This is Oyson Wells speaking from London.
A black museum, a repository of.
Crime, of death by violence. Here in the bleak stone structure which is Scotland.
Yard, there's a warehouse of souvenirs were ordinary objects. A briar pipe, a dingy white glove, a lump of twisted sealing wax.
All have a history of murder. This length of stash cords.
It's quite commonplace might see something like this in any window frame. Harmless looking bit of rope receives so praise at one end, cut all cleanly at the other, just the right length to hook.
Around the man's neck.
And today that bit of sash gourd can be seen in the Black Museum. Here we are in the Black Museum, Scotland Yard's museum of murder, outside these walls of black and breakthran slates, London, where since daybreak the river has borne an endless burden of traffic.
On fog shrouded bridges and in narrow.
Streets, tens of thousands of pedestrians have jostled one another, all very much alive. But here within this room the connoisseurs of crime they see recorded for posterity and cabinets in wooden trays and charge carefully labeled and preserved the evidence of vindictive death.
Let's sash for a short piece of rope grimly freight at one end.
Not remarkable in itself, yet it came from the stage of a famous theater in the city of Brighton, where Octavia Kenmore, actress manager, was.
Concluding her annual engagements. The alley at that theater was like any other, a corridor of darkness between the streets and the stage door.
One September evening, a man came running out of the shadows starting the door keeper.
Sat dozing in a chair.
Mister Carter, what's the troubles if I'll find out.
Soon enough, Operator Sindon Carter here locally theater cind and angels cutish.
There's been an accident one of our stage hands.
He's lying unconscious in the alley.
How it please yes, one of the cost Mister Carter, who is it? Tell me that's Buckland comming around.
I try.
I know Miss Kenmore would be terribly distressed. Stage carpenter would help for twenty years as as you will. Hadn't we better go and gift him into repett? Say something could be done.
You know it's better not to move into the doctor comes. It made a serious and we wouldn't want to injure him.
You know, a man found dead to dying a phone call than the waiting over the crumpled figures still old Tom Snellen door keeper and Saint John Carter leading man waiting waiting until an ambulance drew up at an enter and came to the other side. Jeff Bucklin, which.
One of you callers I did, who said the man was unconscious? Look to be I had no physician. This man's dead, fopful the heart.
You'd have done much better to call the police. The police arrived and the actors.
Coming into the evening performance were questions the stars the play in the theater earls as her customers left undisturbed.
The constable at the door admitted a young.
Plain clothes man, Yes, Jordan, and then found this sir getting under some rubbish in the alley thirty two calibuston thank you, oh, mister Ellis.
Attention now focused on David Ellis, stage manager. This Ken's troupe.
Ever seen this pistol, mister Ellis, Why yes, it's the one we're used in the play. I'll keep it in my desk.
I use the licen point.
What sort of ammunition do you have?
What?
Blank?
Cottages?
Of course thirty two blanks not loaded with.
Blanks, now bullets, and one chamber has been fired.
I must wore a new Ellis. Anything you say henceforth will be written down and maybe used as evidence.
Have you men, you're rating Dave, but you can't. You never hears anyway, you young lady, Miss kenwarehpotry.
My wife inspector, please lose safety.
Steaky, you don't, un miss ken Jeff with our friend.
She's being like a footuposivis.
And why do you stand?
You're wasting time of getting far away?
I take it there's been some trouble to sir stage your business men leave. I can't have my further disrupted.
Fifteen minutes before curtain times now, Lucy control ourselves. Will someone be good enough to tell me what had happened?
Certain name is ken Moore.
I had hoped it wouldn't be necessaries were disturbing just at present with one of your stage hands.
Mister Buckland was found at.
Evening out Octavia Kenmore distinguished actress manager Darling of the provinces equally adept at comedy or tragedy.
Of course, I'm gravely shocked. Thorns the butler a good and faithful servant, inspector.
But it is preposterous of you to the stake, mister Ellis. My stage managers ever.
Kill people in any case.
I can't passion we bring up in ten minutes exactly.
I'm extremiss on in a Kenmore. But Ellis is a material witness. He must come to the station house for further questioning. It was his fas was.
I own all the props used in my name?
His name?
Legally he is the owner.
Then I demand that you.
Release him in my first for I'd like to do that, ma'am, But unfortunately your entire company is unders Williams, and it's only permitted to perform to night.
Ellis, what's coming with me? Verywell?
Go with them, David, Lucy and I will be down to see you and the inspector as soon as we possibly can.
The police that's the theater, except for certain constables and duty at the door and in addressing room, Mark David Kenmore made.
