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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Chapter 4 - The Carew Murder Case
A year later, a maid servant looking out her window before retiring to bed, witnesses a gruesome murder. She recalls seeing a kind looking elderly gentleman being clubbed to death by one she recognizes as Mr. Hyde. She faints and by the time she wakes and calls the police, the murderer is gone. Part of the cane with which he used to commit the hideous crime is left behind. On the victim is a sealed and stamped envelope with the name and address of Mr. Utterson. Next morning, as soon as Mr. Utterson gets notice of what happened, he goes to the police station and identifies the dead body as that of Sir Danvers Carew, his client. The officer shows Mr. Utterson the piece of the broken cane. Mr. Utterson recognizes it as a gift he had given Dr. Jekyll long ago. Mr. Utterson and the officer make their way to Mr. Hyde's address in Soho. Mr. Utterson notices the black fog as it envelops the slums of Soho. He is made aware of the irony that an heir of a quarter of a million sterling resides in the most despicable part of the city.
An old landlady opens the door and says that Mr. Hyde had been there that night, but is now gone. She tries to deny them entrance, but Mr. Utterson reminds her that he is with Inspector Newcomen of Scotland Yard. Inside the house, they find it sparsely, but tastefully decorated. It is also evident that the resident has been in haste, with random things lying about. They find a checkbook and the other end of the broken cane. The inspector notices that Hyde still has several thousand pounds in the bank. He is confident Mr. Hyde will show up to withdraw money from the bank. Mr. Hyde turns out to be elusive. Not many people knew him, he had never been photographed, and a few who saw him differed widely in describing what he was like, although they all agreed on one point--Hyde gives off an indescribable sense of deformity. As to his whereabouts, he seems to have just disappeared.
