The identity of the criminal known, it took Inspector French but a
short time to compile a complete and detailed account of that terrible
series of crimes which comprised what had become known as the Starvel
Hollow Tragedy. Herbert Philpot, once he understood that the evidence
against him was overwhelming and that nothing could save him from the
scaffold, broke down completely and made a confession which cleared up
the few points which from their nature it was impossible that French
could have learnt otherwise.
The first act of the Inspector, on lodging his prisoner in jail, was
to visit his rooms in Glasgow. There in a battered leather portmanteau
he discovered a large cashbox of hardened steel which when broken open
was found to contain the balance of Mr. Averill’s money. With the
£2000 which had been paid to Messrs. Dashwood and Munce, no less a sum
than £36,562 was recovered, no doubt all the old miser had possessed.
Ruth Averill therefore received her fortune intact, and between the
consequent easing of her circumstances and her engagement to Pierce
Whymper, she found the happiness which had been denied her during her
early years.
The history of the crime, as French at last presented it, made very
terrible reading. Like most accounts of human weakness and guilt, it
arose from small beginnings and increased stage by stage, until at
last almost inevitably it reached its frightful consummation.
The trouble first arose in that house near the Ransome Institute in
Kintilloch, when Dr. Philpot discovered that he and his wife had
nothing in common and that their marriage had been a fatal blunder.
There is no need to recount the steps by which they drifted apart: it
is enough to say that within two years of the wedding their hatred was
mutual and bitter. Then Philpot became intimate with the nurse whom
Roper afterwards found him embracing in the Institute shrubbery, and
from that time the idea of getting rid of his wife by murder was never
far from the doctor’s mind. At first he did not see how this could be
done, but as he brooded over the problem a method presented itself,
and coldly and deliberately he made his preparations.
First, he selected a time when his wife should be alone with him in
the house. Taking advantage of Flora’s absence one afternoon, he made
a pretext to get Mrs. Philpot up to the bedroom landing. Silently he
slipped upstairs after her and across the top of the lower flight he
tied a dark-brown silk cord. Then, returning to the study, he called
to her for Heaven’s sake to come quickly for the house was on fire.
She rushed down, caught her foot in the cord, and fell headlong to the
hall below. She was stunned though not killed, but Philpot was
prepared for this eventuality. Seizing the only implement he could
find, a cricket bat, he struck her savagely on the temple, killing her
instantaneously. As he expected, the blow made a bruise such as she
might have received from the fall, and no suspicion was aroused by it.
But an unexpected contingency had given Philpot away. He had supposed
that the servant, Flora, had really gone to visit her sick mother. But
in this he was mistaken. It was to see, not her mother but her lover,
Roper, that the girl had left the house, and this afternoon, like many
another before it, she met him in a near-by copse. There, just after
they had greeted each other, a heavy shower came on, and Flora had
proposed an adjournment to the kitchen for shelter. To this Roper had
agreed, and they had just settled down therein for their fifteen
minutes’ chat when they heard Philpot’s shout to his wife, followed in
a moment by Mrs. Philpot’s scream of terror and the crash of her fall.
Flora involuntarily sprang to her feet and ran up the stairs from the
basement to the hall. But she was transfixed by the sight which met
her eyes and she stood rigid, gazing at Philpot. Roper had by this
time crept up the stairs behind her, and both actually saw the doctor
commit the murder. Flora was about to reveal herself, but Roper’s grip
tightened upon her wrist and held her motionless. Watching thus, they
saw Philpot rapidly examine the body, and apparently satisfied that
life was extinct, wipe the cricket bat and replace it in the stand.
Then he ran upstairs and removed the silk cord, afterwards stooping
over the floor on the half-way landing. They could not see what he was
doing, but the evidence given later as to the hole in the carpet made
his action clear.
Then followed a dramatic moment. When Philpot came downstairs he found
Roper and Flora standing in the hall, and they soon let him know that
they had witnessed the whole of his terrible proceedings. Philpot
attempted to bluster, but he was quite unable to carry it off, and at
last he asked Roper what he proposed to do.
