The Press., 1895-04-25
,The only unofficial oonsulti

highest court of appeal i'll detection When Gregson and Lestrade and Athelney Jones are out of their depths, which, by the way, is their normal state, the matter is laid before me l examine the data as an ex pert and pronounce a specialists opinion I claim no credit in such cases My name figures in no newspaper The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my pc culiar powers. is my highest reward But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case
 Yes indeed, said cordially II was never so struck by anything in my life. l even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of A Study In Scarlet '
 He shook his head sadly II glanced over it," sald he Honestly l cannot congratulate you upon it Detection is or ought to be an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemo- tional manner You have attempted to tinge 1t with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked 8 love story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid '
 " But the romance was there '' remon strated II could not tamper with the facts.
 Some facts should be suppressed, or at least just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which l succeeded in unraveling it
 was annoyed at this criticism of work which had been specially designed to please him l confess too, that l was lr ritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special do ings More than once during the years that had lived with him in Baker street l had observed that small vanity under lay my companions quiet and didactic manner l made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg l had had Jezail bullet through it some time be fore, and though it did not prevent me from walking it ached wearily at every change of the weather
 My practice has extended recently to the continent, " said Holmes after awhile, filling up his old brier root pipe II was | consulted last week by Francois le Vii lard who you probably 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 def cient in the wide range of exact knowl edge essential to the higher develop ments of his art. The case was concerned with will and possessed some features of interest l was able to refer 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 tho letter which l had this morn ing acknowledging my assistance" He tossed over as he spoke crumpled sheet of foreign note paper. l glanced my eyes down it, catching profusiOn of notes of admiration, with stray magnifques, coup de maitres and tours de force, all testify ing to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman
 He speaks as pupil to his master, said
 "Oh, he rates my assistance too highly" said Sherlock Holmes lightly He has considerable gifts himself He possesses two out of the three qualities 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 Yes, have been guilty of several monographs They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one Upon the Distinction Between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccos ' In it enumerate l4O forms of cigar, cigarette and pipe tobacco, with colored plates illus trating tho difference ill the ash. It is a point which in continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is sometimes of supreme importance as clew If you eau Say definitely, for example, that some murder has been done by man who was smoking an Indian lunkah, it obviously R-Jl DU trained eye there is as much difference be, tween the black ash of TrichinopOly and the white fluff of birds eye as there Is between cabbage and potato "
 You have an extraordinary genius for minutiSe, '' l remarked.
 II appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of paris as a preserver of impresses Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon 1 the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of skaters, sailors cork cutters, compositions, weavers and diamond polish CTS That is a matter of great practical interest to tine scientific detective, especial ly ill cases of unclaimed bodies or in dis, covering the antecedents of criminals But weary you with my hobby''
 Not at all, . answered earnestly It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since have had the opportunity of ob, serving your practical application of it But you spoke just now of observation and deduction Surely the one to some extent implies the other'
 "Why, hardly" he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his armchair and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore street postof1ice this morning, but dcduc- tiOn lets mo know that when there you dispatched telegram.
 "Right," said "Right OH both points But confess that don see how you ar rived at it It was a sudden impulse upon my part and have mentioned it to no one.
 Ut is simplicity itself," he remarked, chuckling at my surprise, 'so absurdly simple that an explanation is superauous, and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Observa tion tells me that you have a little red dish mold adhcring to your instcp Just opposite the Seymour street office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth, which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid trCading in it in entering The earth is of that peculiar reddish tint which is found, as far as know, nowhere else in the neighborhood So much is observation The rest is de, duCtion i"
 "How, then, did you deduce the tele gram?"
 ''Why, of course l knew that you had not written letter, since l sat opposite to you all morning. l see also in your open desk there that you have sheet of stamps and thick bundle of postcards What could you go into the postoffice for then but to send a wireH Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth
 1 ''In this case it certainly is so, re piled after little thought. ''The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest Ll