Death at the Workhouse

by Emily Organ

  “Do they even know who’s who? The coffins are piled on top of each other in those common burials, aren’t they?”

  “The names are chalked on the side of each coffin. I’m not sure how long the chalk remains there; perhaps it fades once the coffin has been in the damp ground for a while. It’s possible that the police have been able to make a note of all the names on the coffins.”

  “But why take the risk of replacing the bodies with sandbags?” asked Edgar. “Surely the scheme was bound to be discovered before long.”

  “Plain old greed,” I replied. “The medical schools are competing with one another for bodies. Someone at the workhouse clearly saw an opportunity to make a bit of money for themselves.”

  “Some people have no scruples,” said Edgar with a sigh.

  “I’m afraid they don’t, Fish,” said Mr Sherman. “Laws were put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening, but the unscrupulous always manage to find a way round these things.”

  “Except this time their actions have been discovered,” I said.

  “And they’ve been rightly arrested,” added Edgar. “The case is resolved!”

  “I only wish it were that simple,” I replied.

  “Miss Lloyd’s body has been found,” announced James when I met him at the workhouse.

  We were standing in the administration block where I was hoping to examine the workhouse records more closely.

  “What excellent news!” I felt my heart lift. “That’s the best news we’ve heard in a long time. Where was she found?”

  “At St Bartholomew’s Medical School.”

  “Really?”

  “We assumed she had been taken to a school of dissection, didn’t we?”

  “Yes, but could Dr Macpherson have been involved?”

  “Hicks the undertaker relented in the end. He told us he had taken her body and sold it to Dr Macpherson.”

  “But the doctor doesn’t seem the type to do business with that kind of man. Dr Macpherson is a perfectly pleasant gentleman. He probably trusted Hicks for some reason. I don’t know why he would, but he must have done.”

  “Miss Lloyd’s body has been returned to her family now. I can see that you’re feeling uneasy about asking your next question, Penny, but I can reassure you before you ask it that she is still in one piece.”

  “Goodness, that’s fortunate.”

  “Apparently, she had been admitted under a false name that Hicks had devised. Her parents were taken to see the body and confirmed that it was that of their daughter.”

  “Her poor family,” I said. “So when Hicks visited the dead house he must have brought a coffin containing two sandbags in with him, then switched Miss Lloyd’s body with the sandbags.”

  “He must have done. Ferguson’s men are still questioning him, so hopefully he’ll be able to explain how he has gone about it all.”

  “So Plunkett, the dead house warden, had nothing to do with it?”

  “He claims not to have, though there is a distinct possibility that he was paid to turn a blind eye.”

  “It’s dreadful, it truly is. And to think of all the people who knew about it! Mr Hale and Mr Lennox are surely involved, too.”

  “We can’t be certain of that yet. Ferguson has arrested Hale, as he feels certain that this simply cannot have taken place without him knowing about it. And Lennox has implicated himself by running away. He’ll be arrested as soon as he’s found, but there’s always a slim possibility that he’s innocent.”

  “Who is in charge of the workhouse now?” I asked.

  “I understand that Mrs Hodges is acting as both master and matron. Mrs Hale is said to be too upset about her husband’s arrest to continue in her role as matron for the time being.”

  “I cannot say that I ever warmed to the Hales or to Mr Lennox, but discovering that Dr Macpherson had something to do with this came as quite a surprise.”

  “There’s no evidence that he has done anything wrong just yet, Penny. He may have bought Miss Lloyd’s body from Mr Hicks in good faith.”

  “I wonder whether he has bought many others from Hicks.”

  “That’s a good question. Whether the other missing corpses ended up there or elsewhere is something we will need to uncover.”

  “I should like to look at the records in a moment and make a note of all the people without any known relatives who have died at the workhouse recently. I think it will be interesting to get an idea of the numbers.”

  “Here comes Father Keane,” said James.

  I turned to see the boyish-faced priest approaching us. He greeted us solemnly.

  “The inmates are terribly upset about this business,” he said. “Many of them are understandably worried that they’ll be headed for the dissection table the moment they die!”

  “You can reassure them of the fact that it won’t be anyone’s fate from now on,” replied James. “We’ve made arrests and all of the burials should take place just as they should in future.”

  “I shall do my best to tell them that,” he replied, “but I sympathise with them.”

  “I sympathise too,” I said. “Many of the people here have so little control over their destiny.”

  “What else can I do to assist with the investigation?” asked Father Keane.

  “Now that there’s a proper police investigation underway we have a good few men to assist,” said James. “Thank you for the help you have given us. It has served to convince me that a third person is behind the deaths of Mr Patten and Mr Walker.”

  “Did you speak to Mr Price?”

  “We did indeed.”

  “And we are no closer to discovering what happened to them,” I added.

  “There is, perhaps, another mystery you can help us with, Father,” said James. “Dr Kemp told us some medicines were stolen from the infirmary approximately six weeks ago. I don’t suppose you’ve come across them or heard anyone talking about them?”

  “No, I can’t say that I have. What sort of medicines?”