Ready, Lucy, my child, Oh me, how weak a thing the heart of woman is.
Don't be downcast.
How can I help it?
Dress Kenmore? But David in prison nonsense, He's.
Only detained for questioning.
He isn't charged with any crime. I'm thinking of Jeffed Bulan, an excellent good man on the best.
Stage Carpentil there was in England? Was he made the family's in Manchester.
We'll have to telephone an immediate.
After the performance. You're reading me, you're going on?
Certainly I am, and you will do Davies job tonight.
N Well, miss you?
Why not?
You're kleaning David?
Do it often enough?
I'm working what you need for no time to think now quickly now check the stage for the thirsteen and while I repair my mate up.
The player went smooth and the curtain rosen fell as the actually took that call. Lucie Ella's listening to the applause, realized, certainly she was quite calm and still possessed, but her composure was nothing to that about Savior ken Moore.
She descended on the police station.
Now many minutes later.
Ah, miss ken Moore and Ellis, come in, won't you?
I am inspectors.
Now I expect a full explanation of what you have accomplished.
By imprisoning my employee these.
Past two hours, so spent your time.
I expect to leave brighton tomorrow night, taking my stage manager with busy and writing picture.
He's nothing change or even as under missus edis, in fact is quite comfortable to them.
If you will both be seated, Madam center instant, thank you, Inspector, well, have you nothing to tell us about this case? I'm waiting at the moment for our pathologists support. Of course, don't talk, yes routine. Please pro see your man's in shock.
That was quite obvious.
The bullet is important, particularly in court, to establish the actual weapon seemed to be the hand.
Aside the weapon is a more important.
Consideration Eventually, Miss ken Moore, and inevitably, I trust we'd like to know more about Buckland's background, his habits.
Did he drink?
For example, despite the general opinion, there are many in the theatrical profession who are not addicted to alcohol. Inspector lets about and was a decent.
Man I gave you you can watch all the truth about the voted.
Man an non drinker, except for an occasional find a bitter after the show, A devoted family man in an occupation where family relationships are often difficult to maintain.
There was nothing to indicate a motive for In all the years of me, I have never known him to miss a single performance.
He was a craft who could rig.
And handle any production heavier life With him on the job, my stage managers.
Had an easy time with it.
Everyone liked him.
His only four perhaps, was that he was too loyal to me.
We're not being much help to you.
How Oh, yes, you've helped to sit in the picture. I've learned a lot.
Well, what did you learn?
Two important things, Miss ken Moore? First that Button was not a man who made enemies.
All my reports bared this out. And also that he was extremely devoted to you, significant extremely. You keep a close frame in your company. You should know of any jealousies or quarrels that occurred. I know, I'm sure of that. You are not the person to tolerate fiction or even bad habits in.
Members of your troup. Helly, but pards you reporting picture. I knew you wanted right away? Thank you? Yes, well this is interesting. Why was I told of this before? You know what they like in the labins, They tell they wanted to be sure, absolutely sure, I see Ms Kenmore.
Can you think of a reason why anyone should want to shoot a dead man?
Hardly the useless procedures.
It seems so, it says happened.
Apparently Buckland was dead of stragulation before he was shot.
Today the instrument of that murder, a piece of sash good, can be found in the Black Museum.
There's a good question, Inspector.
Mitchell repeated it, can you think of a reason why anyone should want to shoot a dead man? An interesting problem is the medical report is very deafness was strangled with a thin piece of rope. Because he wore a scarf about his neck. The marks weren't noticed till they bought him with a lab. He was dead before the bullet ever was fired.
Inspecta Mitchell then went back to the scene of the crime, in the alley beside the theater, where the body of Jeffrey Butler had been found, and with him at her own insistence, when Octavia Kenmore, where do you can make up the thin.
Piece of rope?
Of course they'll never find it.
If a murderer had an answer, frames it takes.
It with him.
Pretty strange. Had so much light journ with the floor.
It was strange men searching every cranny their flashlights, pointing.
And probing, picking.
Out glow work, balconies, iron ladders and fire escapes thick with rust, and then themselves still a wetted against the light.
Oh mis ten more, Yes, we found this caught up in that balus trade. I think it's the weapon our lab can tell us definitely.
Of course I see the piece of lesson that lash line.
Did you say, yes? It's the sort of rope we.
Use backstage to lash the scenery, the same as ordinary clothes line slash cordon.
Would you be able to.
Identify it as belonging to your stage equipment?
That's hard to say.
Kimboard in sickly as one of the stage hans opposed to be united. They had trouble with one of the sticks. The line was too short to make it fine.
