Question: Sherlock Holmes miraculously survives a deadly fight with an opponent based on what real-life criminal?
Sentence (from "His Last Bow"): All editions contain a brief preface, by "John H. Watson, M.D.", that assures readers that as of the date of publication (1917), Holmes is long retired from his profession of detective but is still alive and well, albeit suffering from a touch of rheumatism.
Relevant evidence: No