Evans Tries an O-Level
By Colin
Dexter
About
the author
Norman Colin Dexter is an English crime writer
known for his Inspector Morse novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999
and adapted as a television series from 1987 to 2000. He was born on September
29, 1930 in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England to Alfred and Dorothy Dexter. In
1956 he married Dorothy Cooper, and they had a son and a daughter.
In 1954, he started his teaching career in the
East Midlands, becoming assistant Classics master at Wyggeston School,
Leicester. A post at Loughborough Grammar School followed before he took up the
position of senior Classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire,
in 1959.
Dexter has received several Crime Writers'
Association awards. In 1996 Dexter received a Macavity Award for his short
story Evans Tries an O-Level. In
2000 Dexter was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for
services to literature. In 2001 he was awarded the Freedom of the City of
Oxford. In September 2011, the University of Lincoln awarded Dexter an honorary
Doctor of Letters degree.
Characters
1. James
Roderick Evans:
a prisoner
2.
Secretary of the Examination Board: a higher official of the examination board
3.
Governor:
the governor of H.M. Prison, Oxford.
4. Mr.
Jackson:
a prison officer
5. Mr.
Stephens:
a prison officer
6.
Reverend Stuart McLeery: an invigilator
7. Mr.
Carter:
a detective superintendent
8. Mr.
Bell: a
detective chief inspector
Introduction
Evans was put in the Oxford Prison at Carfax
for his criminal records including the three jail breaks that he had successfully
committed. We do not exactly know what the charges against him were. It is most
likely he was the master brain of a gang of robbers or was just a one man
robber who was greatly skilled at impersonating other people and thus made an
income out of that. However, London Police had no other choice than putting him
in the most secure Oxford Prison where jail breaks were not at all common.
Evans was aware of it, too. Seeing that he was in all sense trapped for life,
Evans made a new plan to escape, outwitted the police authorities and managed
to slip out of the prison.
James Roderick Evans is a boy of deep
intelligence, planning, resourcefulness, wit and wisdom and is put in the
Oxford Prison. He starts learning German and is permitted to appear for 0 Level
test in a separate and well-guarded cell. All the unauthorized items are taken
away from him. He is put under a strict invigilation duty by the prison staff.
The Governor goes on making enquiries at every short intervals. The examination
passes smoothly but Evans pretends to be the bleeding parson. He is taken to
the hospital. But for all his careful and cunning strategies he is arrested by the
Governor in a hotel. Even then he succeeds to slip out from the clutches of the
gullible Governor.
Theme
This story depicts a clash of wit between a
criminal and the law-enforcing authorities in which the prisoner Evans befools
the jail authorities and manages to escape from the prison. If the government and law enforcing officials are
vigilant, crime can be detected and criminals can be booked. But criminals like
Evans can hoodwink the authorities and escape punishment as long as the
officials are slow and lack alertness and wit.
Summary
It is the month of early March. The secretary
of the Examination Board receives a call from the Governor of the H.M. Prison,
Oxford. He tells that a prisoner named Evans has started night classes in O
Level German. Now he wants to attain some academic qualification. The Secretary
replies that there is no need to worry. All the necessary forms and other
requisite material will be sent. They will give him a chance. He enquires about
Evans. The Governor tells him that Evans has no record of violence. Rather he
is an amusing fellow. He is one of the stars at the Christmas concert. The
Secretary asks him if they can arrange a room where Evans can sit in for the
examination. The Governor tells that the room of Evans can be used for this
purpose. The Secretary agrees and tells that they could get a parson from St.
Mary Mags to invigilate.
The Governor takes utmost care to see that he
would not be fooled. Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the
exam. He was tutored by a German teacher for 6 months. The day before the exam
the teacher wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had hardly any
‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the
tutor’s observation by saying “I may surprise everybody.”
On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens
visited Evan's cell and took away everything that may help him injure
himself. Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying
that it was lucky charm.
Evan's cell was bugged so that the Governor
could himself listen to each and every conversation in the cell. The
invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was searched and left him to complete the
task. Stephen sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped into the
cell.
The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the
invigilator to the main gate and looked into Evan's cell and found the
invigilator (actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter
was to be hospitalized but informed that he was alright and asked them to
follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison.