  “Chloroform, morphine and a jar of aconitine capsules. Apparently, aconitine can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. It’s a deadly poison.”

  “Oh goodness.” His eyes widened. “And you think it’s somewhere here in the workhouse?”

  “Horace from the storeroom picked up a few capsules he had found,” I said. “They were mostly damaged and contained little of the powder.”

  “It’s fortunate that he hasn’t poisoned himself, in that case.”

  “Indeed. And thankfully it seems no one else has been poisoned either,” I said. “But the medicines do need to be recovered.”

  “We shall look for them, of course,” said James. “But an extra pair of eyes would be a great help.”

  “I would be very happy to help, Inspector.”

  “Thank you, Father.”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I uncover anything.”

  The priest went on his way and James and I climbed the staircase to the clerk’s office.

  “Do the deaths of Mr Connolly and Mr Sawyer seem rather similar to you?” I asked. “They were both the same age and each died of heart failure. And neither claimed to have any relatives when they were admitted. And come to think of it, neither did Mr Patten! Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

  “Mr Patten’s death was quite different,” said James. “The poor chap was strangled.”

  “Even if we consider only the deaths of Connolly and Sawyer, you must admit that there are similarities?”

  “There certainly are.”

  “And heart failure as a cause of death? In a young man?”

  “It’s not unheard of.”

  “But it would be more common in an older man, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes, I would definitely say so, Penny. But if their deaths were suspicious there would have been a police investigation and an inquest.”

  “Can we be certain of that? We’re discussing the lives of the destitute here, and they are s
imply not considered to be as important as you and me.”

  “Even if that’s the case, Penny, there can be no doubt that the police and the coroner take as much interest in the death of a poor man as a rich man.”

  “If someone died suspiciously in a workhouse,” I ventured, “who would alert the authorities?”

  “The master, I suppose. That’s what Mr Hale did when he found Patten and Walker in the stone-breaking yard.”

  “But what if the suspicious death wasn’t obviously suspicious?”

  “Then I suppose no one would be any the wiser! What point are you making here, Penny?”

  “Someone could have murdered those men in a way that made it seem as though they had an illness. Dr Kemp would have admitted them to the infirmary none the wiser and done his best to treat them. He would have failed, of course, because the fatal act would already have been carried out.”

  “Poison?”

  “Exactly! I think the aconitine may have been used after all but nobody has realised it until now.”

  “Apart from the murderer.” James gave this some thought. “It’s an interesting theory. And when the men were unwell in the infirmary, their symptoms would have been mistaken for something else. Heart failure in this instance.”

  “And there was no inquest or post-mortem because their deaths were never deemed to be suspicious.”

  “And then their bodies were sold to the undertaker.” James shook his head. “This could be even more macabre than we first thought.”

  “And if Mr Hale is the murderer, he would never have alerted the authorities would he?”

  “He did in the case of Patten and Walker, presumably because word had already spread about what had happened. It couldn’t exactly be covered up, could it?”

  “But he was able to convince the police that the men had killed one another in a fight,” I said.

  “Was it him who suggested it? We would have to check that with Inspector Ferguson.”

  “I certainly remember Hale stating so at the inquest. He said that he was sure the men had come to blows because he had warned Walker about fighting in the past.”

  “So you think that Hale influenced the outcome of the inquest?” he asked.

  “A coroner who was doing his job properly shouldn’t allow it, but you know how I feel about that particular inquest. And he probably convinced Ferguson of the same facts, which explains why his men didn’t carry out a thorough investigation. They were convinced that they knew what had happened there.”

  “At least Hale has been arrested now. It’ll be interesting to find out how he has been answering Ferguson’s questions. It’s even more important that the aconitine is found as soon as possible now, as it could lead us straight to the murderer. I’ll make sure we have enough men assisting Father Keane.”

  Chapter 42

  A police constable sat in the clerk’s office looking through a pile of papers.

  “Good afternoon,” said James. "Miss Green would like to have a look at some of the records.”

  The constable nodded in reply.

  I found the workhouse admissions book and sat down opposite the constable as I started leafing through it.

  “You intend to write down the name of every inmate with no apparent relatives?” James asked.

  “Yes, and then I plan to check the list against the death records. Anyone who died without any known relatives may have been sold.”

  James grimaced. “Well, I’m off to locate Ferguson to find out how his work is progressing. Oh, good afternoon, Mrs Hodges.”

  The poor law guardian marched into the room and stood staring at me, her eyes narrowed above her pointed nose.

  “It is not appropriate for a news reporter to be in this room,” she said.

  “This is the third time I’ve visited this room,” I replied breezily. “I’m making a note of the names of all the inmates who died with no known relatives, as it is highly likely that their bodies were sold.”

  “Highly unlikely, I should say! The board of guardians voted to—”

  “I realise that,” I interrupted. “But bodies have been sold regardless of what the board of guardians agreed upon. I’d say that the board has been completely undermined, wouldn’t you?”

  “What nonsense. And as I said, you have no business being here!”

  “What do you know of Dr Macpherson, Mrs Hodges?” asked James.

  His unexpected question left her turning her head back and forth between us. “Why would you ask that? What does he have to do with anything?”

