
Notes re: Interrogation: Proctor Xanthus 10 Jan 1871
Xanthus and his confederates were responsible
for these murders:
1) Mr Charles Wroth (exact method of administering the poison
is not yet clear)
2) Mr Enoch Jokking (using an etheric pulse weapon built by one
of his associates)
3) Mr Earwig's footman, Albert Collins (killed by Tandu)
Conspirators accounted for in Xanthus' group:
-Xanthus: responsible for murder of Jokking. (motive: revenge
and some profit)
In custody of Moody
-Tandu: responsible for several incidents of "possession",
using a chemical derived from the tanna plant found in Sir Charles's
hothouse. (motive: revenge esp against Salmalin)
Confirmed deceased.
-Mr Percival St Simon: responsible for several magical transpositions
of personality, including putting Xanthus into Inspector MacGregor's
body and Iota into Sir Charles Fernly's body. (Motive: revenge
against Sir C for thwarting the plot of 53, wherein Mr Percival
would become heir to the Duke of Balmoral after the elimination
of the Duke's sons)
Confirmed deceased.
-Major Gray: serving as a conduit for orders and information from
a highly-placed person in the Foreign Office. (See notes on "Mysterious
Malefactor")
Confirmed deceased.
-Iota: presumably brought into this plot for his ability of hypnogogic
suggestion, which has perhaps been used to induce the poisoning
of Mr Wroth, and perhaps also to create false memories among witnesses
to the Wroth and the Jokking murders. Besides, what complicated
evil plot is complete without a maniacal monkey? (Motive: revenge
and looking for a human body to take over permanently?)
Confirmed deceased.
-Saratheen (?) possibly the name of the cult warrior we fought
at the seaside.
Confirmed deceased.
-several additional cult warriors:
8 deceased at Goxhill Grange, 4 captured at seaside house
-a "messenger" who delivered documents by throwing them
off the train.
Still at large.
(Thu pm identity probable Thomas Mannering see "SpyGlassMan"
-- disabled)
Notes re: Other persons of interest:
Claude Smith: this name came up in discussion of enemies potentially
involved in this plot, and his fate could not be determined by
Home Office-- interference by Malefactor?
Per Xanthus, Smith is dead, killed by a thuggee. Not entirely
convinced of this, as several enemies presumed dead have returned
recently. Await more conclusive evidence.
Mr Thomas Dower: This disappearance has come
to light while Lady Ffolkes has been reviewing Sir Cosmo's records
in search of enemies who might be involved in this conspiracy.
Dower is an inventor who was used by Xanthus in his previous plot
against Sir Cosmo. Dower was able to reconstruct one of Sir Cosmo's
more closely-guarded inventions, a document copier. Sir Cosmo
rescued him from servitude on that previous occasion, and had
placed him in the custody of the late Sir Robert Blakeny (Sir
Anthony's and Lady Ffolkes' father). He has since disappeared
and records of his existence have apparently been removed from
the Foreign Office's files.
Per Xanthus, Dower has been in the keeping of Malefactor. Dower
was recently on a boat offshore of Hornsea, but X does not know
current whereabouts.
Was he building an etheric pulse weapon? With the metals provided
by Xanthus?
Unnamed Xanthus Ally: Xanthus expects this
person to attempt a rescue.
Height is approximately 5 feet 5 inches, eyes are hazel-brown
(conveniently indeterminate), skin is "coffee with cream"
colour. Very skilled in disguise. At large, based in North Africa?
Notes re: Further Conspirators:
a child posing as Wilhelmina? (per Hornsea tradesmen)
1) Hornsea witnesses describe child very much like Wilhelmina
2) Ink foot print at Murder scene very similar to Wilhelmina's
but slightly larger
3) From Inquest: Patrick Neligan positively identified Wihelmina.
He testified to seeing the child remove her veil at the scene
of Jokking Murder.
