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VISTAS

Evan Tries an O-Level by Norman Colin Dexter

ANECDOTES

Telephonic conversation

❖ Story begins when the Secretary of the examination board received a call from Governor, Oxford prison
▪ Governor said, it was a strange request but they wanted to help the person
▪ Named Evans
▪ Told him that, Evans started taking night lessons in O-level of German language, last September
▪ Evans was interested in achieving educational qualification
▪ Secretary agreed to give him a chance, would send all forms required, asked whether Evans was a
violent person
▪ Governor said that there was no such record, nice guy, humorous,
▪ Decided to conduct test in Evans’s own lock up, would call a churchman from a nearby church as
invigilator

About Evans

❖ Was called “Evans the Break” by the police officers

❖ Had escaped from prison thrice

On the Day before Examination- 7th June, Monday

❖ At 8:30 p.m. the German teacher shook hands with Evans

❖ Said “Guten Gluck”, Evans could not understand, teacher said all the best
❖ Teacher commented that Evans was not prepared, said there was not even the slightest chance for Evans to
pass the exam
❖ Evans replied that he may surprise everybody

On the Day of Examination- 8th June, Tuesday Stephens- newly appointed officer

❖ Morning 8:30, Evans was visited by two men

Jackson-senior police officer
▪ Evans had not shaved, wearing a dirty hat on
his head
▪ Asked Jackson to excuse him as he was going to shave
▪ Jackson told Stephen that this reminded him that Stephen should take away his razor as soon as he
had completed shaving his ugly looking face, also taunted Evans
▪ Jackson replied that he took his nail cutter too, told him it was the Governor’s order
▪ Jackson told Evans that only had 30 minutes to get ready, told him to remove his dirty hat
▪ Evans requested to keep it as it was his lucky charm, Jackson agreed.

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😊 For Easy-Hindi Explanation of This Chapter, You Can Search “CBSE Winners” on YouTube 😊

❖ 8:45 a.m. same Morning

▪ Stuart Mc lee, member of the church started coming towards the prison
▪ Wore a black overcoat, a clerical hat, carried a small brown suitcase Sealed question paper
❖ Exam was planned to begin at 9:15 a.m., two hours envelope, yellow supervisor
form, special permission
❖ Stephen sets up the prison
card, blunt knife to cut seal
▪ Brought two small tables, placed opp. to each other of paper, a Bible
▪ Brought two chairs, placed opp. to each other
▪ Placed a secret microphone but Evans noticed it, asked Jackson who would be hearing? Governor
▪ Evans questioned him that why to they think that he would run, Jackson replied that no one would
trust him, wished him luck before leaving
❖ Mc Lerry signed his name in the visitor’s book, followed the prison officer, joined Stephens
❖ Jackson ordered Stephens to remove the razor from the cell, told him to keep a close watch
❖ Evans was sitting quietly
❖ At 9:10 a.m., Governor switched on the microphone receiver, ordered Jackson to be careful as they had
installed a microphone in his cell, thought there is no way Evans could escape
❖ Governor was worried for Mc Lerry as there were chances that he could have brought some weapons
unknowingly and Evans could take advantage of it, called up at 9:12 and ordered to check the priest
❖ Jackson checks Mc Lerry, everything was fine but there was one thing in the suitcase which was confusing him
❖ It was a semi-inflated (half-filled) rubber ring, Mc Lerry informed that he was suffering from piles
❖ Jackson felt sorry, discovered paper knife in the suitcase, took it away
❖ At 9:18 a.m., Governor heard voices again, understood that exam will start a little late
❖ Mc Lerry said that he will tell Evans when to start and would inform him again when only 5 minutes will be
left, gave him instructions to write index number, centre number etc. Evans followed it quietly
❖ Evans interrupted and complained of not being able to concentrate because of Stephens continuously
watching him, Governor called Jackson and ordered him to get Stephens out of the cell
❖ At 9:25 a.m. Mc Lerry announced the beginning of the exam, there was a great peace
❖ At 9:40 a.m. the Assistant Secretary called up from the examination board to speak to the Governor
▪ He told the Governor that someone had not placed the correction slip in the examination package
▪ Tried to seek help from the Governor
▪ A line of thoughts came to the Governor’s mind about the call being fake
▪ Cross checked it by dialling the number of examination board, number was busy
▪ Governor redirected the call of the assistant secretary to Jackson
❖ He then received a call from Magistrate’s court
▪ There was a need of a prison van and some officer
▪ Governor thought it to be a fake call
▪ Then thought that he was thinking too much and his imagination is getting out of control
❖ Exam kept on going smoothly, Stephens kept on looking after every minute

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 😊 For Easy-Hindi Explanation of This Chapter, You Can Search “CBSE Winners” on YouTube 😊

