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	The Great Moghul   Interview CD   INTERVIEW 3 (Tracks 9,10) A telephone conversation, John Elgin speaking on the telephone with Mrs. Rosie Summers Rosie Hello? John Mrs. Summers? Rosie Yes, this is Mrs. Summers John Mrs. Summers, my name’s John Elgin. You don’t know me but I am Dorothy Elgin’s great nephew. Rosie Dorothy Elgin. Is that poor Percy Elgin’s widow. John That’s right. He was my great uncle. Rosie Oh, I see. So, how is Mrs. Elgin? John Well, not too well to tell the truth. She is, what can I say, troubled by this business with her husband. You know, weighing on her mind. Rosie Oh, I am so sorry. It was all such a shock at the time, of course. Such a horrid business. And that gem. It was a ruby wasn’t it, did they ever find it? John A Ruby spinel actually, but no, no they didn’t. But now my great aunt is determined to get to the bottom of it, and she thinks she can clear her husband’s name by finding the missing stone. Or rather by me finding it. Rosie Well, of course I am sure I wish you luck but . . um . . I’m not quite sure what ……… John My great aunt said I ought to talk to you as you were one of the last people to see him. So I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I would just ring you up, hoping you might be able to spare a minute or two on the ‘phone. Rosie Well, I’d like to help, of course I would, but I really can’t think what I can tell you. It’s all so long ago. Have you tried the police? John It’s no good. They couldn’t tell me anything. I couldn’t give them anything to go on so there are no papers, nothing. So really all I can do is try to rely on people’s memories. Rosie I see. John So maybe we could just go over what you remember happened that day? Rosie If you think it would be any use. Well, I just saw Mr. Elgin get off a train from London. That was about it. John OK, good. Where was this? Rosie At Bristol Temple Meads. I was on the platform, doing refreshments. You couldn’t get anything on the trains, not in the war, so the WRVS did teas and so forth. That’s what I was doing. John Did you know him then? Rosie Mr. Elgin? Well, slightly. Mr. Summers and I were members of the same local history group so we had chatted, you know. So anyway, I see him go by and just say "Good afternoon", like one does. John And what time would this have been, do you know? Rosie Afternoon, about four o’clock, tea-time. We were busy, I know. John How did he seem? Rosie Well, I don’t know if I can say really. Just, well, normal, a bit serious maybe. I don’t remember if he said anything. I just recall he was looking at his watch a bit, like he wanted to keep an eye on the time, so I didn’t want to keep him. John I see. Well that’s a help, thanks. Now, what about this man at the barrier? Rosie All I saw was Mr. Elgin going to leave the platform when this other man comes up to him. John Can you remember what he looked like? Rosie I’m sorry, no. I didn’t really look ­ just a youngish man. I was busy serving so I didn’t really take him in. They were behind me you see. John But you heard this argument, or whatever it was. Rosie Not an argument exactly, I just remember hearing voices and turned to see Mr. Elgin and this man were still talking at the platform barrier. Then Mr. Elgin . . , your great uncle is it? John Uh-huh Rosie Then your great uncle sort of pushed past this man and walked off. Like he was brushing him off, you know. John And you didn’t catch what they were talking about? Rosie No, as I said at the time, it was just voices. A bit cross sounding maybe, but just voices. I am sorry. I am not much use am I? John Not at all. It’s kind of you to talk to me. Now, was he wearing anything you can remember, this young man? Rosie Well yes I can. A grey hat and grey coat, over some sort of blue suit, I think it was. I notice clothes more than faces really, always have done. Anyway, they were good quality things he had on I thought but badly fitting, if you know what I mean, he didn’t really look at ease. John Like nervous? Rosie Well, a bit awkward. You know . . . awkward. I never served him but I had seen him waiting around the platform for a good while ­ walking up and down, fidgeting John You mean you’d seen him before? Rosie Oh yes, but I didn’t take him in really. John Hold on, you had seen him waiting on the platform before he talked to Percy, Mr. Elgin. Rosie That’s right, he’d been waiting for quite a while ­ an hour or two maybe. But that wasn’t remarkable ­ there were lots of people waiting then, often for hours, what with all the delays and that. John So you think he might have been waiting for a train. Rosie Well, I don’t know. Perhaps. I couldn’t really say. I didn’t see him after Mr. Elgin left, I know that. John Is there anything else. Anything at all that you can remember? Rosie It’s so long ago now, I really can’t recall anything. What I do remember is only because I had to tell it all at the time. If it hadn’t been for what happened to poor Mr. Elgin, I wouldn’t have given it a thought. John I understand, I can see what you mean. But you have been a great help, really. Rosie I wish I could do more. I hate to think of poor Dorothy Elgin fretting about it all again. It was such a dreadful thing at the time. And that poor family too, and their ruby. John Well, you’ve been a great help. And if I find anything out I will let you know. Rosie Oh do. I shall be thinking about nothing else now. John Anyway, nice to talk to you and thanks again. Rosie No trouble John Bye then Rosie Goodbye. End of Interview
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