Speaker 1: This is Awson Wells speaking from London. The Black Museum
Speaker 1: a reposity of dicks. Yes, here in the grimstone structure
Speaker 1: on the Thames, which houses Scotland Yard is a warehouse
Speaker 1: of homicide. Or everyday objects a man's necktrye, a woman's glove,
Speaker 1: a boy's school cap, or are.
Speaker 2: Touched by murders. Now here's a champagne glass.
Speaker 1: That's a familiar object, long stem, delicate curve, shining crystal.
Speaker 1: This fragile object belongs to New Year's Eve, to weddings
Speaker 1: and the anniversary.
Speaker 2: Funny about things.
Speaker 3: Like this sudant funny, Sir, I'd say that one was loaded.
Speaker 3: I want funny in a philosophical set of Sudan funny.
Speaker 3: How human beings can take an article of meant for
Speaker 3: happiness and use it for.
Speaker 1: Tragicy Oh, anyway, that champagne glass can be found.
Speaker 4: Today in the Black Museum.
Speaker 3: From the annals of the Criminal Investigation Department of the
Speaker 3: London Police, we bring you the dramatic stories of the
Speaker 3: crimes recorded by the objects in Scotland Yards. Gallery of Death,
Speaker 3: the Black Museum.
Speaker 4: Okay, we are the Black.
Speaker 2: Scotland Yards Museum.
Speaker 1: Murder and the Brace echoes with violent death voices are
Speaker 1: hollow here. Whether the hollowness is caused by the high
Speaker 1: bolted feelings or by the reaction of the human mind
Speaker 1: of the atmosphere of this room, the effect is the same.
Speaker 2: Everybody who comes here lends the sense of.
Speaker 1: Fere's natural, because here like death, death cruel, unnecessarily, a vengeful, greedy,
Speaker 1: silver kind of death brought by one man or one
Speaker 1: woman on another. This is a record that they studied,
Speaker 1: not merely by criminologists, but by every.
Speaker 2: Students of man's in humanity.
Speaker 5: The man.
Speaker 1: There's an iron skillet's heavy in your hand. The kind
Speaker 1: of kitchen you sense of your grandmother is well balanced,
Speaker 1: quite suitable for frying eggs or real shots, and for
Speaker 1: bashing a skull, perhaps a little out of the use
Speaker 1: which brought this particular skillet here.
Speaker 2: Yes, and here's a champagne.
Speaker 1: Glass, well designed, graceful. If you place it for the
Speaker 1: companion on a silver tray, as Colonel Harry Reid did,
Speaker 1: I poper cork, and then fill the glasses as Colonel
Speaker 1: Harry Reid did. And you might say, as the dapper
Speaker 1: colonel did to you, my dear.
Speaker 2: Elizabeth, to your return and your complete recovery.
Speaker 6: I wish I could dream to that wholeheartedly.
Speaker 3: Harry, ready I do, well, why not, my dear, You've
Speaker 3: been released you all day?
Speaker 7: Yes, exactly, I've been released, not merely send home from
Speaker 7: a hospital, so to speak, after all the hospital I
Speaker 7: was in at the.
Speaker 3: Windows, Oh, I insist, my dear, that you would touch
Speaker 3: glasses with me and think at once.
Speaker 2: That's no way to talk, are they know?
Speaker 3: But Elizabeth, many people have had nervous breakdowns and the
Speaker 3: vast majority of them have recovered.
Speaker 6: Very well, Dear, not to me, to you the most
Speaker 6: patient of husbands in the world.
Speaker 2: So they drank the champagne. That all was well. It's
Speaker 2: very pleasant, very relaxing, reassuring.
Speaker 4: But the world is always too much with us. Since
Speaker 4: the colonel finally had to say.
Speaker 2: Are you resting until dinner?
Speaker 3: Elizabeth, I have a brief appointment with my solicitor Davis.
Speaker 2: You remember him, must you, dear? Tonight? Well, it's at
Speaker 2: his request. I won't be long.
Speaker 1: And the Colonel kissed his wife and the colonel went
Speaker 1: off to his appointment.
Speaker 3: It's six months now, read one way or the other.
