The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-17
the personality of the criminal"

| the personality of the criminal"
| But how did you gain them"
| You know my method. 1t is found
ed upon the observance of trifles"
| His height l know that you Nigh
roughly judge from the length of hi!
stride. His boots. too, might be TOLD
| from their traces"
Yes, they were peculiar boots"
But his Iameness? ?"
THE impression of his right foo
was always less distinct than his left
He put less weight upon it. Why
Because he limped-he was lame"
But his left-handedness."
you were yourself struck by the
nature of the injury as recorded by the
surgeon at the inquest. The blow was
struck from Immediately behind, and
yet was upon the left side. Now, how
can that be unless it were by a left
handed man? He had stood behind
that tree during the interview be-
tween the father and son. He had
even smoked there. / found the ash
of cigar. which my special knowl-
edge of tobacco ashes enabled me to
pronounce as an Indian cigar. L have,
as you know devoted some attention
to this, and written a little monograph
on the ashes of lao different varieties
OF pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco.
Having found the ash, / then looked
round and discovered the stump
among the moss where he had tossed
it. 1t was an Indian cigar, of the va
riety which are rolled in Rotterdam
and the cigar holder?'
II could see that the end had not
been in his mouth. Therefore he used
a holder. The tip had been cut off.
not bitten off. but the cut was not a
clean one, so | deduced a blunt pen
knife
Holmes" l said. you have drawn
a net round this man from which he
cannot escape, and you have saved an
innocent human life as truly as if you
had cut the cord which was hanging
him. [ see the direction in which all
this points. The culprit is
"Mr. John Turner" cried the hotel
waiter, opening the door of our sit
ting-room, and ushering in a visitor.
The man who entered was a strange
and impressive figure. His slow.
limping step and bowed shoulders
gave the appearance of decrepitude
and yet his hard, deep-lined, craggy
features, and his enormous limbs
showed that he was possessed OF I'M
usual strength of body and of char
acter. His tangled beard, grizzled
hair. and outstanding, dropping eye
brOwS combined to give an air of dig
nifty and power to his appearance, but
his face was of an ashen white while
his lips and the corners of his nostrils
were tinged with a shade of blue 1t
was clear to me at a glance that he
was in the grip of some deadly and
chronic disease.
pray sit down on the sofa,'' said
Holmes, gently. You had my note ?"
yes. the lodge-keeper brought it
up. You said that you wished to see
me here to avoid scandal"
81 thought people would talk if 1
went to the Hail."
and why did you wish to see me?"
He looked across at my companion
with despair in his weary eyes, as
though his question was already an
sWered
YES said Holmes, answering the
look rather than the words 1T is so.
l know all about Mccarthy"
The old man sank his face in his
hands. God help me-" he cried.
But l would not have let the young
man come to harm. l give you my
word l would have spoken out if it
went against him at the Assizes."
Il am glad to hear you say sc"