 Blair of the Mounties, a story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. We present the second part of the Hamilton Mystery, being the ninth episode in the dramatic series, Blair of the Mounties. Inspector Blair, on leave in England, finds himself plunged into a murder mystery on the second day after his arrival. Blair's sister, with whom he is staying, is the wife of Colonel Markham, newly appointed Chief of the County Police of West Hamptonshire. The murder of Sir John Hamilton, President of Associated Chemicals, causes a tremendous stir in the sleepy little old English town of Barmenster. As the news of the murder spreads through the countryside, Blair forgets all about holidays and goes after a solution of the mystery. As our scene opens, we find Blair, Colonel Markham, and Superintendent Cota discussing the crime in the library at Hamilton Hall. I tell you, Col Day, Lady Hamilton didn't commit that murder. And I tell you, you don't know what you're talking about. I've been in police work for 30 years, and I say she done it. Just a moment. Aren't you forgetting yourself a little, Cota? I ain't forgetting my duty, Colonel Markham. He's the friend of yours, Inspector Blair. Well, he's got no right to come a button in on this year's job. That will do, Cota. I asked Inspector Blair to assist us. He has a lot of experience in criminal work. Well, he may be all right in Canada, but this year's England, and conditions is different. Let's get back to business, please. I'm going to ask Inspector Blair to explain why he disagrees with us in the face of all this direct evidence. Well, suppose we start from the beginning again and go over the ground. I'd like to talk to that housemaid and the housekeeper as well. What good will that do with all the evidence? Why, it's simple enough. Sir John Hamilton was killed, wasn't he? We have two people who saw Lady Hamilton shooting. We got the gun she used and the bullet fits the gun. What's the use of going over the evidence? Well, Cota, I'll admit it looks as if you're right. Now, make your proposition. You're a sportsman, aren't you? Well, I hope so. Ever do any fly fishing? No. Never had no patience with that saw to work. Of course, I like to go fishing. I would use a worm myself. And when I get a fish on the oak, I just drag them in. No blooming nonsense about me. Yes, I see. But when you come to catching murderous Cota, especially with important people involved, it's very like fly fishing. You have to be careful. I don't get you. Anyway, what's this year's proposition? I want to talk to the maid, the housekeeper, and then the doctor. If I don't prove to your satisfaction that Lady Hamilton is innocent, then I'll leave this case strictly alone. That's fair enough, Cota. Well, it's up to you, Colonel Morgan, and I say it can't be done. Bring that maid in, McLean. Yes, sir. Come in, Jenny. You're the maid that was in the breakfast room this morning at eight o'clock, are you? Yes, sir. You saw Sir John Hamilton shot? Yes, sir. Tell me what happened. It was just before eight o'clock, sir. Sir John, he was standing out in the little court just outside the window. Could you see him plainly? Oh, yes, sir. All right, go on. Lady Hamilton comes along from the shooting gallery. She had a little rifle under her arm. Sir John, he always waits for her. Just at the same time? Yes, sir. Lady Hamilton, she was in an awful temper, and they start quarrelling. And I says to Milner, I says, there they go. That is a game. All right, what then? Well, all of a sudden, Lady Hamilton turns and walks away. And Sir John, he turns his back and stood looking out over the garden. And then? Well, we heard a noise. And Milner, he said it was a shot. Sounded more like the crack of a whip to me. And then Sir John, he staggers and falls on his face. Oh, it was awful, sir. Now, when you heard the shot, could you see Lady Hamilton? No, sir. She was out of sight behind the shrubbery. Oh, she never done it, sir. Oh, she wouldn't harm nobody. Yes, all right. That's all my claim. Oh, I know she wouldn't. You wanted me, sir? Oh, Mrs. Bevin. Yes, come in, please. Sit down, Mrs. Bevin. Thank you, sir. You're employed as a housekeeper at Hamilton Hall? Yes, sir. How long have you been in Sir John Hamilton's employ? Why ever since I was a girl inspector, I've been working at the Hall for 20 years now. Indeed. Now, Mrs. Bevin, I understand you told the police that you saw Lady Hamilton shoot her husband. Yes, sir. Where were you when you saw this? I was here in the library, sir. Looking through the window, I saw Lady Hamilton coming to all the house. And then I saw her turn. She little begun to her shoulder. And, well, she deliberately shot her husband. It's a dreadful thing, sir, but there isn't any doubt about it. Morton saw it, too. What did I tell you? Just a minute. Now, Mrs. Bevin, this is the rifle that Lady Hamilton carried. You recognize it? Certainly. Mrs. Bevin, I want you to hold this rifle. Just as Lady Hamilton held it when you saw her shoot her husband. Oh, no, I couldn't. It's too terrible. Come now, Mrs. Bevin. It's only a little thing. Just a matter of form. There. That's it. Thank you. Then Lady Hamilton fired from her right shoulder. Why? Of course. Did you ever see Lady Hamilton fire a gun before? Years ago. I often saw her shoot. But not since she had the special shooting gallery built. No, sir. And she always used to shoot from the right shoulder. Yes, sir. Thank you. That's all, Mrs. Bevin. Please tell Dr. Rutherford to step this way. Very well, sir. What's all the fuss about this year's gun? Did you look at that rifle, Colde? Did I look at it? What do you mean? Notice the wear on the woodwork. It's just opposite to what you see in an ordinary rifle. What do you mean, Blair? There's a rubber pad on the side of the butt for the cheek to rest against. It's on the wrong side. It's a left-handed gun used by a person who shoots from the left shoulder. Hi, George. Yes. Well, what difference does that make? This here butler in the housekeeper both saw her shoot her husband. I wonder. It begins to make their evidence look pretty sick. Well, me I don't know. She might have fired from her right shoulder even with