Speaker 3: The matter ought to be settled. I assure you, Davis,
Speaker 3: is nothing to worry about. These things take time, there
Speaker 3: being plenty of time. Look red if you don't.
Speaker 2: Want to complete the deal, return the five hundred pounds.
Speaker 2: But it's not up to me, my client.
Speaker 3: Or what client indicate your wedding is to dispose of
Speaker 3: the property. My clients paint the deposit in good faith.
Speaker 3: We considered the bang on the contlex. We've waited six months.
Speaker 3: Your five hundred pounds is quite safe.
Speaker 2: Davis.
Speaker 3: You can reassure your client and on my side, we'll
Speaker 3: go through the deal as soon as everything is clear. Well,
Speaker 3: I certainly hope so. My people want to take possession,
Speaker 3: and they shall, They shall, indeed and soon. Meanwhile, there's
Speaker 3: no reason for misunderstanding between us.
Speaker 2: Is there? After all, we live in the same small town.
Speaker 3: We see each other constantly here, John, I have often
Speaker 3: wondered why we don't see more of each other.
Speaker 2: Oh, socially. That is rather a changeable fellow, the colonel,
Speaker 2: isn't he?
Speaker 1: There were other changes ahead, more serious ones, somewhat public notice.
Speaker 4: The night our colonel called doctor Ashley to his home.
Speaker 2: A Dr Esley, good of you to come so quickly,
Speaker 2: made it sound on.
Speaker 3: The rig in channel did it really here this? Yes,
Speaker 3: I'm afraid, doctor, really afraid. It's my wife, as she
Speaker 3: broken down again. No, she complains of chedrible pain in
Speaker 3: her abdomen. I better heear her it once. Yes, this way, pleased,
Speaker 3: if if you can, doctor.
Speaker 2: Yes, she seems need to be as much frightened as
Speaker 2: she is in pain. Though what exactly do you mean
Speaker 2: by that frightened the world? That her pain is in
Speaker 2: her imagination?
Speaker 3: I see, oh very well, I'll bear that in my
Speaker 3: gob in here. If you wait outside, General.
Speaker 2: Pym must die, doctor, I prefer it very well. Now,
Speaker 2: miss please? Can you? Shall you? Miss? Is the good?
Speaker 1: And I waited outside the door, up and down, back
Speaker 1: and forth. He paced, almost as we were once again
Speaker 1: on God duty. Grim faced tants waited long as.
Speaker 2: You better come in? Clon quick? Doctor? Is she? I'm
Speaker 2: a facer. I've done everything I can.
Speaker 1: A few moments later, Elizabeth Reid was at rest at last.
Speaker 1: Tears streamed down the colonel's cheeks, but he was silent.
Speaker 1: I seemed nothing to say. The doctor led him away
Speaker 1: and told him gently.
Speaker 5: It was acute guesstrits and her heart a hum of
Speaker 5: the ministerized hum, and the mortician, I'll send the certificate
Speaker 5: over natural cozy.
Speaker 2: There was a well attended funeral.
Speaker 1: The flowers were quilty, contributed to the colonel's position in
Speaker 1: the town as well as to the memory of his wife.
Speaker 1: And then the colonel resumed his life, somewhat more lonely,
Speaker 1: but still active, telling himself in military fashion as he
Speaker 1: went about his small real estate business, and time drifted
Speaker 1: by one month too, and then one day on the main.
Speaker 3: Street, A good morning, colonel, Ah David, good to see you.
Speaker 3: I've hesitated discussing this. Your recent bereavement is on. But
Speaker 3: don't you think we need to close our deal?
Speaker 2: Read? Or is yes? Of course, I I'll set his
Speaker 2: I'm brother by myself these days. Would you care to
Speaker 2: join me for tea?
Speaker 3: Or if it's something stronger one afternoon you say, then Read,
Speaker 3: I'll be gad to excellent? Then should we say tomorrow? Fibish?
Speaker 3: Why up your place or my?
Speaker 2: Oh mine? Of course?
Speaker 4: Delighted to have you.
Speaker 3: Have a corner man, really excellent. My housekeeper has quite
Speaker 3: the tops.
