jury. We hailed a cab and soon arrived at the hostelry. The Crown and Glove was, considering the area, quite a grand building. It was built in red, London brick with contrasting brickwork around the windows which, in turn, were acid etched and gilded with Acanthus leaves.
The Hotel housed two bars and signs directed the public to the Coroners court. A constable was on duty at the entrance to the concert room and he saluted smartly as we approached. Holmes passed the constable a note for the Coroner. This advised him that Holmes was to be the representative of the Smith Family. The constable saluted again and directed us to a single row of chairs which had been arranged facing a small raised stage.
Upon the stage, the curtains had been pulled back and a central table, with a single chair, had been reserved for the Coroner. To the sides were two smaller tables. One for the court recorder and one for a legal assistant, should the Coroner need clarification on any points of law. The jury were to be seated to one side of the court so that they could have a clear view of both the stage and also the 'body' of the court, as it were.
The room began to fill, mostly, it seemed, with local people who were simply curious but also with some members of the Smith family. I saw little Alfie and his cousin, Lucy, sitting between a lady and gentleman who I took to be Alfie's parents. Alfie waved only to be scolded by his mother. Sitting amongst the public I observed two reporters complete with note books. One of them was to be seen making sketches of the improvised courtroom.
The police presence had notably increased and, as I watched, the fourteen members of the jury filed in and sat on their allotted chairs. On the opposite side of the room a table and two chairs had been set out. From my position, I saw Flora being led in, handcuffed to a female police officer. Holmes, I could, see had noticed her and gave her a nod and a smile. Flora, in turn, responded with a weak smile but she looked unwell. Her complexion was quite grey.
Once everyone was seated, a door to the side of the stage opened and the Coroner, flanked by his assistants, entered. As one, the whole room rose and waited until the Coroner was seated before sitting once more.
Clearing his throat, the Coroner, Mr Hughes, addressed the court. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today not to apportion blame but to determine facts. From those facts we will make a finding, a representation, if you will, to the authorities who will in turn decide whether any further action needs to be taken. This is an inquisitorial process, it is not a trial with a defendant and a prosecutor. We are here to find out why these deaths occurred, the cause and the circumstances. I shall call witnesses and listen to testimony from interested parties. I understand that Mr Sherlock Holmes is here on behalf of the Smith family, is that so?”
Holmes stood and bowed slightly towards the Coroner. “Indeed, sir. I am.”
The Coroner nodded and Holmes resumed his seat. I leant towards Holmes and whispered, “This seems very formal, Holmes. It must be very frightening for Flora and her family.”
Holmes’ face was impassive. “I fear it may become quite difficult for them.”
The Coroner continued by stating that he was satisfied with the identification of the two persons who had perished and called the first witness, Sergeant Grey.
A tall police Sergeant in full uniform and sporting fine 'mutton chop' whiskers approached the table where Flora sat. He was then sworn in to give evidence under oath. In his testimony, he repeated what he had written in his report. He then added that the hammer that was found in the scullery had been tested for finger prints and those found on the handle matched those of Flora Smith. At this, there was the sound of booing and loud muttering from the public.
The Coroner struck the table firmly with his gavel, saying loudly, “Silence!”
Sergeant Grey was about to sit down when Holmes rose and addressed the Coroner. “If you please, sir. I would like to question this witness.” The Coroner nodded. Holmes turned to Sergeant Grey and smiled. “Tell me, Sergeant, how was the behaviour of Flora Smith when you first met her?”
The Sergeant rubbed his whiskers. “Well, sir. She was unsteady, confused, like. She was staggering as if she had taken some drink but she hadn't, I smelled her breath and I found no intoxicants when I searched the house.”
Holmes continued. “The hammer you discovered in the scullery that had Flora's fingerprints upon the handle, was it hidden?”
Sergeant Grey replied immediately, “No, sir. It was in plain view beneath the sink.”
Holmes put his index finger to his lips. “Was there evidence of any blood or hair at all on the hammer head?”
The Sergeant referred to his pocket book. “No, sir. Just a little coal dust.”
Holmes nodded. “Oh, just one final thing, Sergeant. Did you examine the window in the back bedroom?"
The Sergeant nodded. "Yes, sir. There was a piece of folded newspaper inserted in the gap in the frame, seemingly to stop draughts of air entering the room."
Holmes paused. "Did you also examine the chimney in the back bedroom at Broad Street? When I visited the property, I determined that it had been blocked by a previous tenant.”
The Sergeant looked quite shocked and stammered, “Why... no, sir. It never occurred to me.” Holmes thanked the Sergeant and sat down.
The next witness to be called was Dr Parry. As expected, he presented his findings admirably including the results of his analysis of the blood samples and stomach contents.
At the completion of Dr Parry's evidence, Holmes rose from his chair again, asking, “If I may...” The coroner nodded and simply waved in Holmes’ direction. “Dr Parry, you stated that the lungs and blood of the victims showed evidence of inhalation of carbonic oxide gas. How is carbonic oxide gas formed in a domestic situation?”
Dr Parry turned and faced the jury. He then proceeded as though he was giving a lecture. "Carbonic oxide gas is an invisible and odourless gas produced when a source of carbon, in a fuel, for example coal gas, coal, coke or wood, is burned with an insufficient or restricted supply of oxygen. It is a natural product of combustion and is present in the smoke given off as the fuel burns.”
Holmes nodded. “What would happen then, Dr Parry, if a room was lacking in a source of fresh air and the smoke could not escape?”
Dr Parry continued. “If a room were not to be properly ventilated, these gases would build up very rapidly to a point where they would become fatal."
Holmes nodded. "Tell me, Dr Parry, what would be the effects of this gas on a person who had, say, bronchitis compared to a younger, fitter person?"
Dr Parry thought for a moment. "In my opinion, the person with bronchitis would become breathless and agitated as they tried to breathe faster, to catch their breath. This would, in turn, draw in more of the carbonic oxide gas. Their complexion would become reddish purple in colour as their blood became damaged by the gas. In the healthy person, the same concentration of gas might make them unable to move for some hours after waking. It may also cause them to be severely confused and have difficulty with their balance."
Holmes referred to the notes he had made from the post-mortem report. "I noticed, in the coal cellar at Broad Street, that there were marks on the steps and on the wall that suggested a person had fallen down the cellar steps. How might that be in keeping with your examination of the body of James Smith?"
Dr Parry replied without hesitation. "The injuries I discovered on the body, the grazing to the arm, the broken fingernails with coal dust residue, the bruising to the face and ribs are all conducive with a fall down a flight of steps." Holmes nodded to Dr Parry and sat down.