The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-07-05

(cotyy'shi, 1905. BY Mcclure, Phillips q Coz
TH- T was in the spring of the
NII year 1894 that all London
XX was interested and the
VIZ fashionable world dis
vGMM&AY mayed by the murder Of
SoN@&y the Hon. Ronald Adair
under most unusual and
inexplicable circumstances. The public
has already learned those particulars Of
the crime which came out in the police
investigation. but good deal was sup
pressed upon that occasion, since the
case for the prosecution was so over
whelmingly strong that it was not nee
essary to bring forward all the facts
Only now, at 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 tn
terest in itself. but that interest was
as nothing TO me compared to the in
conceivable sequel, which afforded me
the greatest shock and surprise of any
event in my adventurous life. Even
now, after this long interval, find my
self thrilling as l think of it and feel
ing once more that sudden flood of Joy,
amazement and incmdulity which ut
terly submerged my mind. Let me
say to that public, which has shown
some interest in those glimpses which
have occasionally given them of the
thoughts and actions of very remark
able man, that they are not to blame
me If have not shared my knowledge
With them, for | should have consider
ed 1T my first duty to have done so had
not been barred by positive prohi-
I o'ittf6h FROM his own lips, which was
Aonly withdrawn upon the Sd Of last
Nonth.
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 satisfaction 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 I
read the evidence at the inquest, which
led up to verdict Of willful murder
against some person or persons I'M
known, l realized more clearly than I
had ever done the loss which the COM
munity had sustained by the death OF
Sherlock Holmes.
There were points about this strange
business which would, was sure, have
specially appealed to him. and the ef-
forts Of the police would have been
supplemented or more probably antlci-
pated by the trained observation and
the alert mind Of the first criminal
agent in Europe. All day as 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 twice told tale
l will recapitulate the facts as they
were known to the public at the con-
clusion Of the inquest.
The Hon. Ronald Adair was the Sec
ond son Of the Earl Of Maynooth, at
that time governor Of one Of the Aus
tralian colonies. Adair's 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 I'm the best sOciety-had,
SO far as was known. no enemies and
no particular vices. He had been en-
gagged to Miss Edith Woodley Of Car
stairs, but the engagement had been
broken Off by mutual consent some
months before, and there was no sign
that 1t had left any very profound feel
ing behind it. For the rest the mans
life moved in narrow and convention
al circle, for his habits were quiet and
his nature Unconditional. Yet 1t was up
on this easy going young aristocrat that
death came in most strange and unex-
pected form between the hours Of 10
and 1920 on the night of March 80,
1894
Ronald Adair was fond of cards, play
ing continually, but never for such
stakes as would hurt him. He was
member of the Baldwin, the Cavendish
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
evidence Of those who had played with
him-Mr. Murray, Sir John Hardy and
Colonel Moran-showed that the game
was whist and that there was fairly