Speaker 2: Thank you. I will almost as if we were a
Speaker 2: pair of elderly ladies. Deon's calm. Two gentlemen somewhat past.
Speaker 1: Middle age, enjoying tea and scones and making ready.
Speaker 4: To discuss business.
Speaker 1: In fact, they did discuss business, the five hundred pounds
Speaker 1: deposits and defending deal. John Davis went home quite satisfied.
Speaker 1: John Davis went home and a little later called doctor Ashley.
Speaker 3: I'm understanding doctor by my stomachs like like cast Iron always.
Speaker 2: Has been, now suddenly this. None of us are quite
Speaker 2: as young as we used to be. Even cost Iron
Speaker 2: can wear a thin he's anything out of the orphanage
Speaker 2: on today, yesterday? No, no, nothing, hes some scungs for tea.
Speaker 2: That batter may have been a bit wrenched him.
Speaker 3: And chasing urdative fresh over Kurr of reads and reads. Yes,
Speaker 3: is why we have a little business to discuss, he
Speaker 3: asked me over.
Speaker 2: It seems quite lowly since his wife passed on, as
Speaker 2: why went mostly we keep him company and night of you.
Speaker 3: Well, let's just take the description. I'm leaving you rest
Speaker 3: today too. Fu'll be all right. What's wrong doctor? Oh nothing,
Speaker 3: just a quirk of memory. Oh, how so you're symptoms
Speaker 3: and missus Reed's wrong the same, Nothing serious about it.
Speaker 3: Gos odd that we should have two similar.
Speaker 2: Cases in such close juxtaposition a town like this, adoptor
Speaker 2: gets to know most of you.
Speaker 1: Because the doctor said, nothing serious, It's just an interesting coincidence.
Speaker 4: And in a day or so John Davis is up
Speaker 4: and about.
Speaker 1: Aside from a slight tenderness and his abdom and he thought,
Speaker 1: no after effects.
Speaker 4: All was well, all.
Speaker 1: Was quiet, Everyone was his courteous Silph, including Colonel Reeds.
Speaker 3: Oh no candy, And from the colonel, how decent of it?
Speaker 2: Here? It is daughter the same rappings that came in
Speaker 2: nice meeting?
Speaker 4: Bossed?
Speaker 2: Don't you care for candy?
Speaker 6: John?
Speaker 3: You haven't eaten much? As an obit that I don't.
Speaker 3: I did offer a piece to the charmer at the office.
Speaker 3: You see one's listening to the charm Eh is that
Speaker 3: the way you fred a gift with the hope you
Speaker 3: are sufficiently recovered to enjoy this. Henry reed of the
Speaker 3: decent of him. That's what I thought until the charum
Speaker 3: was taken with pains and reaching an hour office.
Speaker 2: He ate the candy? Are you suggesting anything? John?
Speaker 3: That would be foundrous at this stage would miss nothing
Speaker 3: to it? John, That couldn't be the colonel lying quiet
Speaker 3: at the private office.
Speaker 2: He did rather well following his wife's death and her will.
Speaker 2: You know he never had any money of his own
Speaker 2: to speak of. The former military men rarely do.
Speaker 5: Yes, it might be interesting.
Speaker 2: I don't practically no laboratory well on my own sometime,
Speaker 2: but I have a little equipment. I time I handled
Speaker 2: a bit of chemical analysis.
Speaker 5: John, I'm curious about the contents of that.
Speaker 2: Props of candy. Use him to be as well as I.
Speaker 2: The doctor was an astrodical, to say the leasts.
Speaker 1: He took his time setting up his equipment, preparing reagents,
Speaker 1: making ready for his pride of a test.
Speaker 2: Meanwhile, John Davis ran into his ground the colonel on
Speaker 2: the streets, John, good to see you. How are you hurted?
Speaker 2: You're looking vets well that way.
Speaker 3: Kevin joined me for another attack of indigestal men.
Speaker 2: To day. The Champagne glass we've been talking about can
Speaker 2: be seen, as you.
Speaker 1: Might expect, among the other exhibits in the Black Museum.
Speaker 1: The Colonel and John Davis planted quite amicably on the street.
Speaker 1: Davis watched the smart military walk the ramrod straight back.