  “Do you know who he is?” James continued.

  “I’m not sure. I think I’ve heard his name before, but I can’t seem to place it.”

  “You’ve heard of the medical school at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, have you not?”

  “Of course I have, Inspector, there’s no need to patronise me.”

  “Dr Macpherson instructs the students there in human anatomy.”

  “Oh yes. I know who you mean now.”

  “Have you ever seen him at this workhouse?”

  “Why would he be visiting this workhouse?”

  “Please answer my question, Mrs Hodges. We’re asking the same question of Mr Hale, and we shall ask it of Mr Lennox when we finally catch up with him. If all the staff members answer truthfully your replies will be consistent, don’t you agree?”

  Mrs Hodges wavered a little before replying, as if she were trying to avoid being caught out. “Yes, I think he has visited this workhouse before.”

  “You think it, or you know it for sure?”

  “I have seen him here, yes.”

  “Did anyone accompany him?”

  “Mr Hale, who I’m sure will be able to tell you much more.”

  “Have you ever spoken to Dr Macpherson yourself?”

  “Once or twice as a passing greeting, but never more than that. I have never held a conversation with him.”

  “Thank you, Mrs Hodges. I think I had better go and see what the doctor has to say for himself. Would you like to come along, Penny?”

  “Yes I would. I shall look at these records again later.”

  “To say that I am completely horrified would be a huge understatement,” said Dr Macpherson when we reached his office.

  A heavy shower of sleet lashed against the large windowpane and obscured the view.

  “And as soon as we realised the poor young lady was on our premises here at the medical school we did all we could to have her body returned to her family.”

  “Thank you for being so cooperative,” said James. “I know that the recovery of Miss Lloyd’s body has been of great comfort to her family. Can I ask how long you have been dealing with Mr Hicks the undertaker?”

  “Well, let’s see. It must be a few years now,” replied the doctor, gesturing for us both to take a seat at his desk. “It was Mr Barnes that I first spoke to about acquiring corpses for our school of anatomy.” He sat down behind his desk.

  “Mr Barnes is an undertaker?”

  “A funeral furnisher,” I corrected.

  “Ah yes, I remember you saying now,” said James. “And Mr Barnes introduced you to Mr Hicks, Dr Macpherson?”

  “He did indeed. I must say, Inspector, that this entire system is clearly laid out in the Anatomy Act, and we follow it to the letter. And while dissection is an essential part of a medical student’s education, I am only too aware that the topic does not sit well with the minds of the general public. It would be most foolish of me to risk the purchase of stolen corpses. And there is no need to, in fact, as we are well provided for by the Anatomy Act.”

  “The right to dissect the bodies of unclaimed paupers?” said James.

  “That’s correct. And Miss Green is well acquainted with how it all works, as per our previous conversation.” He gave me a smile.

  “You say that your medical school is well provided for,” I said, “but is that actually true? In our previous conversation you implied that acquiring corpses for dissection was
quite difficult, and that there is significant competition between the medical schools for them. So much so, in fact, that the chap at Cambridge has bodies brought to him from a number of locations on the so-called dead train.”

  Dr Macpherson cleared his throat as he considered this. “It’s true that we could benefit from a greater supply of bodies, Miss Green, but when I state that we are provided for, I mean that the Anatomy Act makes provision for us.”

  “What do you know of Mr Hicks?” James asked.

  “The man profits from the dead,” replied the doctor with a bemused smile. “That fact is not likely to win him much admiration from anyone, is it? But it’s the same tale with all these men, whether they’re lofty funeral furnishers or lowly coffin makers.”

  “Have you ever heard that he might be guilty of stealing corpses?”

  “No, of course not! Do you think I would continue to deal with such a man, Inspector?”

  “We’ve discovered more empty coffins,” replied James. “They contain sandbags and were buried at Tower Hamlets cemetery. Hicks is currently under arrest and is not only being questioned about the theft of Miss Lloyd’s remains but also the theft of many others. Are you quite sure you had no idea that this was taking place?”

  “I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening, if that’s what you mean, Inspector. But I would certainly never be involved in any such thing myself. I have the reputation of one of the finest medical schools in the country to protect! I cannot deny that these nefarious corpse stealers exist, but I would have nothing to do with them. The purchase of Miss Lloyd’s remains was an extremely regrettable incident, and I can only hope that the medical school has redeemed itself by co-operating with the police so promptly. I should add, Inspector, that Mr Hicks had all the necessary paperwork in place, just as he always did. I have since learned that he changed Miss Lloyd’s name, and I must say that the manner in which the fraudulent paperwork was produced is really rather clever.”

  “Is it possible that he had sold you stolen corpses before without you being aware of it?” asked James.

  “I should hate to think so! But could I lay my hand on a Bible and swear that he hasn’t? Unfortunately, I don’t think I could. As I have already stated, Mr Hicks provided impeccable paperwork when we conducted the transaction regarding Miss Lloyd’s corpse, and I only suspected that something was awry when we heard the story of her missing body. I am only too glad that we were able to rectify the situation.