The fair
inference from all this is, that the stealing of the Moonstone was the
motive of the crime.
Next, as to the manner in which the crime was committed.
On examination of the room (which is only seven feet high), a trap-door
in the ceiling, leading out on to the roof of the house, was discovered
open. The short ladder, used for obtaining access to the trap-door (and
kept under the bed), was found placed at the opening, so as to enable
any person or persons, in the room, to leave it again easily. In the
trap-door itself was found a square aperture cut in the wood, apparently
with some exceedingly sharp instrument, just behind the bolt which
fastened the door on the inner side. In this way, any person from the
outside could have drawn back the bolt, and opened the door, and have
dropped (or have been noiselessly lowered by an accomplice) into the
room--its height, as already observed, being only seven feet. That some
person, or persons, must have got admission in this way, appears evident
from the fact of the aperture being there. As to the manner in which
he (or they) obtained access to the roof of the tavern, it is to be
remarked that the third house, lower down in the street, was empty, and
under repair--that a long ladder was left by the workmen, leading from
the pavement to the top of the house--and that, on returning to their
work, on the morning of the 27th, the men found the plank which they had
tied to the ladder, to prevent anyone from using it in their absence,
removed, and lying on the ground.
Pages:
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861