The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Chapter
XIV: Another Richmond in the Field explained
Calton and Kilsip discuss the murder case, with Kilsip eager to prove Gorby wrong.
What happens
Calton and Kilsip discuss the murder case, with Kilsip eager to prove Gorby wrong. Calton reveals that Fitzgerald refuses to provide an alibi because he was visiting a dying woman who had sent for him. They deduce that the letter summoning Fitzgerald came from stolen stationery linked to a burglary at Talbot Villa, Toorak, and decide to investigate Mother Guttersnipe's crib in the slums.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Deception
Fitzgerald's refusal to reveal his alibi and the hidden letter point to secrets surrounding the dying woman's message.
Urban Life and Crime
The chapter highlights the connection between Melbourne's slums and criminal activities like burglary and murder.
Characters to notice
- Duncan Calton
Calton hires Kilsip to investigate the letter and the slum connection, revealing Fitzgerald's secret visit to a dying woman.
- Mr. Kilsip
Kilsip agrees to help Calton, motivated by rivalry with Gorby, and deduces the link to the burglary at Talbot Villa.
- Brian Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald is the accused who refuses to reveal his whereabouts, having visited a dying woman who sent for him.
- Mr. Gorby
Gorby is Kilsip's rival; he arrested Fitzgerald and is confident in his guilt.
- Mother Guttersnipe
Her crib in Little Bourke Street is where the stolen swag from the Toorak burglary was hidden.
- Malcolm Royston
The cabman Royston is mentioned as a witness who can place Fitzgerald at Russell Street at one o'clock.
Key passages
“There were four men engaged in that burglary, and they hid the swag at Mother Guttersnipe’s crib, in a lane off Little Bourke Street”
Four burglars stashed the stolen goods at Mother Guttersnipe's hideout in a Little Bourke Street alley.
Calton explains the origin of the letter paper to Kilsip.
“He refuses absolutely to say where he was on that night.”
Fitzgerald will not disclose his whereabouts during the murder.
Calton reveals Fitzgerald's stubborn silence to Kilsip.
“He went to see a dying woman, who wished to tell him something.”
Fitzgerald visited a dying woman who had an important message for him.
Calton explains the reason for Fitzgerald's secret meeting.