The San Francisco call., 1905-03-05

fCol,vrisht 1909. BY A. Conan Doyle and Col
lier's Weekly.)
Copyright 1905, by Mcclure, Phillips 4 Coz
7 was in the spring OF the year 1884
that all London was interested, and
the fashionable world dismayed, by
the murder of the Hon. Ronald
Adair under most unusual and in
explicable circumstances. The public
has already learned those particulars
Of the crime which came out in the po-
lice Investigation. but good deal ives
suppressed 1pon that occasion, since
the case for the prosecution was so
Overwhelmingly strong that it was not
necessary to bring forward all the
facts. Only now, at the end # nearly.
ten years, am I allowed to supply those
missing links which make up the whole
OF that remarkable chain. The crime
was OF interest in itself, but that in
terest was as nothing to be compared
TO the inconceivable sequel, which af-
forded me the greatest shock and sur
prise OF any event in my adventurous
life. Even now, after this long inter
val I find myself thrilling as 1 think
Of il, and feeling once more that sud-
den food of JOY, amazement and in
credulity which utterly submerged my
mind. Let me say to that public,
which has shown some interest in
those glimpses which I have occasion
ally given them OF the thoughts and
actions Of a very remarkable man,
that they are not to blame me If 1
have not shared my knowledge with
them. for / should have considered it
+, u. 7
been barred by a positive prohibition
from his own lips, which was only
Withdrawn upon the third Of last
month.
1t can be imagined that my close in
timacy with Sherlock Holmes had in
terested me deeply in crime, and that
after his disappearance I never failed
TO read with care the various problems
which came before the public And
even attempted, more than once, for
my own private satisfac ction, to employ
his methods in their solution. though
with Indifferent success. There was
none, however, which appealed TO me
like this tragedy Of Ronald Adair. As
1 read the evidence at the inquest.
which led uD 10 a verdict OF wilIful
murder against some person or persons
unknown, realized more clearly than
/ had ever done the loss which the
community had sustained by the death
Of Sherlock Holmes. There were
points about this strange business
which NO aid. was sure, have special
ly appealed to him, and the efforts Of
the police would have been supple
mented, or more probably anticipated.
by the trained observation and the
alert mind Of the first criminal agent
IN Europe. All day, as I drove upon
my round, I turned over the case in
my mind, and found no explanation
which appeared TO me TO be adequate
At the risk Of telling a twice-told tale
1 will recaDitulate the facts as they
were known to the public at the con-
clusion Of the inquest.
The Hon. Ronald Adair was ffhe seq
ond son OF the Earl of Maynooth. at
that time Governor Of one of the Aus
trallan colonies Adair's mother had
returned from Australia to undergo
the operation for cataract. and she. her
son Ronald and her daughter Hid
were living together at 427 Park Lane.
The youth moved in the best So
ciety-had, so FAR as was known.
vices. He had been engaged TO
Miss Edith Woodley of Carstairs. but
the enga cement had been broken Off bv
mutual consent some months before
and there was no sign that it had left
any very profound feeling behind IT.
or the rest the mans life moved
IN a narrow and conventional circle.
for his habits were quiet and his ma
ture Unconditional Yet il was upon this
.essy-gOing young aristocrat that death
came, in most strange and unexpected
form, between the hours OF ten and
eleven-twenty on the night OF March
30, 1894.
Ronald Adair was fond OF cards
playing continually, but never for such
stakes as would nurt him. He was a
member OF the Baldwin. the Cayen-
dish, and the Bagatelle card clubs. 1t
was shown that, after, dinner on the