When the invigilator was not found in the
hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. Mc Leery only to find him
’bound and gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since
8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor.
Evan escaped the prison the fourth time. But by
taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel
where Evans was staying. He captured him and came to know how he planned
his escape. The Governor said that his game was over. Evans surrendered
himself to the Governor.
Evans was handcuffed and sent away with a
prison officer in the prison van. But here again he befools the Governor. Both
the prison officer and the prison van were part of the plan devised by Evan’s
friends. Once again he was a free bird.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who
was James Roderick Evans? Why was he put in the Oxford Prison?
Ans. Evans was a congenital kleptomaniac. He was often caught and sent to jail but he was very clever and managed to escape every time. He had a gang of friends who helped him in it.
Q2. How
was Evan's presence in the prison felt by the authorities?
Ans. Evans was a
smart, tricky, intelligent and the most popular prisoner at Oxford jail. Even
the jail authorities admired his skills but were worried about the possibility
of his escape. He had many good friends among the prisoners. The Governor
himself was concerned for him and at times behaved to be Evans’ fan.
Q3. Why
did the Governor apply for an examination for Evans?
Ans. Evans was a
prisoner in the Oxford Prison. He convinced the authorities that he was
genuinely interested in learning German. He was taught by a German teacher for
about six months. When the teacher said that Evans was prepared for an O' Level
exam, the Governor of the prison applied to the Examination Board for his exam.
Q4. Who
met Evans on the eve of the examination? What did he say?
Ans. It was Evans’ German
teacher who shook him by the hand at 8.30 p.m. on Monday, 7 June. They met in
the heavily guarded Recreational Block, just across from D Wing. The teacher
wished him good luck in German, which Evans failed to understand. The teacher
observed that he had a remote chance of getting through. Evans remarked that he
might surprise everybody. These remarks prove quite meaningful and prophetic.
Q5. What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of
the examination?
Ans. For smooth conduct examination
various precautionary measures were taken. All sharp instruments like razor
nail scissors were removed. The Governor, senior prison officer Jackson and
officer Stephen were put on duty. A special invigilator was arranged. A
microphone was fitted in the prison cell where the examination was to be
conducted.
Q6. Who
was Mc Leery?
Ans. Rev. Mc Leery was a
parson at St. Mary Mags, a monastery. He was supposed to invigilate Evan's
examination at the Oxford Prison. He was about to leave his residence for the
prison when two of Evans' friends entered his room and gagged him until Evans
had escaped from the prison.
Q7. Why
was Evans particular about keeping his hat on his head during his exam?
Ans. Evans wore a
bobble hat at the time of his examination. When he was asked to remove the hat,
Evans pleaded to let stay it because he believed it was his lucky charm. In
fact he had hidden some of the makeup materials in his hat which was the reason
he didn't want to remove it.
Q8. What
instructions did the invigilator issue to the examinee before the examination?
Ans. He asked the examinee
if he had got a watch. He would tell him when to start and again when he had
five minutes left. He asked him to write the name of the paper, 021-1 in the
top left-hand corner, and his index number-313 in the top right-hand corner.
Just below that he was to write his centre number-271.
Q9. The
examination was scheduled to begin at 9.15 a.m. but it started at 9.25 a.m. Why
was there the delay in starting the examination?
Ans. The examination
started ten minutes late due to security reasons. The Governor wanted to search
Mr. McLeery and his belongings. He had doubts that Mr. McLeery could have taken
something dangerous with him innocently like a paper knife or that sort. Evans could
take advantage of any such thing and keep McLeery as a hostage. He might try to
run away from the prison.
Q10. Why
did the Governor think of frisking Mc Leery?
Ans. Mc Leery was the
invigilator of the examination and he was to sit inside Evan's cell while the
latter wrote the exam. The Governor had made sure that Evans had been
thoroughly frisked and there was nothing to fear about that. But when he
thought about the possibility of Mc Leery carrying a paper-knife or that sort,
he feared Evans would make use of that and escape by holding the parson his
hostage.
Q11. What
were the contents of the small brown suitcase McLeery carried'?