Roper, in his way quite as unscrupulous as the doctor, had instantly
thought how he might turn the affair to his own advantage, and he
quickly stated his terms. If Philpot would increase his ten shillings
a week to forty, thus enabling Roper and Flora to marry in comfort,
the evidence against him would be withheld. Philpot protested, but
Roper was adamant and the doctor had to give way. Had that been all
that Roper required, the matter would have been settled in five
minutes. But the attendant pointed out that unless he had some
material proof of the crime, his hold over Philpot would be gone by
the evening: if he did not give his testimony at once he would have to
explain later why he had withheld it. He would therefore follow the
precedent he had set in the case of the nurse, and would require from
Philpot a signed confession of the murder. He swore solemnly to keep
this secret as long as the money was paid, but with equal solemnity
swore to send it anonymously to the police the first time the two
pounds failed to materialise. Again Philpot blustered, but again he
had to give way. But he pointed out that a confession would take some
time to prepare, and that if he wrote it then and there the body would
be cold before the police and another doctor were called in, which
would give the whole affair away. Roper admitted this difficulty and
proposed the following solution. He would give Philpot until nine
o’clock that night to write it. If it was not forthcoming Flora and he
would visit the police station with the yarn that Flora alone had seen
what had taken place—but without revealing herself to Philpot; that
she had been so frightened she did not know what to do; that she had
consulted him, Roper, and that he had told her she must immediately
reveal what she knew.
Philpot had perforce to agree to this, and by nine o’clock the
confession was ready. But Philpot with perverse ingenuity found a way
of tricking his adversary and rendering it useless. He was an
extraordinarily clever draughtsman and had frequently amused himself
by forging the handwriting of others. Now he forged his own. He wrote
the confession out, and then copied it, letter by letter, _upside
down_. The result was a passable imitation of his own handwriting, but
one which any expert would recognise as a forgery. If the document
were produced his denial of its authorship would be accepted without
question.
But Philpot did not wish the document to be produced. It was too
horribly credible, and inquiries by the police might easily lead to
some discovery which would convict him. With all the appearance of
reluctant good faith he therefore handed over the document and
promised to pay the two pounds a week with the utmost regularity.
Roper, believing in the value of his instrument and fearing Philpot
might make an effort to regain it, rented a box in a safe deposit and
stored it there.
Some four months later Philpot, as already stated, left the Ransome
Institute and put up his plate at Thirsby. There he speedily made the
acquaintance of Mr. Averill. The old man indeed called him in,
thinking that the fees of a newcomer who had to make his way would be
less than those of a well-established practitioner.
When Roper was dismissed from the Institute he wrote to Philpot asking
if he could help him towards getting another job, and it was while
thinking over this request that the first idea of the crime entered
the doctor’s mind. His plan was if possible to get Averill to dismiss
his servants and to employ the Ropers in their places. Then he
intended to get the couple to join with him in the murder of Averill
and the theft of his money.
At first Philpot’s only idea was to obtain as firm a hold over the
Ropers as they had over him, so as to free himself not only from the
serious financial drain of their blackmail, but also from the terrible
haunting fear that sooner or later they would betray him. But further
consideration showed him a way by which he could get enormously more
than this. By it not only would he achieve absolute safety in
connection with his wife’s death, but the whole of Averill’s wealth
might be his. It was no doubt a very terrible plan, for it involved
committing two other murders, but fear and greed had by this time
rendered Philpot almost inhuman and he cared for nothing but his own
welfare. By this plan both the Ropers were to be done to death in such
a way that suspicion could not possibly fall on himself. Even
suspicion that a crime had been committed at all was unlikely, but if
this by some unforeseen circumstance were aroused, it would certainly
be believed that Roper had not died, but had committed the crime
himself. After careful thought Philpot decided to put his plan into
operation.
First, he sent Roper a note to meet him at a secluded point on
Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh, and there he put up his proposal. Roper
listened eagerly and accepted with alacrity. But in the course of
conversation he made an admission and suggested a modification which
amazed the doctor, but which, as it fell in with the latter’s secret
plan, he agreed to after some show of objection. Roper, it appeared,
had also made a mistake in his marriage. He had also grown to hate his
wife and would go to any lengths to regain his freedom. In the light
of the doctor’s proposal he saw his chance. Old Averill was to be
murdered and to cover up the crime an accident was to be staged. Very
well: Mrs. Roper could be got rid of at the same time. The same
accident would account for both deaths. The two men discussed the
ghastly details, and by the time they parted the whole hideous affair
was cut and dry. Briefly, the plan was as follows:—
Roper should first arrange his getaway, and while still living at
Kintilloch should apply for a passport for Brazil. Inquiries about him
would come to the local police, who would certify that he was the
original of the photograph enclosed and that the matter was in order.