4) per Neligan, this child actually fired the weapon to kill Mr
Jokking. (Thu am-- corroborated by Mrs C scrying)
5) per Xanthus at Inquest: Nottesh? Natesh
6) per Mrs C mystical tracingalso posing as Edward (?) also
mechanically inclined. Based in York? seems to be a boy. (confirmed
thu pm)
seen with: Madam Brody, Hindu "Widow", unidentifiable
("veiled") man
7) thu pm: captured during attempt to substitute for our Edward.
8) stubborn and annoying
per Mrs Cuthbert's visions:
"Spyglass Man" (Thomas Mannering-thu pm)
1) plotting with Edward(?) to explode stone building (?)
2) Thu pm: confirmed identity T. Mannering per Mrs C.
Working on wedding interruption scheme with Madam Brody
now in custody, mental faculties destroyed
3) Could Sir Robert Mannering be implicated?
"Clockwork Man"
1) could be T. Dower.
2) seems to be working on analysis engine or on big cannon
See notes on Dower in "other persons of interest" notes
Madam Brody (Miss Maeve Brody)
1) per Mrs C: seen in vision or dream reported Wednesday. Working
on a blue satin dress. Dress Traceable?
2) working with "Spyglass Man"
3) (thu am) Sir Anthony's network found dressmaker in York. Paid
in cash, no further trail.
4) (thu pm) per Mrs C vision planned to interrupt wedding ceremony
with claim of previous marriage to Sir Cosmo.
5) In custody. Conspiracy with Thomas Mannering, Richard Hawkesworth,
and Natesh confirmed but thwarted.
"Widow" Hindu sorceress1 or
more
(thu am) per Mrs C scrying to trace false Wilhelmina, seen in
meeting with False Edward in a carriage.
Unknown "veiled" person male?
(thu am) per Mrs C scrying to trace false Wilhelmina, seen in
meeting with False Edward in carriage.
Notes re: Xanthus's "Mysterious Benefactor,"
or for our purposes a mysterious Malefactor:
When asked to identify this person, Xanthus did not know, but
when pressed told us whom he suspected:
-Sir Anthony
(this seems doubtful, as Sir Anthony could have harmed us all
far worse already had he wished to)
-Mr Willoughby (also seems unlikely, mostly for the same reason
as above)
-the Earl of Dover ( I cannot venture an opinion, as I know little
about him)
-Sir Phillip Bond (certainly a favorite, but only because several
of our League have found him personally detestablehardly
sufficient evidence of this particular treason)
-Sir Edward Mannering (a member of the Board of Trade, and reputed
to be bitter at being passed over for a position in the Foreign
Office)(again, I know little about him). His father Sir Robert
Mannering killed at Letchworth) also his younger brother
Mr Thomas Mannering, still employed at the Foreign Office.
(Thu pmThomas Mannering involved, but was directed by another,
one who was willing to kill him to maintain secrecy)
What did Xanthus do for the Mysterious Malefactor?
-Xanthus provided opium and laudanum, black powder, and quantities
of brass and copper, all smuggled in by his network, especially
his North African connexions
-Now apparent that Xanthus will serve as a scapegoat for the Malefactor,
albeit unwillingly, unless we can find the Malefactor himself.
What did the Malefactor do for Xanthus?
-Provided information about friends and enemies of Sir Cosmo in
order to make incrimination efforts more effective.
-Possibly introduced misinformation into Foreign Office and Home
Office files (such as the reports planned to incriminate Inspector
MacGregor)
-Removed records and confused trails of accountability, such as
the whereabouts of Mr Thomas Dower and the fate of Claude Smiththough
this does not appear to connect directly to Xanthus activities
and suggests a plan of greater scope.
What is this all about?
Someone (the Malefactor) has gone to a great deal of effort and
expense to create this series of plots. It seems improbable that
a person capable of such organisation would devote himself (or
herself) to destroying Sir Cosmo's reputation just for revenge
or some similar personal motive.
Could all these hostilities be orchestrated to divert and distract us? Perhaps the Malefactor is doing something that the League would interfere with, likely something regarding the interests of the Foreign Office. He (or she) could have planned the culmination of the plots to coincide with the Cowperthwaite wedding so that we would be occupied already, and focused on our personal affairs rather than those of the Crown or the world.
