Well, the plot hole wasn't really even in existence. It's true: if you watch that first scene, you'd assume that was an empty room, where a broken old man spoke a final word, and died. But if you watch the whole movie, you see that, while that scene was spot-on perfect for setting a mood and an idea, you find that the butler heard the word and observed or inferred the dropping of the glass snow-globe. And people would talk, especially given that there's nothing scandalous to report.

If the butler hadn't said that, so clearly, then, yes, there could be debate over whether "anyone had heard his final words". But this wasn't even a need to infer "well, someone had". The flat out say in the movie "and I heard him say it again, just before he dropped the globe..." (close paraphrase).

Thanks for the link! I'll want to review it later. (And I'm pleased that I was self-aware enough to point out that it might be my lack of knowledge that failed to see surprising excellence in the movie!)