Roper would drop a hint that he had a brother in Santos whom he had
often thought of joining, a course which he proposed to follow now
that he had left the Ransome. On receipt of the passport he would
obtain the necessary visa.
Philpot in the meantime was to see Averill and try to get him to
dismiss his servants and install Roper and his wife in their places.
As a matter of fact he found this an easy task. Working on the old
man’s weakness, Philpot explained that having left the Ransome under a
cloud, Roper would be thankful to take a job at a greatly reduced
salary. This was enough for Averill, and he at once gave his people
notice and offered their positions to the Ropers.
The couple thereupon settled down at Starvel, and by living exemplary
lives sought to establish a reputation for integrity which would tend
to support the accident theory to be put forward later. Philpot
insisted that for at least a year they were to carry out their duties
quietly, so that no one would think the “accident” came suspiciously
soon after their advent. “We are going to make all the money we want
for the rest of our lives,” he would say to Roper. “No precaution is
too great to be observed.”
Philpot told Roper quite openly that he wished to use the crime to
free himself from the other’s blackmail. Roper on his part accepted
the position, as he considered the money would be worth it, and also
as he believed that his hold over Philpot would remain strong enough
to protect him completely. The two scoundrels therefore concluded
their evil compact, deciding to act jointly in all respects and so to
bear equal responsibility. After the crime Roper was to emigrate to
Brazil, the idea that he had lost his life being suggested by the
dreadful expedient of leaving a third body in the house, which, it was
hoped, would be taken for his.
The procuring of this third body was not the least of their
difficulties. Markham Giles was to be the victim; in fact it was
Giles’ existence which had suggested the plan to Philpot. The man was
known to be in poor health, and a few doses of a mild poison would
make it poorer still. The result was that his death at the critical
time excited no comment.
Philpot was to assist in the murders, and partly as a safeguard
against night callers, and partly to establish an alibi, he determined
to fake illness. He therefore took to his bed on Thursday evening,
telling his housekeeper he had influenza. The symptoms were easy to
simulate and a doctor knows ways of raising the temperature. His
housekeeper and the aged Dr. Emerson were easily deceived, and on the
two dreadful nights of crime he was able to leave his house unheard
and unsuspected.
For the safe working of the scheme it was necessary that Ruth Averill
should be got rid of. We have seen how this was done, but it
unexpectedly involved drugging her uncle to prevent the fraud from
becoming known. The plan was, of course, Philpot’s. He supplied all
the necessary forged letters and the ten pounds, but Roper carried out
the actual details. Ruth left for York on the Tuesday, and that
evening after dusk had fallen Roper and Philpot met secretly at
Markham Giles’ cottage, and there in cold blood the two miscreants
murdered the unfortunate man by a forcible injection of cocaine. They
left him in bed, Roper undertaking to “discover” his death next
morning. On that fatal Wednesday morning he arranged the funeral in
such wise that the body would be coffined and left in the house that
night.
The Whymper episode had been thought out to learn whether or not the
numbers of Averill’s notes were known. Roper would not murder the old
man without Philpot’s actual assistance, lest the doctor might evade
his share of responsibility, so he kept him drugged to enable the £500
to be obtained. Whymper on that Wednesday evening was brought out to
Starvel and made the accomplices’ dupe.
On that same fateful evening Roper laid the foundation of the accident
theory by simulating drunkenness in Thirsby. Of course it was a lucky
chance for him that George Mellowes should overtake him on the way
home, but even without this he believed he had arranged sufficient
evidence of his condition.
Then came the hideous deeds of that tragic night. Under cover of
darkness Philpot went out to Starvel and there with almost incredible
callousness and deliberation first Mrs. Roper and then Averill were
done to death by throttling, their bodies being laid on their
respective beds. Next the safe was robbed and the contents packed in
two despatch cases, half for Philpot and half for Roper. The
newspapers were burned in the safe, the latter locked, and the key
replaced under Averill’s pillow. Finally, petrol was poured over the
house, ready to be set alight at the proper moment.
