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The Hermit Of Turkey Hollow: The Story Of An Alibi, Being An Exploit Of Ephraim Tutt, Attorney & Counselor At Law
Dishonest country lawyer meets honest city lawyer in a trial for the life of a harmless tramp.
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First published January 1, 1921
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About the author
Arthur Cheney Train
142 books3 followersArthur Cheney Train (1875-1945) was an American lawyer and legal thriller writer, particularly known for his novels of courtroom intrigue and the creation of the fictional lawyer Mr. Ephraim Tutt. In 1919, he created the popular character of Mr. Ephraim Tutt, a wiley old lawyer who supported the common man and always had a trick up his sleeve to right the law's injustices. He also coauthored the science fiction novel The Man Who Rocked the Earth (1915) with eminent physicist Robert W. Wood. After 1922, Train devoted himself to writing. His works include: The "Goldfish" (1914), Tutt and Mr. Tutt (1919) and By Advice of Counsel (1921). Robert Williams Wood (1868-1955) was an American physicist. He was a careful experimenter known for his many contributions to optics including infrared and ultraviolet photography, and the liquid mirror telescope. He was also a writer of science fiction and nonsense verse. He also authored non-technical works. In 1915, Wood co-authored a science fiction novel, The Man Who Rocked the Earth, with Arthur Train. He also wrote and illustrated a book of nonsense verse, How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 18, 2026
A wandering, sprawling and often amusing recounting of a trial for murder.
For the prosecution, the recently-appointed county prosecutor. What nobody knows is that in order to afford the bribe that got him the job, he has embezzled the trust fund that assists in the support of the accused, a harmless indigent known as Skinny the Tramp. He then had to borrow the money that was due to Skinny as his six-monthly interest payment.
For the defense, Ephraim Tutt, a series character of the author's. He's motivated by a love for justice and a belief that his client is innocent. He's been called in by the town lodge, of which Skinny was once a member; they also believe that he's innocent, even though the sheriff, who's the head of the lodge, is a key witness for the prosecution.
Central to the case are two facts. There are eight witnesses who swear Skinny was in the town three miles away at 4pm; and the lumberjack who found the victim, the hermit of the title, breathing his last noted that the hermit's clock was showing 4pm when he expired. A perfect alibi - if the clock was running at the time, and on this point the defense hinges.
There's an uncomfortable night-time expedition over bad roads in an unreliable car (this is 1920) to check this point with the lumberjack, who's left town for another job. This trip turns out to be for nothing; he can't be located.
There are some suspenseful courtroom moments, and some good reading of his opponent by Tutt. Overall, though, it's not a tight plot, and the prose is sometimes verbose (as you'd expect from a lawyer). The actual murder isn't the focus - the trial is - so the fact that the solution is given to us as narrative quickly at the end is perhaps understandable, but it's one of a number of instances of telling rather than showing in the book.
There's some casual racism towards Roma people and black people, and a good deal of contempt directed at the "hicks" in the small town. It was entertaining in its way, but not outstanding, and from me it gets three stars.
For the prosecution, the recently-appointed county prosecutor. What nobody knows is that in order to afford the bribe that got him the job, he has embezzled the trust fund that assists in the support of the accused, a harmless indigent known as Skinny the Tramp. He then had to borrow the money that was due to Skinny as his six-monthly interest payment.
For the defense, Ephraim Tutt, a series character of the author's. He's motivated by a love for justice and a belief that his client is innocent. He's been called in by the town lodge, of which Skinny was once a member; they also believe that he's innocent, even though the sheriff, who's the head of the lodge, is a key witness for the prosecution.
Central to the case are two facts. There are eight witnesses who swear Skinny was in the town three miles away at 4pm; and the lumberjack who found the victim, the hermit of the title, breathing his last noted that the hermit's clock was showing 4pm when he expired. A perfect alibi - if the clock was running at the time, and on this point the defense hinges.
There's an uncomfortable night-time expedition over bad roads in an unreliable car (this is 1920) to check this point with the lumberjack, who's left town for another job. This trip turns out to be for nothing; he can't be located.
There are some suspenseful courtroom moments, and some good reading of his opponent by Tutt. Overall, though, it's not a tight plot, and the prose is sometimes verbose (as you'd expect from a lawyer). The actual murder isn't the focus - the trial is - so the fact that the solution is given to us as narrative quickly at the end is perhaps understandable, but it's one of a number of instances of telling rather than showing in the book.
There's some casual racism towards Roma people and black people, and a good deal of contempt directed at the "hicks" in the small town. It was entertaining in its way, but not outstanding, and from me it gets three stars.
February 10, 2018
The third installment in the Ephraim Tutt saga is the longest entry to date, although it still really is more a novella than a full-fledged book. Here the senior partner of the Tutt & Tutt law firm leaves Manhattan for a sleepy Hamlet in upstate New York. The simple-minded town derelict has been accused of murder and his conviction appears to be a foregone conclusion to practically everyone. Everyone that is except our hero Ephraim. Even though E. Tutt is described as the terror of the police courts fifty years back, he shows great vigor and determination here in the defense of his client. Which makes for some very entertaining reading. Recommended.
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