Speaker 1: As the colonel paraded into his own business office. John
Speaker 1: Davis shook his head, Sam, I didn't seem quite plausible
Speaker 1: at this night, and might just might be something quite
Speaker 1: different than what he seemed.
Speaker 2: Like.
Speaker 1: The afternoon, the celephone rang in John Davis's office.
Speaker 2: Yes, let you don't This is Harry, Yeah, Harry, Oh yes, yes,
Speaker 2: of course.
Speaker 3: How are you very well? You quite well? No, please, sorry,
Speaker 3: old man. I I can't this evening, but perhaps in
Speaker 3: a day or so.
Speaker 2: Oh, do go by bye that evening.
Speaker 1: Davis had a previous appointment with doctor Ashley. It makes
Speaker 1: your flaboratory, this little operation.
Speaker 2: It is the mark sense or ask me interesting, yes,
Speaker 2: isn't he?
Speaker 5: Particularly since I found that every piece of candy in
Speaker 5: your gift box, head asked mcginney.
Speaker 2: Good jord.
Speaker 1: Arsenic, you see, is a cumulative poison. The person may
Speaker 1: have a tolerance for quite a large amount of it.
Speaker 1: It usually fails to pass through the human system. It accumulates,
Speaker 1: and dip by dip, the fatal dose is build up,
Speaker 1: until one day the victim dies. Doctor Ashley explained all
Speaker 1: this to John Davis. Finally, John grasps the significance of
Speaker 1: the facts.
Speaker 5: Each piece of candy would never follow the ordinary stomach
Speaker 5: or the cast iron type such as you both that
Speaker 5: you have. Most people could eat a piece of two.
Speaker 2: And nothing would happen. But if, as it may.
Speaker 5: Have been intended, you would eat most of the candy yourself.
Speaker 3: Well you follow me again, follow you, doctor, and a
Speaker 3: step ahead of your But exactly what that, Steff is,
Speaker 3: I'm not sure. I think we need expert help the
Speaker 3: local constabulary is said expert to help ware from the
Speaker 3: CID Scotland Yard. It is a clear coljunt letter assigning
Speaker 3: the situations Doctor Ashley and John Davis knew it. It
Speaker 3: was addressed to the Home Secretary, the gentlemen of the
Speaker 3: British Government responsible to the police force.
Speaker 4: In general and you course.
Speaker 1: The letter reached the desk of Inspector Charles in Scotland
Speaker 1: Yard following a set routine. Inspector Charles showed the communication
Speaker 1: to his immediate assistant to tect.
Speaker 3: You, Sergeant Hatch, Well, nothing else for it. You and
Speaker 3: I will have to take a small trip to the country. Frankly,
Speaker 3: I want mine. I can use a touch of country.
Speaker 1: They came into the quiet town unobtrusively, two men on
Speaker 1: a walking tour vacationists. They caught up at the inn
Speaker 1: towards sundown. They strolled about the town casually. They turned
Speaker 1: in at the gate with its little sign announcing that
Speaker 1: doctor Ashley had his dispensary there.
Speaker 4: Once, however, within the doctor's office.
Speaker 3: Now then, doctor, perhaps you'd let start and hatch and
Speaker 3: I have it.
Speaker 2: From the beginning.
Speaker 3: Well, my entrance into the situation came shortly after missus
Speaker 3: Reed returned from the sanitarium. She'd been ill, mentally ill,
Speaker 3: help us breakdown. Rather more then she'd been certified insane.
Speaker 3: She was discharged as being quite stable once again.
Speaker 2: And you were called. In my professional.
Speaker 5: Capacity, I found her past help acute guestritis, or say
Speaker 5: seemed at the time, But it doesn't seem so now
Speaker 5: you understand.
Speaker 2: Him sac that I have no facts at least on
Speaker 2: that sign.
Speaker 5: I merely analyzed the boss of Chanda received by John
Speaker 5: Davis shortly.
Speaker 2: After he'd been taking Neil doctor. Would this Teronel Reed
Speaker 2: benefit from from mister Davis's death.
Speaker 3: There'd been something about a real estate and the deposit
Speaker 3: paige quite a large sum.