Would you locate that piece of scenvers?
I think so.
I told you to leave it on top of the stick so.
That we could have spat it in the morning.
Let's go on stage, then, shall we? Do you know it's kim more as a us I was strongly attached to the theater.
Are you indeed, inspector little.
They moved through the stage door under the platform.
This is a flat but the one of the short lash lines you see hide works Inspector.
The rope is slipped around.
The iron cleats and tied off at the bottom, so the audience is only an unbroken more.
I understand perfectly the core of this rope matches the piece found in the alley, Russ stains and all.
What does that suggest to you?
And think there's a little doubt in my mind, Miss ken Moore, that the person we want is a member of your own company.
Yes, I decided that to myself.
Some pome a member of your company. I think. Cut off this cordage, the strangled buttling, and someone.
Else familiar with these premises took the pistol.
From Ellis's death. You don't think by helping I haven't said that that I must check once more.
Who actually was here backstage between the hours of six and seven.
I'll hear myself my basin and smell of the door keepers on duty.
He shine. He took his statement of course set basis. Now that I think of it, I won't shed a word against him.
Smell is perfectly honest.
I take an oath.
Is he a remarker was sound sleeper all the time. The extraordinary thing about his story he claims to have been dozing in his chair. He didn't wait, even when a pistol was fired not thirty feet away.
I think perhaps I'd better go and pissess him. No, Miss ken Moore, not this strip. Investigations of this kind. That's sometimes dangerous.
The old man lived close by the theater four flights of world. Warn steps led to an attic door.
What do you want? What is it? You're mister Snelling? I am where the priests. My name is Mitchell. See I d Should I show you my credentials?
No?
Why you recognize?
You said?
Come inside?
John Snellen had no need to be afraid. But it was the natures of your timids. Nail an old man who wanted to avoid trouble. Sometimes when arguments occurred, it was his habit to pretend to be asleep in it covered hole behind the stage door.
You will expect me to believe that when a pistol was fired close by you, you didn't even hear it.
I can't write to say this.
This heavy traffic in the street that time of night. You know, if I did hear a noise. I must have took it for a passing car.
Yes, I'll admit that the likely explanation.
Perhaps I orto. I guess what is his? If there's something you haven't told us, I advise you to come out with it.
What had he seen?
A trifle the possibly a trifle of importance, almost enough to send a man to the gallows.
I know I should have spoke of it before, said that.
Well, it was a little before seven o'clock, and mister Butchlan was inside near this toolbox talking to this fashy fresh sun fellow, and mister Sinjohn Carter he was there too. You're just standing by, so to speak.
Could you hear what they were saying? No book making in this house? That was what patron said. Miss Kimmore won't stand for it. It's stripped about such.
Things, yes, said, everyone knows that miss Kenmore won't have gambling.
In her company and actually get himself.
Discharged if she called him betting the horses or some such thing.
What else said Bucklan, saying, well you warned that he goes straight to miss Kinmore.
He said, how this man had been following the company all along the tour, and Carter and some of the others had been betting with him.
The debt was. All three of them went out together, still talking, and that was the last you saw of him alive, Yes, said it was, and mister Art, it struck me at the time. He paying back a little.
Later went out to which dessonal. My guess they went right out again. But he seem so cheerful and nice spirted. I thought that deveryone must have settled their differences all right. Hart didn't come back again till he found Butler's body and called the ambulance.
That's right, so he.
Begins to make sense ins fects again. Still, yes, but why the stage manager's gun? And why shoot a dead man?
Why?
Why, indeed, why steal a gun to shoot a dead man.
Hoping to find the answer to this question, the inspector went to Brighton Jail to call on Dada Dallas.
Look here, inspector, why are you holding me without afraid of evidence? I'll have the admitted to travel with the company and the lead tonight. It all depends or what your applies to a few questions, ask them. By all means how much gambling goes out in the company.
Not a great deal, How the actor was bitter usually down then, Actually, the salaries are so small they can't.
Afford to be Rickles. Does miss Kenmore know about it? It's not a chance. If she did, we'd have replacements in a matter of minutes.
It would follow them that an actor who wanted to keeper's job will be careful that such information never reached Miss Kenmore.
I certainly say, sir, is there anyone in the company who needed that job badly? But you mean badly enough to commit murder?
Yes?
I doubt it. Of course, you never know.
In truth like this one, most of the supporting cast, either on the way up or down a dismissal, might lean the end of a career.
Ellis, has anyone a reason for wanting you out of the way?
No?
Well, why whatever?
