The San Francisco call., 1905-03-12


only stopping once between Norwood
and London Bridge"
Lestrade began to laugh.
You are too many for me when you
begin to get on your theories, Mr..
Holmes" said he. How does this bear
on the case?"
We'll. IL corroborates the young
mans story to the extent that the will
was drawn UP by Jonas Oldacre in his
journey yesterday. It is curious-is it
not?-that a man should draw up so
important a document in so haphazard
fashion. 1t suggests that he did not
think It was going to be Of much prae-
tical Importance. II man drew UP
will which he did not intend ever to be
effective, he might do it So
"Wen. he drew up his own death
warrant at the same time said Le-
strade.
"Oh, you think so?"
> Don't you?''
well. it is quite possible, but the
case is not clear to me vet"
Not clear? Well, If that isn't clear,
nsL corld be clear? Here is a young
~ who learns suddenly that, if d
cer,s IA an dies, he will succeed
10 a 10. * What does he do? He
ys~ffoila8 T. any one, but he ar
ges tia he shall go cut on some
NT5retext t. see his client that night. He
waits VI Il the only other person in
the houSe is ia bed. and then in the sol
uEe az the maa's room he murders
lllE. hbrns his body in the woodpile
and 5.parts to neighboring hotel.
~. ~ ,.s-
on the stick are very slight. 1t is prob
able that he imagined his crime to be
a bloodless one. and hoped that if
the body were consumed it would hide
all traces Of the method Of his death
traces which. for some reason. must
have pointed to him. Is not all this
obvious?"
1T strikes me, M good Lestrade, as
being just a trihe too obvious" said
Holmes. You do not add imagination
10 your other great qualities, but if
you could for one moment put your
self in the place of this young man
would you choose the very night after
the will had been made TO commit your
crime? Would it not seem dangerous
TO you TO make so very close relation
between the two Incidents? Again,
would you choose an occasion when
you are known TO be in the house,
when a servant has let you in? And,
finally. would you take the great pains
TO conceal the body, and yet leave your
own stick as a sign that you were the
criminal? Confess. Lestrade. that all
this is very unlikely"
'As TO the stick, Mr.. Holmes, you
I 4,
often fiurried. and does such things.
which cool man would avoid He
was very likely afraid 20 go back TO
the room Give me another theory that
would fit the facts"
i could very easily give you half a
dozen" SAID Holmes. Here. for ex-
ample. is 2 very possible and even
probable one. I make YOU free pres
ent Of it. The older man is showing
documents which are of evident value.
A passing tramp sees them through the
window. the blind of which is only
half down. Exit the solicitor Enter
the tramp he seizes a stick, which
he observes there, kills Oldacre, and
departs after burning the body"
why should the tramp burn the
body?"
For the matter of that. why should
McFarlane 2''t
ITO hide some evidence"
Possibly the tramp wanted to hide
that any murder at all had been COM
mitted."
"Ane why did the tramp take
nothing?''
Because they were papers that he
could not negotiate"
Lestrade shook his head. though il
seemed n me that his manner was
less absolutely assured than before.
We'll. Mr.. Sherlock Holmes, you
may look for your tramp, and while
you are finding him we will hold on
10 our man. The future will show
which is right. Just notice this point,
Mr.. Holmes: that so far as we know
none Of the papers were removed,
and that the prisoner is the one man
IN the world who had no reason for
removing them, since he was heir-at-
law and would come into them in any
case
MY friend seemed struck by this re-
mark
II d MT mean to deny that the evil
dence is in some ways very strongly
in favor of your theory" said he. Il
only wish 10 point out that there are
other theories possible. AS you say,
the future will decide. Good morn
ing! I dare say that in the course of
the day I shall drop in at Norwood
and see how you are getting on
When the detective departed my
friend rose and made his preparations
for the days work with the alert air
. Of man who has a congenia, task be-
fore him.
my first movement. Watson" said
he, as he hustled into his frock coat,
must. as I said be in the direction of
Blackheath."
And why not Norwood ?"
Because we have in this case one
singular incident coming close to the
heels Of another singular incident.
The police are making the mistake of
concentrating their attention upon the
second, because it happens to be the
one which is actually criminal But
st is evident to me that the logical
way to approach the case is TO begin