Speaker 2: I believe mister Davis can give you the details.
Speaker 3: One final question said, who had Missus Reed committed to
Speaker 3: the institution in the first instance?
Speaker 2: Why?
Speaker 5: I believe the husband did. But the records will be
Speaker 5: available to you, of course, of.
Speaker 2: Course, Oh, thank you, doctor, if we need you.
Speaker 1: By the time they left the doctor's office, Inspector Charles
Speaker 1: and Sergeant Hatch felt they had heard an interesting, circumstantial story.
Speaker 1: The next uppatrially was John Davis's home.
Speaker 3: You have no idea, gentlemen, what a relief it is
Speaker 3: to have police officers of your caliber on the job.
Speaker 3: Thank you about the candid and the card on the box.
Speaker 3: Do you have any definite reason to believe the colonel
Speaker 3: wants you well out of the way. There's a matter
Speaker 3: of five hundred pounds he either will not or cannot explain.
Speaker 3: And doctor Ashley mentioned Missus Reed's will. He is curious
Speaker 3: about that there was one will made out entirely in
Speaker 3: favor of her children by her first marriage, a will
Speaker 3: which was accepted an executed, was in the Colonel's handwriting,
Speaker 3: but signed by Missus Reed and produced subsequent to her death.
Speaker 2: You find that interesting. I take a partant I expect
Speaker 2: you do as well, sir.
Speaker 3: Quite mister Davis, do you think it might be possible
Speaker 3: to exhume Missus Reed's body without the matter of becoming
Speaker 3: common knowledge in the whole town.
Speaker 2: So the men from Scotland yard accomplished the almost impossible.
Speaker 2: Armed with the proper.
Speaker 1: Takers, first tools and dark lanterns, they supervised the removal
Speaker 1: of the body at night. No one the wiser except
Speaker 1: for necessary officials. This feat completed. They waited quite quite patiently.
Speaker 1: The government analysts called in.
Speaker 2: The report was brief.
Speaker 4: Inspected Charles ready to doctor Ashley.
Speaker 3: Examination reveals the presence of four grains of arsenic more
Speaker 3: than a fatal day jose, and the largest amount of
Speaker 3: the poison.
Speaker 2: I have ever found in human remains.
Speaker 3: Oh, that said, doctor, and I didn't recognize the symptoms
Speaker 3: acute guest citis.
Speaker 2: I call it.
Speaker 3: Why should you have recognized them, sir? Are they say
Speaker 3: murder of any kind? There is hardly a common occurrence
Speaker 3: in your practice. Well, sergeants, since our warrant, it's all
Speaker 3: in order. It begins to appear that a search of
Speaker 3: Colonel Reed's premises may be next on the agenda.
Speaker 1: Now the pretense of the working Joe was completely discarded.
Speaker 1: It was Saturday and the sleepy little village was just
Speaker 1: about disturbing itself. The inspector and the sergeant walked a
Speaker 1: short distance from the end of Colonel Reed's place of business, almost.
Speaker 4: Directly after the David's office.
Speaker 3: The sergeant tried the door, Not lot, sir, A lot
Speaker 3: go all in these parts would arise more suspicion than
Speaker 3: not let go in?
Speaker 2: Shall we?
Speaker 5: One file cabinet, one risk, telephone chair for visitors.
Speaker 2: Can't do much of a business, but they'll say not,
Speaker 2: Let's get to it. The search was quite thorough.
Speaker 4: The desk was emptied of its contents.
Speaker 2: These were replaced in an orderly fashion, and nothing extraordinary.
Speaker 2: Year sir, h what do you make of this, sir?
Speaker 3: Champagne glass the oard of the file cabinet, todd sall
Speaker 3: I hold it aside, sir, Yes, that well interesting. The
Speaker 3: taste of sediment apparently it was never washed after the
Speaker 3: produce the last time anything else in there?
Speaker 2: Sudden? Oh, what's going on here, Colonel read?
Speaker 3: Yes, more than the point you to identify yourselves and
Speaker 3: your business here. If any inspector Charles cid my identity card,
Speaker 3: let a Sargeant hatch I see, I assume you have
Speaker 3: a warrant for this search.
