If Lathom was guilty of administering poison to Harrison, why did he
return to “The Shack” on Saturday? Would it not have been wiser to
remain in town till the death was discovered?
This is an objection which to me appears to carry some weight. I can,
however, see certain considerations which might account for a proceeding
so apparently reckless from a practical point of view.
(_a_) Lathom may have wished to be on the spot to conceal any accidental
traces of the crime. As we do not yet know his exact procedure, it is
not certain what these could have been—a bottle, perhaps, containing
extract of _Amanita muscaria_, a pan in which he had prepared it; a book
or papers containing notes; traces of his previous arrival by
motor-bicycle or otherwise; possibly some letter or message left by
Harrison, containing his own suspicions as to the manner of his death.
NOTE: Munting’s opinion is that Lathom originally intended to remain
alone in “The Shack” while he (Munting) came to fetch help, but when it
came to the point found himself unable to face it. This is consistent
with the above explanation, if we suppose that Lathom was overcome by
fear or remorse at the sight of the body, and was thus prevented from
carrying out his design. From Munting’s own statement it will be seen
that Lathom was in a nervous state from the moment of his meeting
Munting in town, down to the time when the body was discovered.
(_b_) Supposing the plot had failed to work, Harrison would have been
expecting Lathom’s return. Let us say he had discovered an _Amanita
muscaria_ among his fungi—he would wonder how it had got there, and if
Lathom never turned up might conceive such suspicion of him as would put
him on his guard against any further attempts. On the other hand, he
might have mentioned to people in the neighbourhood that Lathom was due
to come back, in which case, the plot succeeding, Lathom’s absence might
have a suspicious look.
Further explanations suggested by the Muntings:
(_c_) Lathom (supposing him guilty) would probably have no idea when the
death might be expected to take place. As Thursday, Friday and Saturday
passed without news, he might be overcome by nervous restlessness and an
overwhelming anxiety to see for himself what was going on. (I suppose
that from artists and persons of unbalanced temperament, such behaviour
may be expected, half-witted as it may appear.)
(_d_) The alleged hankering of a murderer to revisit the scene of the
crime. (This I hold to be pure superstition and quite baseless in fact.)
(_e_) Remorse. Perhaps Lathom regretted what he had done, and was making
a belated effort to save Harrison’s life by fetching medical assistance
before it was too late. (In this suggestion, put forward by Mrs.
Munting, the wish is probably father to the thought.)
Why did Lathom take Munting down to “The Shack” with him? This again
seems to me to have been the act of a madman. Unless, indeed, he was
cunning enough to foresee that this was exactly the appearance it
_would_ present, and was therefore the best defence he could put up
against suspicion.
Further, of course Munting provided Lathom with a complete alibi for the
whole of Saturday and an unprejudiced witness as to the discovery of the
body. Suppose, for example, that Harrison, instead of having been dead
six or seven hours, had been only just dead or on the point of expiring
when they got there, Munting could have given evidence that they had
found him in that condition on their arrival.
On the other hand, Lathom was running a very serious risk, not only of
defeating his own ends, but of having the whole vile plot exposed. If
they had found Harrison still alive, they would have had no choice but
to summon a doctor immediately; the victim might have recovered, or at
least recovered sufficiently to denounce Lathom.
* * * * *
NOTE: Is Munting entirely cleared from complicity in the murder? His
behaviour has been suspicious, and he has withheld information as long
as possible. Not to trust him too far.
* * * * *
Neither Munting nor his wife seems to find as much difficulty as I do
about this part of the business. They agree that a man of Lathom’s
temperament, having committed a murder, would be afraid to be alone, and
would take any risks to secure companionship. They instance Patrick
Mahon’s incredible rashness in taking Miss Duncan to sleep at the
Crumbles on the very night after he had murdered Emily Kaye, and while
her dead body was actually lying in the next room. These people are both
novelists and are supposed to have studied human nature. They say it is
full of inconsistencies and I daresay they are right. I admit that, to
me, the mentality of men like Lathom is perfectly incomprehensible, and
I am ready to believe anything.
* * *
It was late when I left the Muntings, taking away with me the letters
they gave me, and having obtained from Munting a promise that he would
draw up a statement of the course of events during the periods not
covered by the letters, and containing, in particular, an exact account
of what took place at “The Shack.” This is the statement which forms
part of this dossier, divided into chronological sections for greater
ease of reference. I regret that it is so diffuse and adorned with so
many unnecessary personal reflections and literary embellishments. It
seems that the vanity of writers must be indulged at all costs, even
where a straightforward summary of events would be far more useful. I
have not, however, ventured to omit or alter anything, preferring to
submit the documents exactly as they stand.
My next step was to write to Sir James Lubbock, raising the various
points noted in the schedule for his consideration. In the course of a
few days I received the following courteous reply.
HOME OFFICE
12 January, 1930