Dr. Slingsby, of the Home Office, who had examined the body shortly after
it was discovered by the police, was of opinion that death had taken
place at least twelve hours before and probably longer than that. His
opinion on this point lent support to the theory that the murder had been
committed before midnight on Wednesday. It was the _Daily Record_ that
seized on the mystery contained in the facts that the body when
discovered was fully clothed and that the electric lights were not turned
on. If the murder was committed late at night how came it that there were
no lights in the empty house when the police discovered the body? Had the
murderer, after shooting his victim, turned out the lights so that on the
following day no suspicion would be created as would be the case if
anyone saw lights burning in the house in the day-time? If he had done
so, he was a cool hand. But if the burglar was such a cool hand as to
stop to turn out the lights after the murder why did he not also stop to
collect some valuables? Was he afraid that in attempting to get rid of
them to a "fence" or "drop" he would practically reveal himself as the
murderer and so place himself in danger in case the police offered a
reward for the apprehension of the author of the crime?

If Sir Horace had gone to bed before the murderer entered the house it
would have been natural to expect no lights turned on. But he had
returned unexpectedly; there were no servants in the house, and there was
no bed ready for him. In any case, if he intended stopping in the empty
house instead of going to a hotel he would have been wearing a sleeping
suit when his body was discovered; or, at most, he would be only
partially dressed if he had got up on hearing somebody moving about the
house. But the body was fully dressed, even to collar and tie. It was
absurd to suppose that the victim had been sitting in the darkness when
the murderer appeared.