Ans. It had a sealed
question paper envelope, a yellow invigilation form, a special ‘authentication’
card from the Examination Board, a paper knife, a Bible, and a current copy of
‘The Church Times’. Except the last two articles, the rest were related to his
morning duties as invigilator.
Q12. What
was the intention behind the call from the Examinations Board?
Ans. It was one of Evans'
friends who made the call from the Examination Board. This call was primarily
meant for confirming the beginning time of the exam in order to calculate the
end of the exam. The equally important reason behind this call was to misguide
the Governor into Hotel Golden Lion to arrest Evans from there and thereby to
make the escape altogether safer.
Q13. What
had Mc Leery brought with him to the prison to help Evans' escape?
Ans. Evans’ friend
dressed up like Mc Leery had brought some very useful articles for Evans’
escape. He had worn an extra clerical collar and a clerical front. In his bag
he had carried a semi inflated rubber tube filled with blood. He had also
carried a paper scissors even though it was frisked by the prison authorities.
Q14. What
request did Evans make about half an hour before the end of the examination?
Ans. Evans made a polite
request if he could put a blanket round his shoulders as it was a bit chilly
there. McLeery told Evans to be quick about it. A minute later, Stephens was
surprised to see a grey blanket draped round Evans shoulders.
Q15. What
made Governor aware that someone from the examination board was involved in the
escape of Evans?
Ans. The question paper had
the instructions that he had to move from Elsfield way to the Headington round
about. The examination board was situated at Elsfield Way. Then he remembered
the call and the correction slip. All these things verified that someone from
the examination board was involved in the escape plan.
Q16. What
information did the Governor get from the hospital about McLeery?
Ans. The Governor was aware
that McLeery was admitted in the Red Cliffe Hospital. In order to know about
his well-being, he rang-up the hospital authorities. It was told that an
ambulance did go to Elsfield Way but they did not find him there. The Governor
concluded that it was Evans who ran away from the cell and not McLeery.
Q17. Why
the Governor was angry with the prison officers after Evans had escaped?
Ans. The Governor was angry
with Stephens because it was he who saw Evans off safely out of the prison gate.
Stephens told him that it was the Governor who ordered him to do so. These
words infuriated the Governor since he had not rang him at all. The Governor
was angry with Jackson because he did not search Evans’ cell properly and Evans
had somehow concealed a beard, dog collar and other things to a clerk in his
cell. It was his carelessness that helped Evans to escape.
Q18. Why
did the Governor doubt the phone call from the Examination?
Ans. The Governor thought
it might be a fake call. It might be a sort of signal for Evans. He thought the
correction slip could be a kind of secret message sent for Evans. He tried to
verify the call. He held the incoming call and from the other line called the
Examination Board. But the number was continuously busy. This means the call
was really from the Examination Board.
Q19. What
did Stephens see through the hole of the cell of Evans after leaving McLeery at
the main gate of the prison?
Ans. Stephens thought of
looking at Evans once again after leaving Mr. McLeery at the main gate. He
peeped through the hole and saw a terrible sight. A man was sitting on Evans'
chair and blood was dripping from his head. He had the blanket dropped around
his shoulders. His hair were smeared with blood. Blood had reached his clerical
collars. It was a terrible sight. It came to his mind that it must be Evans.
After a considered thought he concluded him McLeery. He raised an alarm and
called for the police.
Q20. What
clues did the question-paper of Evans provide to the Governor?
Ans. There was a
photocopied sheet hidden in the German question paper. It was very cleverly
pasted on the last blank sheet of the question paper. It had instructions
written in German. It read: “Follow the plan. The vital point in time is three
minutes before the end of the examination.” It was also instructed not to hit
the parson hard, he is a minister and not to overdo the Scot accent etc. It had
also instruction to move towards the Headington round about and then to make
way to Newbury. The Governor coded it for Newbury and the hunt for Evans
started.
Q21. How
did Stephens feel when he was asked to accompany Mc Leery out of the prison?
Ans. Stephens was a
new officer at the Oxford Prison and was naturally apprehensive about his
duties. He was already glad that he was in charge of the invigilator and the
examinee. When he was asked by the Governor to accompany the invigilator out of
the prison, Stephens felt greatly flattered and proud of himself.