❖ At 10:50 a.m. Governor found that he had almost forgotten about Evans.
❖ He heard Evans asking to wrap a blanket around his shoulder as it was cold, allowed
❖ At 10:51 a.m. Stephens opened the peep hole and was surprised to see Evans with the blanket, seemed
strange to him, thought of reporting to Jackson, but told himself that he should not overthink as there might
be cold inside
❖ At 11:20 a.m., Mc Lerry told Evans that only 5 minutes were left
❖ At 11:22 a.m. Jackson shouted to Stephens as the Governor wanted to speak to him
▪ Governor ordered him that it was his duty to accompany Mc Lerry to the main gate
▪ Ordered that Stephen had to be fully assured that Evan’s cell is properly locked
❖ At 11:25 a.m. Governor heard the final talks between Evans and Mc Lerry
▪ Mc Lerry asked Evans to stop writing, told him to arrange his sheets in order
▪ Evans said thank you to Mc Lerry, Mc Lerry asked about how his exam was, Evan replied that it was
not too bad
❖ Exam was over
❖ Stephen asked Mc Lerry did Evan’s exam go well, Mc Lerry said that he didn’t think so, his accent was a bit
different and his overcoat was reaching close to his knees

Mc Lerry exits

❖ Stephens felt very happy that the Governor had asked him, and not Jackson, to see Mc Lerry off
❖ Stephens wanted to have a last look at Evans
❖ Stephens looked inside Evan’s cell, he was shocked to see the situation inside, he cried and yelled.
❖ For few seconds he thought that it was Evans but later realised that it was Mc Lerry, hair soaked in blood
❖ Stephens shouted loudly to call Jackson, Mc Lerry screamed, cried out of pain, Jackson came, ordered
Stephens to call ambulance and police
❖ Injured Mc Lerry raised himself and told them that they should not worry about him as he is fine, asked for the
Governor as he knew where Evans had gone, Jackson and Stephens took him to Governor
❖ Injured Mc Lerry opened the German question paper, wanted to show something important to the Governor
❖ Governor noticed that a photocopied sheet was cleverly laid on the blank space of the question paper, it was
in German, Governor knew German, translated the text partly
❖ It was written on plan that
▪ Everything should go by the plan
▪ Had to do just 3 minutes before the exam ends
▪ Told to hit on Mc Lerry’s head
▪ Was warned for not overdoing his Scottish accent
❖ By this time, detective Carter came and saluted the Governor asked what the matter was, Injured Mc Lerry
interrupts in between, said that Evans had gone to Elsfield, was breathing heavily, Governor sent injured Mc
Lerry to hospital along with Carter

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 😊 For Easy-Hindi Explanation of This Chapter, You Can Search “CBSE Winners” on YouTube 😊

❖ Governor started reading the text again and discovered that it was a route towards the examination board
❖ Governor concluded that somebody from the examination board had helped him, scold Stephens and Jackson
❖ Stephen said that it was him who took Evans out (in form of Mc Lerry ) as he had received a call from
Governor, Governor denied, concluded that it was a fake call
❖ Governor scolded Jackson for being so confident. Scolded that they spent two hours in checking Evan’s cell
but even then, Evans was able to hide a false beard, spectacles and other stuff and also had a weapon to hit
Mc Lerry
❖ Finally, Governor decoded the place from the text, felt Evans was careless in leaving the question paper and
that he would be caught soon
❖ Detective Carter called Governor, told him that Mc Lerry had seen Evans in Elsfield, informed him that since
Injured Mc Lerry had grown very weak, they took him to examination office, and then called up the
ambulance
❖ Governor inquired about the injured person in hospital but found out that the ambulance went but came
empty as there was no one
❖ Governor did not speak anything, understood the whole truth.
❖ After a gap of 15 minutes, they found the real Reverend Mc Lerry who was tied up by two men at his own
house since 8:15 a.m.
❖ It was clear that the man who was taken to the prison door by Stephens was not Evans but Evans was the
one who stayed inside the cell and pretended to be injured Mc Lerry

-----Story moved up to Evans

❖ After having delicious food, Evans decided to go back to his hotel room, was wearing a new hat, recalled how
funny it was to wear a fake beard
❖ Evans unlocked his room, turned back and was shocked to see someone in his room. It was the Governor
❖ Evans looked around hopelessly, Governor told him that there is no use of it as he had his men all around
❖ Evans looked disturbed, said it was the correction slip he guessed, the Governor accepted and said that the
Governor knew some German
❖ Evans then relaxed over some time and explained that it was not an actual mistake as it was necessary for
them to know the exact time at which the paper started so that they could make a call exactly before the end
of the exam to make the Governor and other officers busy while making clear way for fake Mc Lerry
❖ Evans said that the correction slip gave him both the hotel name and the time of exam, it was like killing two
birds with one stone, Governor agreed.
❖ Evans then queried how did the Governor get to know that he was staying in which hotel as their were
hundreds of them, Governor said the index number 313 and centre number 271 were the six figure refernce
for the map
❖ Governor stood up and asked him where he got blood from, it was from the rubber ring Governor guessed,
Evans told him that they got pig blood easily from a meat shop

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 😊 For Easy-Hindi Explanation of This Chapter, You Can Search “CBSE Winners” on YouTube 😊

❖ Governor took Evans with him and walked down the stairs
❖ Governor asked him how he planned this as he had no visitors or letters for him, Evans replied that he had
many friends, also the German teacher was his friend, Governor was shocked
❖ The receptionist said that the van was ready. Both Evans and the receptionist winked at each other.
❖ Evans was chained by the prison officer and both climbed the van, Governor bid him farewell
❖ Soon the van turned right, the prison officer removed the handcuffs from Evans and asked the driver to drive
fast. The driver asked Evans where to go, HENCE,

AT LAST Evans was able to escape once again with the help of his friends who were now pretending to be the prison
officer and the driver.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------CHAPTER ENDS------------------------------------------------------------------

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