The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-04-09
THE NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES.
She Great detective Probes the Coldslnw
Robbery.

KObbcry-
For the nonce Holmes was sighting
his cocaine and was joyously jabbing him,
self with morphine-his favorite 20 Dor
cent sont'on-when knock came at tho
door. 1t was our landlady with the ;ele.
gram. Holmes opened 1t and read it care
fully.
H'm," he said. what do you think
Of this, Watsonf"
picked it up. "Como at once. We
need you 7a Chinchbugge place, S. W.,
l rond
marked
Just So" said Holmes. Call cab. "
we were soon ut the address given, 70
Chinchbugec place being tho town house
Of the dowagor Countess of Coldslaw II
was an old fashioned mansion, somewhat
weather beaten. Tho old hat stuffed in
Tho broken PIANO in the drawing room gave
the place an mir OF unstudicd artistic neg.
llgencc which We both remarked mt the
time
Athelney Jones met us at the door He
wore n troubled expression. Here's a
pretty go, gentlemen" was his greeting.
A forciblc entrance has been made TO
Lady Coldslaw's boudoir, and the famous
Coldslaw diamonds are stolen"
Without word Holmes drew out his
pocket lens and examined the atmosphere.
The whole thing wears an air of lnys-
terry, " no said quietly.
We than entered the house Lady Cold
slaw was completely Frustrated and could
not be seen. We went ut once TO tho scene
OF tho robbery. There WINS no sign of any
thing unusual in the bouduir, except that
tho windows ana furniture had been
smashed and tho pictures had been re-
rfan. -nHf rn,, = H.,
been made by tho thief to stcnl the wall
paper also. However, he had not succeed
ed. 1t had rainod the night before, and
muddy footprints led us to tho escritoirc
from which tho jewels lad been taken
| a heavy smell of stale cigar smoke hung
over the room. Aside from those hardly
| noticeable details, the despoilor had left no
trace OF his presence. In an instant Sher-
| lock Holmes was down on his knees, ex-
| aiming tho footprints with stcthoscopc.
III mr. he said. so you can make moth
Ing out of this, Jones:" NO. sir" an
swered tho detective, but l hope to.
There's big reward"
It's all very simple my good fellow"
said Holmes. The robbery WAS commit
ted at 3 o clock this morning by a short.
stout middle aged hcnpcckcd man with
cast In his eye. His name is Smythe,
1880
Jones fairly gnspcd. WHAT Major
Snythc, one of tho highest thought OF aud
richest mon in the city,"
Tho same"
In half an hour we We're at Smytho's
bedside. Despite his protestations, lie was
pinioncd and driven to prison.
For heavens sake. Holmes" said l
when we returned TO our rooms, chow did
you solve the problem 30 quickly"
"Oh, it's cnsy, dead easy" said he. GAS
soon ms we entered tho room noticed the
cigar smoke. 1t was cigar smoke from {.
cigar that had been given husband by
his wife. ! could tell that, for l have
| made study OF cigar smoke. Any other
but hcnpcckod man throws such cigars
away. Then I could tell by the footprints
that the man had had appendicitis Now,
no ono bat members OF the Four Hundred
have that. Who, then, was henpcckcd in
the Four Hundred and had had appen.
dicitia recently? Why. Major Smythe. Of
course. Ho is middle aged stout and has
cast in his eye
could not help but admire my cornpan-
Ions reasoning ana told him So well. 4"
he said, lit is very simple IL you know
how"
Thus ended tho Coldslaw robbery, so far
rs wc We're concerned
1t may be rs we'll TO add, however that
Jones arrant jealousy caused him to rc-
sort to the lowest trickcry to throw dis.
credit upon tho discovery Of my gifted
friend. He allowed Major Slnythe to
prove most conclusive alibi and then
meaniy arrested notorious burglar as tho
thief on the ilimsicst proof and convicted
him. This burglar had been caught while
trying 10 pawn some diamonds that seem
ed to be portion OF tho plumber taken
from ~ Chinchbuggo place.
OF course Jones got all tie credit
showed the newspaper accounts to Holmes.
lie only laughed and said: You SEQ how
1t is, Watson. Scotland Yard, MS usual,
gets the glory" As l perceived he was
going to play Sweet Marie" on his vlo-
lin reached for tho morphine myself
Minneapolis journal.
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