Q22.
Where did Evans go?
Ans. Evans went to a hotel
called ‘The Golden Lion,’ which was located in Chipping Norton.
Q23. How
did Evans escape from Detective Carter?
Ans. Disguised as the
invigilator, Evans misguided detective Carter in the pretext of helping the
officer to find the escaped Evans. When they reached Radcliff Hospital, Evans
pretended to be most critical and told the detective to admit him in the
hospital. Carter wanted to drive the wounded invigilator into the hospital but
Evans advised him to call the ambulance and drop him on the roadside to be
picked by the ambulance so that the detective could continue his chase after
Evans.
Q24. How
did Evans manage his final escape?
Ans. Evans was almost
rearrested by the Governor in the hotel. He was handcuffed and made to sit in a
prison van. But the people sitting inside the van were the close friends of
Evans. They opened his handcuff on Evans' instructions. They took the van
towards Newbury and Evans had his final escape.
Q25. In
what way did the friends of Evan arrange his escape from the prison?
Ans. Evans had some really
efficient, cunning and smart friends. The tutor who came to give night classes
was his friend. The person in the examination board who sent clue about the
hotel in the correction slip, was his intimate and loyal friend. Even the
invigilator was also his friend. The people in the prison van were also his
friends.
Long Answer Type questions
Q1. Give
a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison.
Ans. The Governor of the
H.M. Prison, Oxford seems to be a sympathetic fellow since he makes all the
relevant arrangements for the examination of a run-out prisoner. He has a whim
that Evans may escape but he ensures his stay in the cell. He is very proud,
self-conscious and an enthusiastic fellow and tries his best to be saved from
the disgrace lest Evans should escape from the prison. He has a fine presence
of mind as he cross-examines every call that is made to the prison on the
examination day.
Being a man of over-confident nature, he fails
to revoke the escape of Evans. On his escape, he gets infuriated with his
officers and calls them “morns”. But he is a person who does not chide away
from showing praise to a prisoner. When Evans reveals his secret plan, he does
not fail to admire him. In reality the Governor proves to be just another good
for-a-giggle-gullible when Evans tricks him again. It is his overconfidence,
boasting and self-praise bring his disgrace.
Q2. How
was injured McLeery able to befool the prison-officers?
Ans. The injured McLeery
was a fine actor. He befriended the invigilator in the jail who supplied him
the fake blood in a rubber ring. It was pouring down from his head. With a
feeble hand, he got his handkerchief and held it to his bleeding head. In this
process he was able to hide his face from the eyes of the prison officer. He
expressed his unbearable pain and represented himself not to utter any word
coherently. He concealed his voice and dodged the police officers.
When he heard the suggestion of bringing in an
ambulance, he interrupted immediately and asked them to call the police. He
offered himself to trace the run-away Evans. Thus he trapped the police
officers very accurately. This acting of a seriously injured person, bleeding,
bending, limping and using door as a help while walking, assured the police
officers that he was helping them in all possible ways even in this pitiable
condition. They believed that injured McLeery was helping them but his superb
acting was successful in befooling and confusing the prison-officers.
Q3. How
did Evans outwit the Governor and his staff?
Ans. James Evans was
imprisoned in the Oxford Prison but he had a group of cunning, clever and smart
friends outside. They made a plan to get him out of the prison. Evans started
night classes in ‘O’ Level German. The services of a German teacher were made
available to him and he was from the technical college but he was Evans'
friend. The prison authorities never thought to check him. At the Examination
Board too they won over someone to act as an informer. They knew from Evans
that McLeery would be put on invigilation. They bound and gagged McLeery in his
flat and sent someone else to impersonate McLeery. Evans cut his hair short and
hid under a bobbly hat. Mr. Jackson did not insist to take off the hat lest he
should hide something under it. McLeery's semi-inflated rubber ring was not
examined since it contained pig's blood. Thinking him as a bonafide person,
they did not search him properly.
The Governor allowed Stephens to stay outside
the examination room and it provided a chance for Evans to work out his plan.
The Governor did not check whether the prison van was appropriately needed by
the magistrate or not. Evans dodged Carter when they took him to search for
Evans and escaped. At the Golden Lion Hotel, he was nabbed by the Governor.
