Read Online The Cretingham Murder by Sheila Hardy - Free Book Online
Authors: Sheila Hardy
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very unpleasant position to occupy that I am now about to take, but, painful as it is, I feel it is my imperative duty, a duty I owe to myself having taken the oath, and a duty I owe to the public here assembled, to enquire into the cause of the death of your late husband, to ask these questions: Don’t you consider there was considerable animus in the mind of Mr Farley towards Mr Cooper?
Mrs Farley : Certainly not, not for sometime past. During the first nine or ten months there was some misunderstanding, but latterly he has been very different.
Mr Juby : Was there any reason for that?
Mrs Farley : Yes.
Mr Juby : Will you tell the Jury what it was?
Mrs Farley : There was some little unpleasantness about money matters.
This was not the answer Juby was fishing for, so he came directly to the point: ‘I presume you know very well your character has been considerably aspersed.’
Imagine the gasp that must have run round the room and the knowing looks that were exchanged. The coroner quite rightly decreed that there was no need to go into that. If he thought he was defending the lady’s susceptibilities, he must have been taken aback by her reply. ‘I don’t mind about it. People will talk.’
The coroner directed Juby that he might ask the question if he thought it necessary. Harriet Louisa was quite happy to continue:
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley did not believe anything of the sort.
Mr Juby : I have a good deal to ask yet if you have the time.
Coroner : We have come here to enquire into the cause of death.
Mrs Farley : Ask any questions you please. I am quite willing to answer any questions.
Mr Juby : You say you had suspicions and took the razor case away?
Mrs Farley : I have had occasion to take my husband’s razor for the same thing.
Mr Juby : Have you ever seen Mr Farley strike Mr Cooper?
Mrs Farley : Never.
Mr Juby : Nor yet strike at him?
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley used to get little fits sometimes and get angry about nothing, but we never took much notice of it. He was an impetuous man.
Mr Juby : Of course you know that scandal and report have been very busy, and it is very natural that you should have the opportunity of explaining yourself.
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley did not believe all the little gossip.
Coroner : As I understand your reply it is this – that there has never been any impropriety between yourself and Mr Cooper.
Mrs Farley : (indignantly) Good gracious, certainly not.
Mr Juby : Did you ever go between Mr Cooper and Mr Farley?
Mrs Farley : I don’t know that I did.
Mr Juby : If anybody said you did this is wrong?
Mrs Farley : Yes, I should think so. Mr Cooper once took Mr Farley by the shoulders and told him he ought to behave better.
Bearing in mind the difference in physical stature between the two men, one wonders exactly what occurred at this exchange which can only have been reported upon by one of the household staff.
Mr Juby : What was the cause of the animus in the mind of Mr Farley?
Mrs Farley : I used to tell him he was jealous, but he said he was not.
Mr Juby : Was Mr Farley, in plain terms, jealous of you?
Mrs Farley : No; he had too much sense.
Mr Juby : Then what did he mean by saying when you and Mr Cooper went out together, ‘There go the two courters.’
Mrs Farley : I never heard him say that – I don’t believe he said it.
Coroner (interrupting): I don’t see what this has to do with it.
Mr Juby : Did you and Mr Cooper ever kiss each other?
Mrs Farley : (indignantly) No; if I did I do not think it would be wrong.
One of the other jurors, Gocher, felt things had gone far enough and protested against the questions put by Juby. Undeterred, Juby persisted and repeated them.
Mrs Farley : I treated Mr Cooper as my younger brother. I knew he was very strange at times, but he was quite like a boy, and I managed him well. Mr Farley was not jealous of us; he was rather glad when Mr Cooper came back so that he and I could go for walks together.
Mr Juby : You
Mrs Farley : Certainly not, not for sometime past. During the first nine or ten months there was some misunderstanding, but latterly he has been very different.
Mr Juby : Was there any reason for that?
Mrs Farley : Yes.
Mr Juby : Will you tell the Jury what it was?
Mrs Farley : There was some little unpleasantness about money matters.
This was not the answer Juby was fishing for, so he came directly to the point: ‘I presume you know very well your character has been considerably aspersed.’
Imagine the gasp that must have run round the room and the knowing looks that were exchanged. The coroner quite rightly decreed that there was no need to go into that. If he thought he was defending the lady’s susceptibilities, he must have been taken aback by her reply. ‘I don’t mind about it. People will talk.’
The coroner directed Juby that he might ask the question if he thought it necessary. Harriet Louisa was quite happy to continue:
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley did not believe anything of the sort.
Mr Juby : I have a good deal to ask yet if you have the time.
Coroner : We have come here to enquire into the cause of death.
Mrs Farley : Ask any questions you please. I am quite willing to answer any questions.
Mr Juby : You say you had suspicions and took the razor case away?
Mrs Farley : I have had occasion to take my husband’s razor for the same thing.
Mr Juby : Have you ever seen Mr Farley strike Mr Cooper?
Mrs Farley : Never.
Mr Juby : Nor yet strike at him?
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley used to get little fits sometimes and get angry about nothing, but we never took much notice of it. He was an impetuous man.
Mr Juby : Of course you know that scandal and report have been very busy, and it is very natural that you should have the opportunity of explaining yourself.
Mrs Farley : Mr Farley did not believe all the little gossip.
Coroner : As I understand your reply it is this – that there has never been any impropriety between yourself and Mr Cooper.
Mrs Farley : (indignantly) Good gracious, certainly not.
Mr Juby : Did you ever go between Mr Cooper and Mr Farley?
Mrs Farley : I don’t know that I did.
Mr Juby : If anybody said you did this is wrong?
Mrs Farley : Yes, I should think so. Mr Cooper once took Mr Farley by the shoulders and told him he ought to behave better.
Bearing in mind the difference in physical stature between the two men, one wonders exactly what occurred at this exchange which can only have been reported upon by one of the household staff.
Mr Juby : What was the cause of the animus in the mind of Mr Farley?
Mrs Farley : I used to tell him he was jealous, but he said he was not.
Mr Juby : Was Mr Farley, in plain terms, jealous of you?
Mrs Farley : No; he had too much sense.
Mr Juby : Then what did he mean by saying when you and Mr Cooper went out together, ‘There go the two courters.’
Mrs Farley : I never heard him say that – I don’t believe he said it.
Coroner (interrupting): I don’t see what this has to do with it.
Mr Juby : Did you and Mr Cooper ever kiss each other?
Mrs Farley : (indignantly) No; if I did I do not think it would be wrong.
One of the other jurors, Gocher, felt things had gone far enough and protested against the questions put by Juby. Undeterred, Juby persisted and repeated them.
Mrs Farley : I treated Mr Cooper as my younger brother. I knew he was very strange at times, but he was quite like a boy, and I managed him well. Mr Farley was not jealous of us; he was rather glad when Mr Cooper came back so that he and I could go for walks together.
Mr Juby : You
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