Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13

1uK, anu HIS NlSltS WcTc
WS welcome TO Sherlock
Holmes, for they enabled
him to keep in touch with all that was
going on at the police headquarters.
In return for the news which Lestrade
would bring. Holmes was always ready
to listen with attention to the details
Of any case upon which the detective
was engaged and was able occasion
ally without any active interference to
give some hint or suggestion drawn
from his own vast knowledge and ex.
perience.
On this particular evening Iestrade
had spoken Of the weather and the
newspapers Then he had fallen silent.
pu0ng thoughtfully Mt his cigar.
Holmes looked keenly at him.
Anything remark able on hand?' he
asked.
"oh, no, Mr.. Holmes-nothing very
particular"
'Then tell me about It."
Lestrade laughed.
"Well. Mr.. Holmes. there Is no use
denying that there is something on my
mind. And yet 1t Ia such an absurd
business that hesitated to bother you
about II. On the other hand, although
At IL trivial. II IL undoubtedly queer
ana Tknow that you have taste for
all that ls out Of the common. But. in
my opinion. It comes more in Or. Wat
sons line than ours"
"Dieease?" said I.
Madness. anyhow, and queer mad
60 fbipL <hapo
was, any one living at this time Of day
who had such hatred Of Napoleon I.
that he would break any image Of him
thatshe could see"
Holmes sank back in his chair.
"That's no business Of mime" said he.
Exactly. That's what I said But.
then. when the man commits burglary
in order to break images which are
not his own. that brings 1t away from
the doctor and on to the policeman"
Holmes sat up again.
Burglary! This Ia more interesting.
Let me hear the details"
LestSade took out his official note
book and refreshed his memory from
Its pages.
''rhe first case reported was four
days ago" said he. ut was at the
shop of Morse Hudson. who has a
place for the sale Of pictures and stat
ues in the Remington road. The as
sistant had left the trent shop for an
instant when he heard a crash, and
hurrying In. be found a plaster bust
Of Napoleon. which stood With several
other works of art upon the counter
lying shivcred into fragments lie
rushed out into the road; but although
several passersby declared that they
had noticed man run out of the shop
he could neither see any one nor could
he And any means OF identifying the
rascal. 1t seemed to be one of those
senseless acts Of Hooliganism which
occur from time to time. and It was re-
ported to the constable on the beat as
such. The plaster cast was not worth
more than a few shillings, and the
whole affair appeared to be too child.
fish for any particular investigation.
1.-THE second case however, was more
serio1s and also more singular. 1t oc.
Cured only Inst night.
I'm Remington road and within a
few hundred yards Of Morse Hudson's
chop there lives a we'll known medical
practitioner named DR.. Barnicot, who
has one Of the largest practices upon
the south side Of the Thames. His res
1dence and principal consulting room is
at Remington road. but he has n
branch surgery and dispensary at Low
er Brixton road. two miles away. This
DR.. Barnicot 10 an enthusiastic admir-
er Of Napoleon. and his house Is full
Of books. pictures and relics Of the
French emperor. Some little time ago
he purchased from Morse Hudson two
duplicate plaster casts Of the famous
head Of Napoleon by the French scuip-
tor Devine. One of these he placed in
road and the other on the mantelpiece
Of the surgery Mt Lower Brixton.
Well, when DR.. Barnicot came down
this morning he was astouished to find
that his house had been burgled dur
Ing the night. but that nothing had
been taken save the plaster head from
the hail. 1t had been carried out and
had been dashed savageiy against the
garden wall, under which its splinter.
ID fragments were discovered"
Holmes rubbed his hands.
This Is certainly very novel," said
he.
II thought 1t would please you. But
I have not got to the end yet. DR.. Bar
nicot was due at his surgery ut ~
O'Clock, and you can ina CINE his amaze
ment when on arriving there he found
that the window had been opened In
the night and that the broken pieces
OF his second bust were strewn all over
the room. 1t had been smashed ia
atoms where 1t stood. In neither case
were there any signs which could give
u clew as to the criminal or lunatie
who had done the mischief. Now. Mr.
Holmes. you have got the facts"
"They are singular. not to say gro
tssque." said Holmes. "May I ash
Whether the two busts smashed In DR.
Barnicet's rooms were the exact du
Dlicates Of the one which was destroy
Ped In Msrse Hudson's shopT
"They were taken from the same
nold."
"such a fact must tell against tn
khsory that the man who breaks them
70 influenced ,By any tsensral hatred
RezNsRslesa. a ess!e sllss Aew naa'