Speaker 2: We do right here, Donnel, very well, go on with
Speaker 2: your work.
Speaker 3: May I ask why you were keeping the champagne glass
Speaker 3: and the file cabinet a memento to.
Speaker 2: My poor wife.
Speaker 5: We drank from it, that is, if she did about
Speaker 5: a week before she passed away.
Speaker 3: A nice gesture. Finally, say so, and still with the
Speaker 3: trace of the sediment at the bottom.
Speaker 2: Okare for sir. It'll be a pity to have the
Speaker 2: glass break after all this time.
Speaker 3: Sorry, aw could not meet him brush against it like that? Yes,
Speaker 3: wasn't it all right?
Speaker 2: Sergeant? You can open the desk door the colonel just
Speaker 2: closed and see what he put in it. But you
Speaker 2: said you'd feed your pardon, colonel. I'm head quite enough
Speaker 2: of this. These paper packets went in here a few
Speaker 2: minutes ago. Inspector, how many you would have? Twenty?
Speaker 3: I'll take one, just thank you. Why pad, Well, this
Speaker 3: wouldn't be arsenic, would it?
Speaker 2: Cuddal? Not only would be it is weird. Well, as
Speaker 2: you can see, I'm wearing my gardening coat. Ordinarily I
Speaker 2: do not come into the office on Saturday, but something
Speaker 2: came up.
Speaker 3: I've been planning an experiment in my garden, hence the
Speaker 3: arsenic A garden an experiment with twenty packets of arsenic. Yes,
Speaker 3: my lawn is pig with dandelions, roughly two dozen of them.
Speaker 3: I plan to drew a small hole at the root
Speaker 3: of each weed, pulling the arsenic in each of those packets,
Speaker 3: and kill each dandelion individually, rather than take the chance
Speaker 3: of ruining the whole lawn. Sorry, Colonel, it's a good story,
Speaker 3: but rallah far fetched, particularly since you try to ridge
Speaker 3: us off of the packets before we search your person,
Speaker 3: and particularly sence the charge pending is wilful moder of
Speaker 3: your wife by arsenical poisoning.
Speaker 2: But this is ridiculous. Someone is poisoned.
Speaker 3: Keep that champagne glass eight before Colonel Read succeeds in
Speaker 3: watching it. Yes, Colonel Reed, you are under arrest the
Speaker 3: charger's mother. I must warn you that anything you may
Speaker 3: be saying.
Speaker 2: I will not him. You'll see it in all elisia,
Speaker 2: I'll make out.
Speaker 3: Colonel, you've made several mistakes, not the least of which
Speaker 3: was your attendant John Davis, and your preservation of this
Speaker 3: glass a sentimental gesture, but rather silly. My bet is
Speaker 3: the sediment in it will turn out.
Speaker 2: To be arsenic.
Speaker 3: You must have been very sure of yourself, Colonel, to
Speaker 3: leave this glass unwashed, very sure of yourself.
Speaker 2: Indeed, bring him along sergeant.
Speaker 3: I think he'll come quietly now.
Speaker 1: And today the Champagne grass can be seen in the
Speaker 1: Black Museum.
Speaker 2: Arson Wells will be back with you in just a moment.
Speaker 1: There was no doubt about one facet of Colonel Reid's character.
Speaker 1: He was a man of great pride. His behavior at
Speaker 1: the trial was exemplary his daring military He repeated his
Speaker 1: story of the separate packets of arsenic for separate dandelions,
Speaker 1: and he sounded as if he'd made a good case
Speaker 1: of it, at least for himself, but not, as it
Speaker 1: turned out, for the jury. Colonel Reed accepted his sentence
Speaker 1: as if it were an order from a superior officer,
Speaker 1: and one morning, at the traditional time of eight o'clock,
Speaker 1: Colonel Reid marched to the scaffold as if he were
Speaker 1: on parade. And as for the Champagne class, now it
Speaker 1: remains in its customary places. I told you in Scotland Yarn.
Speaker 1: Now till we meet next time in.
Speaker 2: The same place, and.
Speaker 1: I tell you another story about the Black Museum.
Speaker 4: I remain, as always obediently yours s