The court had adjourned and sat again. There had been some hours of expert medical testimony.
Dr. Alan Garcia, the distinguished analyst, full of learned terms, spoke with gusto of the stomach contents: Bread, fish paste, tea, presence of morphia…more learned terms and various decimal points. Amount taken by the deceased estimated to be about four grains. Fatal dose could be as low as one grain.
Sir Edwin rose, still bland.
“I should like to get it quite clear. You found in the stomach nothing but bread, butter, fish paste, tea and morphia. There were no other foodstuffs?”
“None.”
“That is to say, the deceased had eaten nothing but sandwiches and tea for some considerable time?”
“That is so.”
“Was there anything to show in what particular vehicle the morphia had been administered?”
“I don’t quite understand.”
“I will simplify that question. The morphia could have been taken in the fish paste, or in the bread, or in the butter on the bread, or in the tea, or in the milk that had been added to the tea?”
“Certainly.”
“There was no special evidence that the morphia was in the fish paste rather than in any of the other mediums?”
“No.”
“And, in fact, the morphia might have been taken separately—that is to say, not in any vehicle at all? It could have been simply swallowed in its tablet form?”
“That is so, of course.”
“Sir Edwin sat down.
Sir Samuel re-examined.
“Nevertheless, you are of the opinion that, however the morphia was taken, it was taken at the same time as the other food and drink?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
IV
Inspector Brill had taken the oath with mechanical fluency. He stood there, soldierly and stolid, reeling off his evidence with practised ease.
“Summoned to the house… The accused said, ‘It must have been bad fish paste.’…search of the premises…one jar of fish paste washed out was standing on the draining board in the pantry, another half full…further search of pantry kitchen….”
“What did you find?”
“In a crack behind the table, between the floorboards, I found a tiny scrap of paper.”
The exhibit went to the jury.
“What did you take it to be?”
“A fragment torn off a printed label—such as are used on glass tubes of morphia.”
Counsel for the Defence arose with leisurely ease.
He said: