 
The Green Bicycle Mystery (3)
The trial began on June g, 1920, at the Leicester
Assize. It lasted three days. The judge was Mr. Justice Horridge, and for the Crown there
appeared the Attorney-General, Sir George Hewart, K.C., M.P. for Leicester, Mr. H.
Maddocks, K.C., M.P. and Mr. N. Birkett. For the Defence, Sir E. Marshall Hall, K.C. and
Mr. G. W. Powers.
In the Calendar, Light was described as "Civil
Engineer, age 34." It might be mentioned that at the time of his arrest he was a
mathematical master at Cheltenham College, where he had been for some months.
His plea of "Not Guilty" was given in a firm
voice. He was quite composed in the dock.
The Attorney-General in his "opening"
reviewed all the facts which have already been detailed in a dispassionate and impartial
manner, not in any way pressing unduly upon the accused. In commenting upon the remarkable
character of the case he said: "The coincidences of truth are innumerable. They seem
almost part of the scheme of things. . . . What is the motive? It is difficult, and it is
not necessary, to probe into motives. Suppose the prisoner had made certain overtures to
her and had been rebuffed. It is impossible to say for certain what was the particular
motive, and I ask you to say that is not before us. You may have read or heard that
circumstantial evidence is recognised as being of low degree in value. But the evidence of
surrounding things and the unexpected corroboration of unexpected incidents, when
complete, all pointing in one direction - that class of evidence is above ordinary
value."
The sale of the bicycle was proved by the agents at
Derby by an entry in their ledger. A female servant at Light's home proved that Light used
to use a green bicycle frequently before July, 1919, but not after. After that time the
machine was taken up to the box-room. It was brought down again the following Christmas.
Light took it out in the evening and did not bring it back. He said afterwards that he had
sold it. When she heard of the murder she told Light, who merely replied, "Oh."
The witness further deposed that Light sold the clothes he wore in July shortly before
Christmas, and that he had several raincoats. When Light remained unshaved for a day or
two, the evidence continued, he got very dark about the mouth and chin. This seemed to fit
in with the reports of several witnesses who saw the man with the green bicycle and
noticed that he was unshaved.
When a gunsmith of Leicester, named Henry Clarke, gave
evidence in connection with the bullets found, Sir Edward Marshall Hall employed some
effective cross-examination. He got the witness to admit that the bullet found in the road
near the body had passed through a rifled barrel, although Clarke could not say of what
length. There were three distinct marks on the bullet, he said, one of a horse's hoot one
made by striking the road, and the third by passing through the head. Witness admitted
that it was possible that the shot was fired by a rifle and that it had ricocheted from a
tree.
When the defence was opened, the court was treated to
a considerable surprise, for Sir Edward at once put his client in the box, and the accused
proceeded to tell the following remarkable story.
"I first possessed a revolver in July, 1915,
having bought it from my Commanding Officer, Major Benton. It was an ordinary Webley-Scott
Service revolver. I took it to France, where I went in November, 1915. At that time I had
a green enamelled B.S.A. bicycle." (Light then identified the parts of the bicycle
fished out of the canal as having belonged to him.) "Whilst away," he continued,
"the bicycle was left at my mother's home. I first came back from France at the end
of January, 19i6, or the beginning of February. The next time I went to France was in
November, 19i7, as gunner in the Honourable Artillery Company, taking my revolver with me.
I was in France from November, 1917, to August, 1918, at which latter date I left the
battery, passing through the casualty clearing station at Corbie, near Amiens, suffering
from shell-shock. I was afterwards sent to the base. My sole possession as a
stretcher-case was a dolly bag. My revolver was taken away from me and I've never seen it
since. I left the holster behind on the second occasion I went to France." (He then
admitted that the holster which was taken from the canal and was in court was his.)
"Afterwards I visited hospitals and depots at
Sheffield, Worksop, and Ripon, and was demobilised at the end of January, 1919. I then
returned to my mother's house and brought the B.S.A. bicycle down from the box-room.
"On the Wednesday before July 5th I took the
bicycle to Cox's, but I have no recollection of telling him I was on holiday with full
pay." (This was the so-called "false statement.") "What I did say was
that I was having a holiday, meaning by that, that I was in no employment.
"On the Saturday I had tea at home and left the
house somewhere about five-thirty, wearing an old suit. The coat possessed no pocket in
which I could carry a Service revolver, nor did I possess one then, but I had between
thirty and forty cartridges, including some black powder ones, in my possession.
"At five-thirty I went to some friends of
mother's to get a trap, but failed, the house being shut up. I left there at six-fifteen,
and proceeded to Oadby. I went along the main road to Great Glen and turned off towards
Little Stretton. During the whole evening I did not meet the little girl witnesses. At
seven forty-five I arrived some little way down the road and looked at my watch, intending
to get in between eight and eight-thirty. Turning down the first road on the right, I came
into the upper road, where I saw a young lady standing by a bicycle at the roadside. She
was a stranger to me. I had never seen her before. She turned her head, smiled and
presently spoke to me. She spoke first. As I got up to her she was stooping over
her bicycle and looked up as I approached.
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