The Old Man in the Corner · Chapter
The Mysterious Death in Percy Street explained
Polly Burton, increasingly drawn to the old man in the corner despite her journalist friend Dick Frobisher's jealousy, presses him for his views on the mysterious death of Mrs.
What happens
Polly Burton, increasingly drawn to the old man in the corner despite her journalist friend Dick Frobisher's jealousy, presses him for his views on the mysterious death of Mrs. Owen in Percy Street. He dismisses accident or suicide, asserting it was a clever murder. He describes the Rubens Studios, the victim's frugal life and savings, and the discovery of her body by tenant Mr. Charles Pitt: the caretaker found dead on the floor in her nightgown, with windows wide open and snow drifting in, alongside her dead cockatoo.
Themes in this chapter
The Power of Observation
The old man demonstrates keen observation by reconstructing the crime scene from details—open windows, snow, the victim's position—and deducing it was murder, not accident or suicide.
Appearance vs. Reality
The seemingly mundane life of Mrs. Owen as a quiet caretaker contrasts with the violent mystery of her death; the ordinary setting of the Rubens Studios hides a cleverly executed crime.
Greed and Motive
The old man notes that Mrs. Owen had accumulated a tidy sum in the Birkbeck Bank, hinting that her savings may have been a motive for murder.
Characters to notice
- Polly Burton
Visits the A.B.C. shop with the fixed purpose of hearing the old man's views on Mrs. Owen's death; she is annoyed by his evasiveness and tries to nettle his vanity.
- The Old Man in the Corner
Provides a detailed account of the Percy Street mystery, asserting it was a clever murder and describing the scene and victim's background.
- Richard Frobisher
Mentioned as Polly's jealous friend who dislikes her spending time with the old man; he argues with her about the case's possible solutions.
- Mrs. Owen
The victim, caretaker of the Rubens Studios; a thrifty widow or old maid with savings in the Birkbeck Bank, found dead in her room with windows open and snow drifting in.
- Mr. Charles Pitt
A tenant who first discovers Mrs. Owen's body when he brings his key to her room at five o'clock in the afternoon.
Key passages
“Undoubtedly neither accident nor suicide”
The old man firmly rules out accident or suicide as explanations.
He asserts the death was murder, setting up the mystery.
“I would politely request the gentleman to enter our Foreign Office—we have need of such men.”
The old man jokingly suggests the murderer's cleverness would be an asset to British diplomacy.
Highlights his admiration for the crime's artistry.
“The whole mise-en-scène was truly artistic, worthy of its milieu — the Rubens Studios in Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road.”
The setting and arrangement of the crime scene were as artful as the artists' studios where it occurred.
Emphasizes the theatrical and deliberate nature of the murder.