Take a look at the hints below for guidance.

Hint 1

Kenneth Anderson is a patron of The Garrison who was chatting with Brown shortly before the latter’s death. Does Anderson have a motive to kill Brown?

Harry Fenton’s statement mentions Brown stood up mid-conversation with another man, threatening to report the man to the police, who we can identify as Anderson via his own statement. Sergeant Moss states that Brown was speaking with a known Communist agitator. If Anderson is truly a Communist, he might kill Brown to keep that secret, but is there proof Anderson is a Communist?

Moss states Anderson left in a hurry after taking a phone call around 5:00pm. Using Moss’ testimony plus the letter from the Switchboard operator, we can gather all the necessary info to listen in to Anderson’s call (1st August, 5:00pm, Mains 0207 & 0215). Anderson and his comrade confirm their Communist sympathies, and that Anderson was laundering Soviet funds. Can we identify where Anderson was during the murder?

Anderson’s phone call urges him to hurry to the BSA Factory near The Garrison. If he obeyed, that would place him away from the scene of the crime. Is there evidence Anderson joined the BSA Factory riot?

The newspaper clipping titled “Riot at the BSA Factory as tensions rise” covers the riot in detail, including that Communists joined the union workers shortly after 5:00pm before the police calmed things down by 5:45pm. One prominent Communist features in the article’s accompanying photograph, wearing a bowler hat. This matches Moss’ description of Anderson with a scar and clutching a bowler hat. The photo caption says the picture is taken 20 minutes before police reinforcements arrived, which the article says happens at 5.45pm, meaning Anderson is pictured at 5.25pm. Thus, Anderson was attending the BSA Factory riot during the time Brown was murdered, clearing Anderson of suspicion.

If you’ve covered all bases and you’re still stuck, please follow the hint section for The Final Hints to gradually reveal the answer to this case.