Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-05-02

and highest court of appeal in detec- |
ton. When Gregson or Lestrade or
Athelney Jones are out of their depths
which, by the way, is their normal
state-the matter is laid before me. I
examine the data, as an expert, and pro-
nounce specialists opinion. I claim
no credit in such cases. My name fig
ures in no newspaper. The work itself,
the pleasure of finding a field for my
peculiar powers, is my highest reward.
But you have yourself had some expert
ence of my methods of work in the
jefferson Hope case"
eyes, indeed said 7, cordially. SCI
was never so struck by anything in my
life. even embodied it in a small
brochure with the somewhat fantastic
title of "A Study in Scarlet"
He shook his head sadly. "Iglanced
over it," said he. Honestly, cannot
congratulate you upon it. Detection
| is. or ought to be, an exact science, and
should be treated in the same cold and
Unconditional manner. You have at
| tempted to tinge it with romanticism,
| which produces much the same effect
as if you worked a love story or an
elopement into the fifth proposition of
| Euclid
''But the romance was there" I re-
monstrated. 81 could not tamper with
the facts
''Some facts should be suppressed, or
at least a just sense of proportion
| should be observed in treating them.
| The only point in the case which de-
served mention was the curious ana
lytica1 reasoning from effects to causes
| by which 1 succeeded in unraveling it.
was annoyed at this criticism of a
work which had been specially de-
signed to please him. confess, too,
that I was irritated by the egotism
which seemed to demand that every
line of my pamphlet should be devoted
to his own special doings. More than
once during the years that had lived
with him in Baker street I had OBJ
served that a small vanity underlay my
companions quiet and didactic manner.
I made no remark, however, but sat
nursing my wounded leg. had had
Jezail bullet through it sometime be-
fore, and though it did not prevent me
from walking, it ached YEARLY at
every change of the weather.
''My practice has extended recently
to the continent" said Holmes, after
awhile, filing up his old brier-root
pipe ST was consulted last week by
ably know, has come rather to the
front lately in the French detective
service. He has all the Celtic power of
quick intuition, but he is deficient in
the wide range of exact knowledge
which is essential to the higher devel-
opments of his art. The case was con-
cerned with a WILL and possessed some
features of interest. I was able to re-
fer him to two parallel cases, the one
at Riga in 1857, and the other at St.
Louis in 1871, which have suggested to
him the true solution. Here is the let
ter which had this morning, acknowl-
edging my assistance" He tossed over,
: as he spoke, a crumpled sheet Of for
eign notepaper. 1 glanced my eyes
down it, catching a profusion of notes
Of admiration, with stray ''magni-
fques," ''coup de mattress and ''tours
de force" all testifying to the ardent
admiration of the Frenchman.
''He speaks as pupil to his master
said I.
'Oh, he rates my assistance too high
1y,'' said Sherlock Holmes, lightly.
HE has considerable gifts himself. He
possesses two out of the three quail
ties necessary for the ideal detective.
He has the power of observation and
that of deduction. He is only wanting
in knowledge; and that may come in
time. He is now translating my small
works into French"
your works."
'Oh, didn't you know?" he cried
laughing. Eyes, have been guilty OF
several monographs. They are al
upon technical subjects. Here, for ex
ample, is one Upon the Distinction Be
t tween the Ashes of the Various Tobac
S Goes In it I enumerate a hundred
: and forty forms of cigar, cigarette and
: pipe tobacco, with colored plates illus
trating the difference in the ash. Il
e is point which is continually turning
: up in criminal trials, and which i:
e sometimes of supreme Importance as {
a clew. If you can say definitely, for ex-
ample, that some murder has beer
: done by man who was smoking ar
e Indian 1unlzah, it obviously narrows
e your field of search. To the trained
e eye there is as much difference be
+ tween the black ash of TrichinopolJ
h and the white fluff of bird's-eye as Their,
e is between a cabbage and q potato"
T You have an extraordinary genius
e for minutise," remarked.
! ST appreciate their Importance. Here
y is my monograph upon the tracing o
footsteps, with some remarks upon tn