If you haven’t read the earlier installments of this series, go to The Mad Love of Mrs. Mort, Part 1

Part 6: The Inquest

Not long after she was transferred to the Reformatory, a coroner’s inquest was held. Dorothy Mort was brought in at the beginning of the proceedings. She wore a heavy black veil that completely obscured her features, and was given a seat behind a screen, where she would be shielded from the gazes of onlookers. Whether those gazes were hostile, curious, or sympathetic seemed to make little difference to Dorothy. Despite being hidden from curious eyes, Dorothy fainted early on and had to be taken from the room. The jury heard evidence from the police, medical doctors, Florence Fizzele, and Harold Mort.

Most of the witness testimony has already been covered but Mr. Mort did offer some interesting information. He said that Dr. Tozer had been attending his wife for six months. “On the morning of the tragedy,” Harold began carefully, “I left home a little after 9 a.m. and I didn’t receive any messages from home during the day. I was stunned by what I found when I came home that night.”

In answer to questions about his wife’s affair with Tozer, Harold Mort testified, “Since the tragedy, my wife has discussed it with me, but I do not care to say what she has said to me about it. In the light of recent events, I know she was not right in her mind at the time of the tragedy. From the date of her father’s suicide she suffered from repeated fits of depression. She had several nervous breakdowns during the past year. Quite frequently, since November, she has spoken of her own death. She was distinctly morbid.” Harold Mort added that he was never sure whether he’d find her alive when he came home from work in the evening.

After the witness testimony, Mrs. Mort was led back into the courtroom. She moved slowly and took her seat behind the screen.

“Dorothy Mort, do you desire to give evidence at this inquest?” the coroner asked. Not a sound came from behind the heavy black veil.

Dorothy’s attorney, Sidney Mack, put his head close to hers and whispered. Though few recalled it at the time, Mack had also defended Dorothy’s father when he was charged with attempted murder of his wife and son six and a half years earlier.

Mack conveyed her answer in a strong voice: “On the advice of my counsel, no.”

The coroner delivered his verdict. Dr. Claude Tozer died from the effects of bullet wounds inflicted by Mrs. Dorothy Mort. Further, he found that Dorothy Mort did murder Claude Tozer, and committed her to stand her trial at the Central Criminal Court on March 21.

Mrs. Mort fainted and a detective named Wickham picked her up. Her limbs hung limply beside her as he carried her from the courtroom.

Go to Part 7: There are no half-tones in the neurotic mind

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