'No, I have never seen the young lady that was murdered down at the sheepwash, but it must have been the same man as killed Mr Ward, mustn't it? It stands to reason. You couldn't have two murderers in a village this size.
'Oh, yes, the children are going home as soon as their father can come down here to fetch them. No, they haven't had a shock. They never stayed to see Poachy actually dig up the body, you see. They come running back as soon as they saw a bit of Mr Ward's suit and one of his hands. He had a signet ring with a big stone in it and you couldn't mistake his clothes. The coat was a sort of a dirty mustard colour. Nobody else in the village has one like it, and the children recognised that and they found one of his boots in the garden.'
So much for Mrs Landgrave. We respected her wishes concerning the children, but we have made other enquiries among the inhabitants of Hill, although the veil of mystery surrounding the two apparently motiveless murders seems to be impenetrable.
We may add that although they do not admit outright to holding a council of despair-we put it like that because we hear that Scotland Yard will have to be involved sooner or later and we would suggest that preferably it ought to be sooner-there is no doubt that at present the local police are completely baffled.
This appears to be a classic case of a murderer whose lust for killing may be disguised under an exterior as bland and innocent as yours or mine, dear reader. He may be a Neill Cream or a Jack the Ripper, planning already where he will strike again. That possibility cannot be ruled out. This maniac must be apprehended and that right speedily.
The police are attempting to find some connexion between the two deaths, but there appear to be very few points of resemblance. Consider the known facts. Here we tabulate them side by side for purposes of comparison.
1. A girl aged twenty.
1. A man of middle age.
2. Gently nurtured.
2. Possibly a rough diamond.
3. A loving family and plenty of friends.
3. One known relative sends him to lodge with strangers and never sees him again, not even after his death. (We do not intend any criticism. There must have been good reasons.
4. Murdered after leaving a birthday party, ostensibly to go out for a breath of air.
4. Murdered after having been absent from his lodgings for no known reason.
5. Wearing fancy dress which could have acted as a disguise.
5. Wearing clothes which were readily identifiable by anyone in the village.
6. Came from London and knew nobody in the village except the persons present at the party.
6. Came from America, but known by sight to everybody in the village.
7. Sociable and lively.
7. Unsociable and non-communicative.
8. Body left by sheepwash although probably killed nearer Hill House.
8. Body buried in hole he had dug, probably from boredom with his uneventful existence.
9. Head smashed in. Fancy dress torn off.
9. Head smashed in. Boots taken off.
10. Found by search-party sent to look for her.
10. Found by accident.
11. Gypsies suspected but cleared.
11. No obvious suspects, certainly not gypsies who never passed cottage en route to sell or beg in town.
12. Children accustomed to play down by sheepwash.
12. Children knownto have played in ruined cottage.
13. Killed at approx. eleven p.m. on the Saturday. Body found at three a.m. on following morning.
13. Killed possibly on the Friday. Body found some days later.
14. Connected with Hill Hill House (festivities).
14. Connected with Hill House (relationship).
And so, for the time being, the matter rests. It has to be borne in mind that whereas Mr Ward's death could have been premeditated-there is a theory that he may have been slaughtered somewhere else and taken to the cottage for burial-it hardly seems likely that Miss Patterson's murder was previously planned. Readers will remember that she had not been invited to Hill House, but was taking her brother's place. Did the murderer-since she was wearing a bulky and not very attractive fancy dress-mistake her for her brother?
We think the police might give this point more serious consideration than, so far, they appear to have done. To our mind this matter needs far more probing into than it has yet received.
Hill Manor House
The manor itself is mentioned in Domesday Book and seems to have been of moderate wealth. The entry, part of which, by courtesy of Professor Donald Cuttie who translated the abbreviations for us, we reproduce, states that 'William de Gyffe holds Hill. It was always assessed for forty hides. The land is twenty-five carucates. In the demesne there are three hides and a half. There are two ploughs there. Among the free men and the villeins there are fifteen ploughs and five
