The Big Bow Mystery · Chapter
III explained
The inquest into Arthur Constant's death continues, with witnesses testifying to his character and a letter revealing a rare moment of despondency.
What happens
The inquest into Arthur Constant's death continues, with witnesses testifying to his character and a letter revealing a rare moment of despondency. The coroner systematically argues against suicide, pointing to physical impossibilities, and then examines the possibility of murder, highlighting the sealed-room nature of the crime. The chapter ends with the coroner's summation, leaving the jury to decide between suicide and homicide.
Themes in this chapter
The Nature of Truth and Evidence
The coroner's systematic analysis of suicide vs. murder highlights the difficulty of establishing truth from physical and circumstantial evidence.
Appearance vs. Reality
Constant's public optimism contrasts with his private letter of despondency, and the sealed room appears impenetrable yet a murder may have occurred.
The Perfect Crime and Detective Work
The chapter sets up the mystery of how a murder could be committed in a locked, bolted room, challenging detective logic.
Characters to notice
- Arthur Constant
Deceased; described through witness testimony as a brilliant, selfless idealist, though a letter reveals a rare moment of pessimism.
- Edward Wimp
Scotland Yard detective; states that Constant's papers offer no clues and that his department has no theory.
- George Grodman
Former detective; his evidence about the body's warmth and the bolted door is cited by the coroner.
- Mrs. Drabdump
Landlady; her attempts to wake Constant and her discovery of the body are key to the timeline.
- Sandy Sanderson
Juryman; questions the vicar about Schopenhauer and Blavatsky, showing hostility to 'infidel' literature.
- Lucy Brent
Constant's betrothed; mentioned as being in Italy and telegraphed for after his death.
Key passages
“Arthur Constant’s death was already the theme of every hearth, railway carriage and public house.”
Constant's death was the talk of the town, discussed in homes, trains, and pubs.
Shows the public's intense fascination with the mystery.
“The poor no more desire comfort than the rich culture.”
The poor don't want comfort any more than the rich want culture.
From Constant's letter, expressing a cynical view of social apathy.
“The answer, then, to our first question, Did the deceased commit suicide? is, that he did not.”
The coroner concludes that Constant did not kill himself.
Key moment in the coroner's logical dismantling of the suicide theory.