# XXXV: Suicide or Murder? explained — The Old Man in the Corner

> Chapter companion for The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy.

## What happens

The chapter delves into the mysterious death of Mrs. Owen, initially thought to be an accident but later suspected as murder. The old man in the corner reconstructs the crime, suggesting a nephew killed her for her money, then staged the scene to mislead police. At the inquest, Arthur Greenhill is arrested due to his association with Mrs. Owen and her changed behavior, but his father provides alibi witnesses who saw Mrs. Owen alive at 8 a.m., leading to Greenhill's discharge.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance vs. Reality

Mrs. Owen's respectable facade hides a secret life; the staged scene of her death is designed to mislead.

### Deception and Forgery

The murderer's clever staging—open window, snow, and timing—deceives police and public about the crime.

### Justice and Impunity

The nephew escapes justice through a clever alibi and disappearance, while Greenhill is freed despite suspicion.

## Character check-ins

### Polly Burton

Polly listens to the old man's explanation of the case and asks questions about the nephew.

### The Old Man in the Corner

He narrates the details of Mrs. Owen's death, the investigation, and the alibi that freed Greenhill.

### Mrs. Owen

The victim, a caretaker who was found frozen to death with a head injury; her life changed after meeting Greenhill.

### Arthur Greenhill

Young man arrested for Mrs. Owen's murder but released after alibi witnesses placed her alive at 8 a.m.

### Mr. Allman

Landlord of Rubens Studios who gave Mrs. Owen notice after noticing her changed behavior.

### Mrs. Hall

Confectioner who testified seeing Mrs. Owen cleaning steps at 8 a.m. on the day of the death.

## Key lines

> successful crime is to lead the police astray with regard to the time when the crime was committed. That was, if you remember, the great point in the Regent’s Park murder.

A key to a successful crime is misleading the police about the time it occurred, as in the Regent's Park case.

_The old man draws a parallel between the current case and the Regent's Park murder to highlight the importance of timing._

> The nephew sneaks into his aunt’s room, finds her standing in her nightgown; he demands money with threats of violence; terrified, she staggers, knocks her head against the gas bracket, and falls on the floor stunned, while the nephew seeks for her keys and takes possession of the £800.

The nephew enters his aunt's room, threatens her for money, causing her to fall and hit her head, then steals her £800.

_The old man reconstructs the murder scenario, emphasizing the nephew's motive and the accidental nature of the fatal blow._

> Mrs. Owen was murdered after 8 a.m. on that day, since she was seen alive by three people at that hour, therefore his son could not have murdered Mrs. Owen.

Because three witnesses saw Mrs. Owen alive at 8 a.m., the son could not have killed her, so the police must look elsewhere.

_The alibi presented by Greenhill's father successfully exonerates his son, shifting suspicion back to the unknown nephew._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_man_in_the_corner_se/chapters/xxxv-suicide-or-murder
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_man_in_the_corner_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_man_in_the_corner_se/chapters