The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-12

strong that it was not necessary TO bring forward
all the facts. Only the end of nearly ten
years am allowed to supply those missing links
which make up the whole of that remarkable chain
The CRIME was of interest in itself but that interest
was as nothing TO me compared to the nconceivable
sequel. which afforded the greatest shock and
surprise of any event in my adventurous life Even
now. after this long interval find myself thrilling
as think OF 1t, and feeling once that sudden
mood 81 JOY amazement, and increduty which ut
terly submerged my mind Let say to that pub
he which has shown some interest in those glimpses
winch have occasionally given them of the
thoughts and actions of a very remarkable man.
that they are not to blame me if have not shared
my knowledge with them for [ should have CON
sidered 1T any first duty to have done so had not
been barred by positive prohibition from his own
bps which was only withdrawn upon the Sd of
last month
1t can be imagined that my close intimacy with
Sherlock Holmes had interested mo deeDlv in crime
and that alter has disappearance [ failed to
read with care the various problems which came
before the public. And / even attempted more
than once, for my private satisfaction, to en-
ploy ms methods III their solution, though with
ndInerent success. There was none however
which appealed me like this tragedy of Ronald
Adair. As | read the evidence at tbs inquest which
led up TO verdict of wilfuI 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 stranger business which
would, was sure, have specially appealed to him
and the efforts of the police would have been sup
plemented, or more probably anticipated by the
trained observation and the alert mind of the first
criminal agent in Europe. All day, as l drove upon
my round, L turned over the case in my mind and
found no explanation which appeared to me to be
adequate As the risk of telling a twice-toId tale
L Will recapituate the facts as they were known to
the public at the conclusion of the inquest
The Honorable Ronald Adar was the second
son of the Earl of Maynooth at that time GOV
ernOr of one of the Australian colonies Adairs
mother had returned from Australia to undergo
the operation for cataract and she her son Ronald
and her daughter Hilda were living together at 427
Park Lane. The youth moved in tho best society
had. so far was known no enemies and no par
ucular vices. He had been engaged TO Miss Edith
MoOdley of Carstairs, but the engagement had been
broken OF by mutual consent months before
and there was no sign that 1t had left any very
profound feeling behind it. For the rest the mans
life moved IN a narrow and conventional circle for
his habits quiet and his nature Unconditional
Yet 1t was upon this asygoing young aristocrat
that death came In most strange and unexpected
form, between the hours of 10 and II 20 on the
night of March 30 1894.
Ronald Adair fond of cards-paying con-
tinually, but never for such stakes as would hurt
him. He was a member OF the Baldwin the Caven-
dish, and the Bagatelle card clubs 1t was shown
that after dinner on the day of his death he had
played rubber of whist at the latter club He
had also played there IN the afternoon. The evil
dence of those who had played with hm-Nr Muir
ray, Sir John Hardy, and Colonel Moran-showed
that the game was whist, and that there was fairly
equal fall of the cards. Adair might have lost five
pounds, but not more. His fortune was a consil-
cradle one, and such a loss could not In any way
affect him. He had played nearly every day at one
club or other, but he a cautious player and
usually rose a winner. 1t came out in evidences
that, in partnership with Colonel Moran he had .
actually won much four hundred and twenty
pounds in a sitting, weeks before. from God
frey Miner and Lord Balmora- So much for his !
recent history as 1t came out at the inquest