Could it be some dangerous weaponry devised
by T Dower? To be used in England or sold abroad?
Some Mystical plot for domination such as Herr Bopp's?
Notes re: Interviews and testimony of Hornsea
Citizens: (Tu Jan 10 apx 11:00-1:30)
1) Mr MacPhail: proprietor, chips stand.
At 3:00 Saturday, 7 Jan saw carriage with Greyminster arms stop
near Hornsea Post's offices and General Goods shop. Saw Sir Cosmo
(known by appearance and name) disembark and turn to help another
person, unseen, perhaps small person like a child. Carriage driven
not by red-headed boy, but by darker boy (description may indicate
George)
Did not see where Sir C went, thought it must have been either
the dry goods store or the Hornsea Post.
Asked about woman in mourning. Brow furrowed. Yes, saw a woman
in deep mourning in an unmarked carriage. Confused about day and
time.
Miss W reports: "aura looks normal, no magical tampering
evident."
-- 4:00 pm Inquest testimony: Sir Cosmo must have come another
day, because on Saturday, it was the woman in mourning, the young
girl in an unmarked carriage.
2) Mr Dodd: Baker
At 3:00 Saturday, saw carriage with Greyminster Arms, Sir Cosmo
disembarking, seemed to be alone. Saw him go to Hornsea Post officesexpressed
surprise at this.
Asked by Mr Frazer to recall the sounds of the street and the
carriage; Dodd exclaims that he had heard and seen a woman in
heavy mourning costume with the young girl, and that he must have
seen Sir C at another time. Seems now positive about the widow
and the child going into the Post's offices at 3:00 on Saturday,
not Sir C at all. Appears to be speaking in good faith.
Miss Whitnell reports: Aura had a "knot," not magical
in origin. Knot has now come undone. Hypnogogic suggestion?
-- at Inquest : testifies did not see Sir C on Saturday.
3) Jimmy Bromley: Baker's apprentice, aged apx 14
Saw Greyminster carriage, Sir C, and girl. Then, distracted by
neighbourhood drunkard, who came to the back door, very agitated,
with a story about seeing "something unnerving."
4) Patrick Nelligan, interviewed while incarcerated in Hornsea
Gaol:
Claims to have witnessed the actual murder from the attic of an
adjacent building.
He described the Widow and the little girl. He described a discussion
between Mr Jokking and his two visitors, wherein the visitors
were pressing Mr Jokking to write another story about Sir Cosmo,
but Mr Jokking was refusing because of lack of evidence.
Child drew back her veil and spoke sharply to Jokking, drew a
large object from among her skirts and pointed it at Mr Jokking--
description matches etheric pulse weapon-- Mr Jokking was electrocuted.
Mr Neligan then described the two murderers doing typesetting
and running the press. Neligan fled when the noise of the press
would cover his departure.
-at Inquest: Positively identified Wilhelmina as the child seen
at the Hornsea Post.
This testimony can probably be discredited if necessary, as Neligan
is notoriously intoxicated.
5) Mr Emmsworth, proprietor of Dry Goods store
Describes unmarked carriage. Woman and child in mourning clothes
going in to Hornsea Post offices. Noted sound of press running,
thought it odd to run the press while female visitor present.
-at Inquest: repeated above story. DCC Bland indicated that this
was a different story than Emmsworth told constables.
6) Mrs Nesbitt,Confectioner. (Also Millie,
her assistant)
-did not see/notice anything of interest on Saturday
-makes tasty petit-fours but indifferent marzipan
7) Mrs Neeson, Dressmaker
did not see/notice anything of interest on Saturday
-at Inquest: was called to testify regarding unusual deep pockets
requested for Wilhelmina's flower-girl dress. Coroner and DCC
Bland implied that this was relevant to the large strange weapon
used by young girl to kill Jokking, as it was pulled out of concealment
in skirts.
Drat, pockets no longer secret.
Proceed to Never so mortified!
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