Short note on 'The Murder of John Franting"

Question: Write a short note on 'The Murder of John Franting". (Apr.11) (Nov. 09) (Nov-06)

Or

Show how Bennett combines sentimentality and satire in his story Murder? (April-08)

Or

Arnold Bennett justifies murder. (Nov-06)

Answer: In his story 'Murder', Arnold Bennett has thrown light on the cases of murder where the murderer is never caught. In his story he shows a case of natural justice being done by a turn of fate. Lomax Harder, a suave, soft spoken, tall, fair, intelligent poet, a thorough gentleman and John Franting, a crud, gruff, rude, stout orthodex, barbaric boxer are representing the two extreme kinds of individuals.

Franting gets a letter from his wife Emily that she is fed up with his crude and torturous ways and has finally decided to leave him for good. He knows that she's being helped by Lomax to go and settle in Copenhagen, away from Franting. He has his doubts that Lomax is in love with Emily, for otherwise why would he help her so much. So Franting plans to kill his wife for which he purchases a revolver and he tells this to Lomax, when Lomax tries to advocate Emily's case. Lomax is upset about this news and shoots Franting, with the revolver he accidentally flicks from the gun shop. Thereafter he slips away through the window, unnoticed.

The police is called over, they come pretty close to the truth that the murderer killed and ran away through the window, but the threads of blue colour stuck there and the imprints of three fingers on the window misguide even the expert and well known detective Dr. Austin Bond to believe that it's the char woman who has left these clues while cleaning the room just before the murder, as she is wearing blue clothes and her hand has just three fingers. Finally the police is convinced with Bond's conclusion that this is the case of suicide.

The fate helps the sensitive and caring Lomax at every stage and justice triumphs over legality.