a rifle like this. I'll admit it does look different, but I don't see it. That's all right. Please talk to Dr. Rutherford, sir. Oh, yes. Come in, Doctor. Have a seat. Yes. Thanks. How long have you known Lady Hamilton, Doctor? Practically all my life. You know Lady Hamilton well, of course? Yes. I've been her physician for nearly 15 years. Now, Doctor, I understand Lady Hamilton used to do a lot of rifle shooting. Then for some reason she gave it up, except for daily practice in a private gallery, always with the door locked. Why was that? Well, you see, three years ago she had a severe illness which affected her eyes. With what result? She practically lost the sight of her right eye. She's very sensitive about it, and it was a terrible thing to her then in another way. You see, she used to be one of the best shots in the country. You mean she hoped to regain her skill in spite of this affliction? Yes. That's why she had this enclosed shooting range built. She tried to learn to shoot from the left shoulder, but it was no use. Do you believe she shot her husband this morning? Well, it looks like it. I suppose it was just an unlucky chance. Ordinarily in her present condition, she couldn't hit a house. One of the servants states that she fired from her right shoulder. Oh, but that's impossible. She's nearly blind in that eye. But that's the key to this case, Doctor. I believe she's a victim of a frame-up. You mean that she didn't do it? I'm certain she didn't. But there's a motive that I haven't yet established. Ah, if there's anything I can do to help you... There might be. Tell me, Doctor, about this Mrs. Bevan, the housekeeper, would she have any grudge against Sir John or his wife, or both of them, perhaps? That's an awkward question. I'd rather not be forced to answer this. It may save Lady Hamilton from a trial. Very well, then. This, of course, is in confidence. Mrs. Bevan had good cause to hate Sir John, and she certainly had a grudge against his wife. And what grounds? It's a queer story. Sir John has an only son and heir, a boy of 18. What's that got to do with it? Everything. Sir John was the boy's father, but Lady Hamilton was not his mother. What do you mean? His real mother is... Mrs. Bevan. What? Even that wouldn't be motive for hatred. Not by itself. But the boy has never been told the truth. Mother and son have been kept apart since the boy was born. Hamilton was a very, very cruel man in some ways. Oh, thanks, Doctor. That helps a lot. I think we can tell Lady Hamilton. Oh, that's good news, Inspector. All right, goodbye, Doctor. Thank you. Goodbye. What an extraordinary story. It's like me pink. It ain't as simple as I thought it was. You still think Lady Hamilton did it cold-air? Well, no, I'll admit it. It don't look like it, no matter what the Doctor said. But if she didn't, who did? It couldn't have been Mrs. Bevan. No, it wasn't Mrs. Bevan. Then who was it? I think I know cold-air, but I don't know how it was done. So we're back to where we stopped. Not quite. Oh, McLean. Yes, sir. I suppose there isn't another rifle, that same caliber in the house? Not of that size, no, sir. But there was a rifle in this room. What kind of a rifle? It's a .303 Army pattern Leonfield. That's no good. Too big. That's right. It couldn't have fired a .22 bullet out of that. Unless what? Well, not unless you used a Morris tube. Job, a Morris tube, of course. Why didn't I think of that? We ain't found any tube. No, but I found part of it. That little screw cap that goes over the muzzle of the rifle. Remember, Marco? My George, yes. Rather fantastic. But it could be. Yet you'd have to find the tube itself. How are you going to do that? Well, I think the best plan would be to have the murderer himself find it for me, eh? Then we'd have the two together. Well, you see, help me, Bob. I never urged each nonce. Look, sir, tell me, this is no joke. I'm not joking. I can prove that to you. Well? All right. McLean? Yes, sir. What policeman have you on duty here? There's a man at the gate, one in the hoose, and another watching the garden. All right. Leave him on till dark this evening. And you stay here, too. Then take everybody off when it gets dark. He wants the idea. All right. I know what I'm doing. And another thing, Mac, when you take the men off this evening, tell Mrs. Bevan, we're going to make a thorough search of this house tomorrow morning. But look here. You're not going to leave this house unguarded tonight, shall we? No, not exactly. We'll all be back here at dark. Oh, what for? I want you to meet the man who killed Sir John Hamilton. Inspector. Yes? There's somebody coming up the path now. It's a man. All right. I'll talk to him. Huh. Good evening, Morton. Why? Why? Good evening, sir. Didn't know you was here. Oh, I'm just taking a look round. Is there anything I can do for you, sir? What have you got under your coat? Look out. Take him away. Get a hold of him. He's still out. The crime's up, Morton. The crime's up. We got him. I got him all right. And I bet me I only see her bloke all along. Oh, Jimmy, I'm simply dying to hear the rest of that story. How did you know Morton would be there last night? I knew he'd try to get that Morris tube out of the house before we searched in the morning. But what is a Morris tube? It's a long steel tube that fits into the barrel of an army rifle so that the smaller bullet can be used. There's a cap that holds it at the muzzle. I found the cap near where Sir John's body had been. Morton must have dropped it in his hurry. How exciting. See the report in the paper, Peggy? No. Oh, do let me know. Here you are. Gracious. What does this mean? Clever catcher of murder by Superintendent Coulter. Eh? Oh, dear. I knew that wretched man would steal the show. That's all right. I gave him that report myself. You're what? Best thing that will happen. There'll be no more trouble with Coulter. He thanked me with tears in his eyes. Oh, I see. Well, thank goodness it's Sunday and we'll have a nice quiet day. Sorry. I'm going out. Going out? But where, Jimmy? Coulter and I are going fly fishing. You've heard Episode 9 in Blair of the Mountains. Tune in for the next episode entitled The Cherry Hill Mystery.