Sat gun was solen from your desk, loaded with live and emission, and after the murderer it was left where we'd be sure to find this and hold you responsible. I can't believe that anyone do a thing like that, unless unless no inspector there really isn't any well, indeed, well there is, though, no matter how clumsily he may have gone about it. I can't help feeling that our murderer has tried to pin his crime on you.
For the moment, I am going to let him think he's succeeded. How do you do that? By keeping you? Got safely up here in jail.
A short time later, Inspector Mitchell's admitted to Miss Kenmore as sweet sir for sure front hotel.
Any progress to report, Inspector not much.
I'm afraid do you meand I have? I left him in the best of hilth Why are you holding him? Dada? Didn't she anyone?
You know that as well as I.
I'm afraid I don't know it.
I admit many murderers in my time, missus Ellis, most of them look quite as innocent as your husband. Besides, I have a hunch he could be somewhat more cooperative in free tell him. Is there anything you know that your husband might be concealing, or some well mistaken idea of.
Gallantry, something perhaps concerning you?
I no, I hardly think so. I seem to remember a melodramatic little scene I accidentally walked in on. Hoped that was nothing, just because Simson Kurt made some advances to me and David resented it.
Oh, that may be more important than you think, missus innis. In fact, it may be a piece of information.
I Inspector Mitchell thought that he knew the killer at last, But it takes evidence to bring.
A man the court. Then Miss Kenmore made a helpful suggestion.
You said you were a deputy of a theater, Inspector Mitchell, I am, indeed, ma'am.
Did you buy any chance to see me? As lady teesall?
I did a most marvelous performance?
Then you recall, of course the third act.
I have something of a crucial moment.
And a famous play. When I'm standing behind the screen, the lady overheard a villain's treachery exposed. Such a dramatic devices might be used effectively off stage as well as on.
The theater. Before the matinee the acting out began.
Oh, I see, of course, Lucy, my dear, have given up hope for day by chast not at your.
Still.
I understand we're leaving Brighton.
Please, I got enough discussing.
Perhaps in his absence you won't mind so much by paying you little attention like the old days.
Miss Kenmore was waiting.
She wants to see you.
What wants really?
The great Miss Kimble that sounds on.
Many It is she's breathing fire in Princeton?
Is she?
And it so happens. I came from a long line of fire eaters.
Lead the way, My girl, Octavia Kenmore was seated at her makeup table. Behind her, the tiny dressing room was crowded with trunks and props and costumes in an alcohol hardly noticed.
I stood a screen here he is, miss Keinmore.
So I do see hello? What's the long face about? Nothing to do with me?
I'm sure you've been placing bets on the races, mister Copper. Oh that's why I compel to dispense with your services. Here's your check, who return fair to London? Your understudy will replace you with the methanee. See here, you can't do this and a contract just check covers the terms of your contract.
Miss kim Marre, whoever told you this was life?
A man in danger of his life? Salem lies if.
Ellis made the statutation, no David, your friend, your flashily dressed friends, who admits the book making and they shortly admit some murder?
Oh so Morgans quel gassy if that's the word.
Yes, I gather as ready to implicate you.
You'll try that kind always does.
He gets the killing your contract me and I was prayful already implicated quite serious in mister Kata and by your own word an action, oh.
Wealth Inspector Mitchell, isn't it?
What sort of game is this?
A glorious game of play acting?
Congratulations, miss Kim Moore, a very.
Successful little playlist. You haven't got anything you can prove, no use bluffing. You took the pistol, didn't Joe from Ellis's desk and shot Buttling with this.
I didn't kill him, you'd dead before. Who are under arrest mister.
Carta and charge with wilful murder? It wasn't me, I tell you, Morgan choked him at Iu.
Have roprin I'm much on certain him with the police organ had no license for.
The previous record too.
It would have been jail, but that you thought quickly, you'll try to take advantage of the situation. The prayme Mellis so the few will be clear with his wife.
No, no, Carter.
You may not have killed anyone, but you are an accessory out of the fact.
And you did put a bullet to a man's heart.
A delicate question for the jury to decide, but I predict you'll pay the penalty.
Come along now and come quietly.
Today.
A piece of slash court, properly marked and ticketed, lies in a glass case in the Black Museum. People of the theater candy, and most often are fiercely loyal to one another.
Octavia Kenmore was such a person. An actress manager.
Accepted responsibility not only for her company's professional welfare, but so their personal happiness as well. Saint John Carter was an exception to the rule, but then his career had an exceptional ending, taking his final bow as he did on the platform thirteen steps high at eight o'clock.
One winter evening.
And now until we meet here again, another story from the Black As in her remainers always obediently yours
H