The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-11
Chapter Five
THE INQUEST

THE inquest on the body of Alex
Pritchard was held on the follow.
ing day. DR.. Thomas I've evidence
as to the finding of the body.
Life was not then extinct?"
asked the Coroner.
mo, deceased was still breathing.
There was. however, no hope Of re.
covery. The" Here the Docto- be-
came highly technical.
The Coroner came to the rescue
of the jury. in ordinary. everyday
language. the mans back was
broken?"
"If you like to put it that way"
said DR.. Thomas sadly.
He described how he had gone of
to get help. leaving the dying man
in Bobby's charge.
Now as to the cause Of this dis
aster. what is your opinion. DR..
Thomas?"
Il should say that in all probable
ity failing any evidence as to his
state OF mind. that is to say) the
deceased stepped inadvertently over
the edge of the cliff. There was a
mist rising from the sea. and at that
particular point the path turns
abruptly inland. Owing to the mist
the deceased may have not noticed
the danger and walked straight on
in which case two steps would
take him over the edge"
There were no signs of violence?
Such as might have been admins
tered by a third party?"
81 can only say that all the injuries
present are fully explained by the
body's striking the rocks fifty or
sixty feet below"
There remains the question of
suicide?"
THAT is. of course. perfectly pos
sible. Whether the deceased walked
over the edge or threw himself over
is matter on which can say moth
ing"
Robert Jones was called next.
Bobby explained that he had been
playing golf with tn. Doctor and
had sliced his ball towards the sea.
A mist was rising III the time and
1t was difficult to see. He thought
he heard cry and for Il moment
wondered If his ball could have hit
anybody coming along the footpath-
He had decided. however, that 1t
could not possibly have travelled so
far.
did you find the ball?"
YES. it was about a hundred
yards short of the footpath."
LIE then described how they lad
H driven from the next tee and
how he himself had d1iven into the
chasm.
Here the Coroner stopped him.
since his evidence would have been
a repetition OF the Doctors. He ques
toned him osely. however. as to
the cry he had heard or thought he
heard
at was just cry"
"a cry for help?"
"Oh. no. Just a sort of shout, you
know. In fact wasn't quite sure
heard it,"
"a startled kind of cry?"
That's more like it," said Bobby
gratefully. Sort of noise a fellow
might let out if bali hit him unex
pectedly."
"Or If he took step into nothing
ness when he thought he was on
path?"
YES"
Then. having explained that the
man actually died about five min
utes after the Doctor lief, to get help.
Robby's ordeal came to an end.
The Coroner was by now anxious
to get on with a perfectly straight
forward business. Mrs Leo Cayman
was called.
Bobby gave a gasp of acute disap-
pointment. Where was the face of
the photograph that had tumbled
from the dead mans pocket? oho-
tographers. thought Bobby disgust
edly. were the worst kind of liars.
The photograph obviously must
have been taken some years ago. but
even then it was hard to believe
that that charming wide-eyed beauty
could have become this brazen-look-
ing woman with plucked eyebrows
and obviously dyed hair.
Time. thought BOBBY suddenly.
was a very frightening thing. What
would frankie. for instance. look
like in twenty years time. He gave
little shiVer.
MEANWHILE. Amelia Cayman of
If1 IL st. Leonard's Gardens. Pad.
dington. was giving evidence. De-
ceased was her only brother, Alex