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half past four, he was seen walking back towards Cretingham. Fred Read, a farm labourer from Framsden, was on his way to start his day’s work at Jeaffreson’s farm when he met Arthur on the Otley road. Read, struck by the strangeness of such an early encounter, noted that the curate was leaning heavily upon a stick and walking very slowly.
    In the meantime, PC Robert Moore of the Suffolk Constabulary, based at Brandeston, had arrived and carried out an initial examination of the premises. It was now that Harriet Louisa told her story implicating Arthur – and his supposed flight from the scene must have made him the prime suspect. Yet Moore found no indication of anything untoward in Arthur’s room; no sign of a blood trail between that and the adjoining scene of the crime and no evidence from the bowl on the washstand of Arthur having washed blood from his hands.
    When Moore was later joined by PC Edward Clarke of Framsden, a more thorough search of the room revealed stains, believed to be blood, on the left sleeve of Arthur’s dressing gown. His shaving cloth, however, showed no marks of any sort but there was a small bloodstain on the towel. Most incriminating, yet missed in the original search, was the discovery of Arthur’s razor with fresh blood on it, lying beneath the looking glass on the dressing table.
    This appears to have been sufficient evidence that Arthur had murdered the vicar and his absence confirmed that belief. Therefore, it must have come as a shock to PC Moore when at 5 a.m. he answered a knock at the front door of the vicarage and found Arthur standing there. As if there was nothing amiss, the curate stepped into the hall and removed his coat and hat. Taken aback, the constable observed that what had happened to Mr Farley was a bad job. A simple reply of ‘yes’ from Arthur, nonplussed Moore even further. Arthur then moved towards the stairs and on being asked where he was going, he announced calmly that he was going to his room. This he was allowed to do with a police escort. And there he sat, in silence, except to ask for a cup of tea which the constable obligingly ordered for him.
    It was in his room that William Emmerson found him at six o’clock. Although still early, and living at the farther end of the village, Emmerson had already heard the news of the vicar’s death from Annie Wightman’s father. He had, in any case, as was mentioned before, told Mrs Farley that he would come early on Sunday morning to fetch the Communion plate and find out exactly who was taking the service that morning. Emmerson had also heard the gossip surrounding the circumstances of Farley’s death yet he still asked if he might speak with the curate. Whatever wariness he might have felt about the interview was immediately dispelled when, after exchanging greetings, Arthur showed only concern for Emmerson himself and how his family were bearing up under the grief of their bereavement.
    Emmerson had held Arthur in high regard and the curate’s kindness softened any feeling of revulsion he might have had, so gently he tried to persuade Arthur to talk about what he had done. There must, he suggested, have been a cause for such action, something that had been said or done to drive him to it. If he was hoping for a confession, he was disappointed for Arthur had no reason to offer. The parish clerk pressed him again for a reason; maybe the man had grounds for thinking that he knew what the cause might be. But again Arthur responded in the negative. Trying a different line, Emmerson wondered if Arthur had ever thought about doing it before. This time the questioner was more successful. After some delay, Arthur volunteered that he had thought about it the previous day.
    Emmerson remained with the curate until Supt Balls from Framlingham arrived to formally arrest him. When the time came, Emmerson helped Arthur on with his coat, the curate then shook his hand warmly, wished him goodbye and was led off to the waiting