Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-03-02
bY "a CONAN DoYhD

OF blood" he said.
''T.-ct vas it, said Lestrade, in an
awe-strucl1 voice; and we were all si-
lent for awhile.
There was something so methodical
and so incomprehensible about the
deeds of this unknown assassin, that
IL impaired fresh ghastliness to his
crimes. My nerves, which were steady
enough on the field of battle, tingled
as / thought OF it.
The man was seem" continued Les
trade. "a milk-boy, passing on his
way to the dairy, happened TO walk
down the lane which leads from
the news at the back of the hotel
he noticed that ladder, which usu-
ally lay there, was raised against one
of the windows of the second floor,
which was wide open. After passing,
he looked back and saw man de-
scend the ladder. He came down so
quietly and openly that the boy i'm
agined him TO be some carpenter or
Joiner at work in the hotel. He took
no particular notice of him, beyond
thinking in his mind that it was
an impression that the man was tall,
had a reddish face, and was dressed
in a long, brownish coat He must
have stayed in the room some little
time after the murder, for we found
blood-stained water in the basin,
where he had washed his hands, and
marks on the sheet where he had de-
hberately wiped his knife"
Iglanced at Holmes on hearing the
description of the murderer, which tai
lied so exactly with his own. There
was, however, no trace of exultation or
satisfaction upon his face.
Did you find nothing in the room
which coMd furnish a clew to the
murderer" he asked.
Nothing, Stangerson had Dreb-
ber's purse in his pocket, but it seems
that this was usual. as he did all the
paying There was eighty-odd pounds
in it, but nothing had been taken.
Whatever the motives of these extraor-
dinary crimes, robbery is certainly not
one of them. There were no papers or
memoranda in the murdered mans
pocket, except a single telegram, dated
from Cleveland about a month ago,
and containing the words: j. II. is in
Europe There was no name appended
to this message"
And there was nothing else?"
Holmes asked.
Nothing of any Importance. The
mans novel, with which he had read
himself to sleep, was lying upon the
bed and his pipe was on chair beside
him. There was a glass of water on
the table, and on the window-sill a
small chip ointment-box containing a
couple of pills"
Sherlock Holmes sprang from his
chair with an exclamation of delight.
"The last link" he cried, exultantly.
''iIy case is complete"
The two detectives stared at him in
amazement.
81 have now in my hands," my COM
panion said, confidently, "au the
threads which have formed such a
tangle. There are, of course. details
to be filed in, but | am as certain of
all the main facts, from the time that
Drebber parted from Stangerson at
the station up to the discovery of the
body of the latter, as if | had seen
them with my own eyes will give
you proof of my knowledge. Could
you lay your hand upon those pills?"
81 have them" said Lestrade, pro-
ducing a small white box. II took
them and the purse and the telegram,
intending to have them put in place
of safety at the police station. 1t was
the merest chance, my taking these
pills, for | am bound to say that | do
not attach any Importance to them"
''Give them here" said Holmes.
''Now, DOCTOR" turning to me, ARE
those ordinary pills?"
They certainly were not. They
were of pearly gray color, small,
round and almost transparent against
the light. From their lightness and
transparency l should imagine that
they are soluble in water" | remarked.
Precisely So" answered Holmes.
"Now, would yo,- mind going down
and fetching that poor little devil of a
terrier which has been bad so long,
and which the landlady wanted you to
put out of its pain yesterday"
l went downstairs and carried the
dog upstairs in my arms. It's labored