midnight
The doors were all locked , the windows were all barred , and neither at the back nor in the front was there any outlet left open whereby the man -- if it was a man who had done the deed -- could have escaped . Blinders , the policeman on duty at the entrance of the square , gave evidence that he had been on duty there all night , and that although many servants and owners of houses belonging to the square had passed in from their Christmas marketings , yet no stranger had entered . The policeman knew every one , even to the errand-boys of the neighbourhood , who brought parcels of Christmas goods , and in many cases had exchanged greetings with the passers-by ; but he was prepared to swear , and , in fact , did swear at the inquest , that no stranger either came into or went out of Geneva Square . Also he deposed that when the traffic died away after midnight he had walked round the square , and had looked at every window , including that of No. 13 , and had tried every door , also including that of No. 13 , only to find that all was safe . Blinders declared on oath that he had not on Christmas Eve the slightest suspicion of the horrid tragedy which had taken place in the Silent House during the time he was on duty . When the police took possession of the body and mansion , search was made in bedroom and sitting-room for papers likely to throw light on the identity of the victim , but in vain . No letters or telegrams , or even writing of any kind , could be discovered ; there was no name in the dead man 's books , no mark on his clothes , no initials on his linen .