When the Governor asked for police van and the prison officers, Evans' men
succeeded in duping the Governor. Despite all precautions, Evans escaped from a
high security jail.
Q4. How
did Evans manage to escape on the examination day?
Ans. Evans was a very smart
and clever prisoner in the H.M. Oxford Prison. He had no record of violence and
used to participate in Christmas concerts. He was good at imitations but he had
escaped from the prison three times. So he was kept on high and tight security.
In the jail, Evans started ‘O’ Level German classes. Now he wanted to appear
for the examination.
Keeping in view his previous history, a tight
security was alerted in his cell since he had to answer his paper in his room.
Stephens was appointed to watch him till the paper was finished. The Governor
too himself was much alert and microphone was attached in his room so that
every word could be heard by the Governor himself. His room was too thoroughly
searched and the objectionable items like the nail scissors and nail- file were
taken away. The razor blade was also taken away after the shave. Even McLeery
was searched and a knife was removed from his suitcase. Despite these
precautions, Evans fooled the prison officials and escaped.
Q5. Why do
you think the prison authorities were responsible for the escape of Evans?
Ans. From the very
beginning to the end of the play, there are so many lacunas and laxities on the
part of the prison authorities that made the escape of Evans. Adequate measures
were adopted to prevent Evans' escape but there remained certain facts that
were totally unheeded. When McLeery came for invigilation, his identity was
never checked except signing in the visitors' book. Already the police officers
were asked to search the room of Evans and’they ensured complete availability
of any unauthorised items, how Evans managed to conceal beard, dog collar, a
pair of spectacles and other clerical things in his cell ? Apart from that he
had got some sort of weapons with which he had given McLeery a terrible wound
across the head. When Jackson asked to remove his bobble hat, Evans objected and
called it “Good luck”.
During the examination the correction-slip
paved the way for Evans' escape. The prison authorities failed to confirm from
the examination board about its sanctity. Not only this, they could not detect
that Evans impersonating as McLeery became the imposter. McLeery walked out of
the prison after the examination and Evans impersonating McLeery stayed in. The
Governor nabbed Evans at the Golden Lions Hotel and called for the local police
and the van. There the men of Evans' must have been tracking the Governor. They
impersonated as prison officers and helped Evans escape. The Governor did not
ask for his own official van and officers. Thus we can say that the prison
authorities were totally responsibile for the escape of Evans.
Q6. Why
is the Governor called ‘good for a giggle’?
Ans. The Governor was
a very intelligent officer but his overconfidence was his weak point. He was
successful in tracing Evans in the Hotel Golden Lion and in arresting him. But
little did he know that it was Evans who wanted the Governor to arrest him.
Evans raised the Governor’s confidence level sky high and let him fall from
such a height of pride. When he caught Evans, the Governor thought that he was
the most intelligent prison governor in the world and drove to the prison
dreaming of the praises and ranks he would be given for his efficiency as a
Governor. But in the prison he would know how he was made fool by Evans and the
world would only giggle at him.
Q7. How
far was Stephens helpful for Evans' escape?
Ans. Stephens was a
newly recruited officer in the prison. He was very particular about showing his
efficiency in front of the higher authorities and was especially glad that he
was in charge of Evans’ examination which was a risky job indeed. Evans
complained of Stephens’ breathing and got him naturally out of the cell. Once
out of the cell, Stephens kept peeping into the cell but soon found it
childish. To show that he was very confident and efficient, he left the cell
door to come after short intervals. The short intervals soon became longer and
very longer giving time for Evans to dress himself up inside the cell. Stephens
was taken to the highest joy when he received the fake call from the Governor
to take the invigilator out of the prison. He in his pride took the invigilator
out of the prison and made way for Evans’ escape in a wonderful way.
Q8. Do
you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
Ans. The story proves that
the prison authorities were determined to prevent Evans from escaping and in
their own way they had taken all the precautions against it. On the other hand,
Evans had been planning his escape and had worked out all the details most
meticulously. Evans made a good plan for his escape and the prison authorities
then made a concerted effort to arrest him. He was arrested but managed to
escape again thus proving that there exists a constant battle of wits between
crime and punishment.