The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-13


That's what was dom of Thursday
afternoon" said she, triumphantly.
Then you know nothing of Mrs. Har-
ris dog?", asked the reporter.
Mrs. Harris never had no dog said
Mrs. Camp, for the very good reason
that there wasn't no Mrs. Harris to have
no dog"
Miss Trotwood was a different propo-
sition, but what she said points to the
same conclusion.
I never knew any Mrs. Harris, any
Mrs. Camp, or any three-headed dog, nor
any Mr.. Shylock Homes. I've never been
to town. just live here, and raise rhu-
paro, and punkins, and morning glories.''
Where We're you last Thursday after
noon?' persisted tine reporter.
Home-in bed with a eadache-trying
to read the Confessions Of Mary Mac
Baskertchief,' she replied.
And you never saw shylock Homes?''
asked the reporter.
Who's she?' demanded Miss Betsy
Trotwood. Never heard Of him. what's
he do?''
The sincerity Of both ladies was evident
No one could doubt, after seeing them
that they were not and could not have
been mixed up in this affair. Still the re-
porter ventured =.
"You know the case of Mrs. Harris
dog
Never heard of Mrs. Harris, or her
dog, either, as I have already told you,''
she retorted. ''Is there Mrs. Harris,
and has she dog?"
There was no need to pursue the ques-
ton further and the reporter left It
was evident that Mr.. Homes callers were
spurious.
Yet the question remained unanswered
what had become of the great detec-
i've! More than ever was his disappear
ance regretted, for here was a problem
winch his own genius would be taxed to
soive. Where was he, and who were the
old ladies who had impersonated Mrs.
camp and the estimable Miss Trotwood?
The mystery is still unsolved, but it is
interesting in this connection to note the
extras Of the Friday night newspapers.
Cerberus Died Suddenly This Morning.
said they. An Autopsy VIII Be Held
This Afternoon to Ascertain the Causes
The famous canine guardian Of the en-
trance Ito Hades, after centuries of serv-
ice, had Individually passed away, and ap-
parentiy from an acute attack of indiges-
ton. The latter impression, however, was
corrected later for the autopsy. which was
conducted the following morning by a
number of the most astute doctors Of the
Stygian country, revealed embedded in
the huge creatures vermiform appendix
no less y object than pair of solid gold
link lseeve buttons, upon which was en-
graVed monogram containing the two
letters 'S and H. One stands aghast
with horror at the suggestion which in
evitably follows such a discovery. Mr..
Homes disappears in company with two
old ladies subsequently shown to be i'm
posters, in search of the alleged lost dog
OF mythical person, description Of which
animal Is precisely the description Of the
ravenous beast who, within twelve hours,
is found dead with the cuff buttons Of the
missing man secreted in his vermiform ap-
nan6iy The logic Of the situation rninfS
| unswervingly to the theory that Mr..
Homes fell unwittingly into the hands of
his enemies-enemies who purposely laid
a trap by which he should meet Ilor-
riblea end-that of being devoured by
beast Of more than ordinary ferocity. The
conclusion seems to be that he followed
such clues as the fictitious Mrs. Camp
and Miss Trotwood had given him, and
with unerring accuracy developed them
| until they brought him into the presence
Of Cerberus himself by whom he was in
stantly slain and devoured. That he car
ried with him the instruments of ven
geance upon the dog himself was retri-
button Of proper sort, and a swift enough
revenge to please Homes friends in SO
far as it visited punishment upon his i'm
mediate slayer; but what Of the two old
! ladies'? Who are they, and how can they
be punished for their undoubted compiled
ty in the crime?
That is the question which is now agi-
| tating all hades, and it gives the Gazette
! great pleasure to announce that the firm
i Of 'Hawkshaw & LIE Coz have taken it in
! hand. These gentlemen have offered to-
serve without pay, which is very generous
considering the rivalry to which they were
subjected Mr.. Homes during his lifetime.
| Meanwhile Wen must await the issue
! with patience, -
observation-disclosures. Hawkshaw & lie
! Coo have discovered, upon the left bank
| of the River Styx, the discarded DISCUSSES
| of Mrs. Camp and Miss Trotwood, but
have decided to withdraw from any fur
! ther pursuit of the problem, since there
are no marks upon the DISCUSSES by which
| their wearers may be identified.
| Hence it is probable that the mystery
| as to the identity of sherlock Holmes
1 murderers will never be disclosed and
/ Cerberus, to be erected over the grave
| Of the latter, will be all that in the ages
| to come will exist to" keep alive the
| memory of the greatest detective of all
| time.
EDITORS POSTSCRIPT.
| Shocked and horrihed by this awful story Of
Homes fate, have repeatedly tried. during the
! last twenty four hours to radate steam-heated
message back to Hades and to Boswell. but in
| some mysterious fashion the connection has been
| cut of. I have a dreadful suspicion that I
know who the impersonators Of the two old
ladies were, and have even contemplated sui
eide in order to reach Cimmeria in time to in
| stitute an inquiry as to the whereabouts Of Non
sieur LIE Coz and Samuel Hawkshaw that ILL
fated Thursday afternoon. There is strong evil
dence in Homes stories already published in this
series Of his conflicts with these men to establish
+ a motive, and the finding Of the Camp and Trot-
woodian garments on the banks of the Styx by
these worthless, coupled with their instant aban-
Comment Of the case, strikes me highly sus-
picious circumstance.
But how to get my suspicious to Hades:
That is the question which is now agitating
my mind. and shall be grateful to any reader
of these papers friend of theirs who can help
me to solve the problem. j. X. 3.