The next step was to bring over the body of Markham Giles. Philpot and
Roper took the handcart from the outhouse and went across the moor to
the unfortunate man’s cottage. There they opened the coffin, with
diabolical coolness took out the remains, laid them on the handcart,
placed a suitable weight of earth in the coffin and screwed down the
lid. They wheeled the body to Starvel, and carrying it upstairs, left
it on Roper’s bed.
All this time Philpot had carried out his part of the affair so
wholeheartedly that any suspicion that might have lurked in Roper’s
mind as to his companion’s good faith had been completely dispelled.
But Philpot had been only biding his time until his dupe had given him
all the assistance that he required with his own even more hideous
plan.
As they turned to set fire to the house Philpot moved rapidly behind
his victim and suddenly with all his strength struck him in the back
with a large knife which he had secreted in his pocket. Roper, stabbed
to the heart, fell and died in a few seconds.
There were now in that sinister house the bodies of no less than four
murdered persons—Giles, Averill and the two Ropers. But of these only
three must be found. Philpot had foreseen the difficulty and quickly
and methodically he proceeded to meet it. One of the four bodies must
be buried, so that no suspicion of untoward or unusual events might
afterwards be aroused, and no investigation as to the identity of the
fourth victim might lead to the truth. He chose that of Giles for two
reasons. First, it was the lightest, and second, if identification of
any of them should prove possible, it would obviously be safer to have
those of Averill and the Ropers found. The interment accomplished, he
transferred Roper’s portion of the money to his own despatch case, set
the house on fire and returned unseen to Thirsby.
Philpot was pretty certain that no suspicion would fall on him, but to
safeguard himself still further he adopted yet another subterfuge.
Some months before the crime he began deliberately to lose money by
betting. When the crime was committed he was known to be in low water,
and he was careful afterwards to continue gambling, even to the extent
of ruining his ostensible career and going through the bankruptcy
courts. In this way he hoped to dispel any suggestion that he had
recently come into money, and give a reasonable excuse for quitting
Thirsby.
From what French had told him, Philpot realised that the numbers of
some of the stolen notes were known, and French’s announcement at the
inquest he did not fully believe, fearing a trap. His ready money was,
however, by this time exhausted, and he set to work to devise means
not only to obtain more, but also to transfer a nest-egg to Brazil, to
which country it had all along been his intention to emigrate.
The arrangements for this journey he had carried out with the same
careful regard to detail which had characterised his other actions.
Hidden in the cashbox with Averill’s money French found a passport
made out for Brazil in the name of Arthur Lisle Whitman, with a
photograph of Philpot, viséed and complete and—a forgery. The way in
which this had been done showed the man’s extraordinary ingenuity once
again. He had obtained in the ordinary way a passport for himself for
holidaying in France. Roper’s passport with its Brazilian _visé_ he
had searched for and stolen before setting fire to the house. Of these
two he had built up a new one, using certain pages from each. From his
own book he took the description of himself, his stamped photograph
and the vacant pages at the back. On certain blank pages from Roper’s
he forged both the printing and writing where he could not suitably
alter his own, as well as obtaining a model of the Brazilian _visé_,
which he also forged.
The wretched criminal’s last move, the meeting with French at
Waverley, was on his part a throw of the dice. On receipt of the wire
to Whitman through the Edinburgh tobacconist he half-suspected a trap,
and of course the plan became apparent when French’s letter to himself
arrived. He saw, however, that he was either quite safe or
irretrievably lost. If French had no inkling of the truth it was
evident that he must keep the appointment and continue to play his
game. On the other hand, if French knew, nothing could save him, and
he would make an end of things for all concerned with his Mills’ bomb.
To bring this tale of the Starvel Hollow Tragedy to a close it remains
only to be said that after a dramatic trial Herbert Philpot paid for
his crimes with his life, while to turn to a happier side of the
picture, Pierce Whymper and Ruth Averill were united in the bonds of
holy matrimony where both found the happiness which at one time had
seemed likely to be denied them.