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McCoy Mysteries:
Chapter 1
In the summer of 1896, a group of British constables are sitting around a table about to listen to the inspector take a speech.
"Gentleman, Inspector Harold P. Dawson," says the speaker. While everyone is applauding, the inspector goes up to a podium with a banner hanging over it. "Thank you," the inspector begins to speak, "Gentlemen, thos of us at police station No. 4 of the London Police department had never being face with such a puzzling crime. The victim was found in a windowless room that was locked from the inside, but that was not the most puzzling part. The victim had been electricuted yet the room had no electricity. The unusual thing was a broken jar, a chain a wooden disk and some foil. It soon became apparent that the victim had been killed by a laiden jar," the inspector is interrupted by one of the men in the audience.
"A question inspector," the man said, "Chief Constable Johnson, of course," replys the inspector.
The Chief Constable asks his question,
"What is a laiden jar?"
"It's a device for storing a electric charge," he answered.
"So like a battery," said the Chief Constable.
"No, no," the inspector clears his throat, "It's a capacitor that stores electric charge,"
"So it's a battery," said the Chief Constable.
"No..." replys Inspector be for he is interrupted again by a man standing.
"Sir, if I may explain," said the man.
"Yes, gentlemen, Detective William McCoy.
"Gentlemen, both a battery and a capacitor do store electrical charge, however a battery creates that charge by chemical reaction and a capacitor needs an outside source of power. So the jar stored hundreds of volts more than enough to kill a man. So we then came to the conclusion that the incident was an accident," McCoy steps down.
"Thank you detective, might we all take a brake for tea and cakes, maybe a pinch of scotch," said the Inspector.
© C.L.Lendrum
In the summer of 1896, a group of British constables are sitting around a table about to listen to the inspector take a speech.
"Gentleman, Inspector Harold P. Dawson," says the speaker. While everyone is applauding, the inspector goes up to a podium with a banner hanging over it. "Thank you," the inspector begins to speak, "Gentlemen, thos of us at police station No. 4 of the London Police department had never being face with such a puzzling crime. The victim was found in a windowless room that was locked from the inside, but that was not the most puzzling part. The victim had been electricuted yet the room had no electricity. The unusual thing was a broken jar, a chain a wooden disk and some foil. It soon became apparent that the victim had been killed by a laiden jar," the inspector is interrupted by one of the men in the audience.
"A question inspector," the man said, "Chief Constable Johnson, of course," replys the inspector.
The Chief Constable asks his question,
"What is a laiden jar?"
"It's a device for storing a electric charge," he answered.
"So like a battery," said the Chief Constable.
"No, no," the inspector clears his throat, "It's a capacitor that stores electric charge,"
"So it's a battery," said the Chief Constable.
"No..." replys Inspector be for he is interrupted again by a man standing.
"Sir, if I may explain," said the man.
"Yes, gentlemen, Detective William McCoy.
"Gentlemen, both a battery and a capacitor do store electrical charge, however a battery creates that charge by chemical reaction and a capacitor needs an outside source of power. So the jar stored hundreds of volts more than enough to kill a man. So we then came to the conclusion that the incident was an accident," McCoy steps down.
"Thank you detective, might we all take a brake for tea and cakes, maybe a pinch of scotch," said the Inspector.
© C.L.Lendrum
