The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1905-09-01

Il i. E tftAn ia llif NlfAih- III Auf
80 : Hear 1891 that all London
kMk q WIS Interested and the
49, - - fashionable world dis.
Ef7rsN mayed by the murder of
kS9a@2s the Hon Ronald Adair
under most unusual and
mex lieahle circumstances. The public
has already learned those particulars OF
the crime which came out in the police
investigation. but a good deal was sup
pressed uHan that occasion. since the
elise for tie prosecution was so over
whelnangly strong that it was not nee
eSsarY Ia bring forward all the facts.
Onlynow. nj tie end OF nearly ten years.
am ! allowed 10 supply those missing
links which make up the whole of that
remarkable chain. The crime was of in
tereSt In itself but that interest was
as nothing 10 me compared to the in
conceivable sequel. which afforded me
the greatest shock and surprise of any
event in my adventurous life. Even
how. after this long interval. | find my
self thrilling as | think of it and feel
ing once more that sudden food Of joy,
amazemeut and incredulity which ut
terly submerged my mind. Let me
say 10 that public. which has shown
some interest in those glimpSes which
| have occasionally given them OF the
thoughts and actions of a very remark
me if have not Shared my knowledge
with them. for I should have consider
ed X my first duty to have done so had
l not been barred by Il positive prohi-
btion from his own lips, which was
only withdrawn upon the 81 OF last
month.
II can be imagined that my close in
timaey with Sherlock Holmes had in
terested me deeply in crime and that
after his disappearance | never failed
To read with care the various problems
which came before the public. And
even attempted more than once for my
OWL 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
read the evidence mt the inquest. which
against some person or persons i'm
known. | realized more clearly than |
had ever done the loss which the com
munitv had sustained 10y the death Of
Sherlock Holmes.
There We're points about this strange
business which would. was sure. have
specially appealed to him. and the eff
forts of the police would have been
supplemented or more probably antici-
pated by the trained observation and
The alert mind of the first criminal
agent in Europe All day as | drove
upon my round | turned over the case
in NY mind and found no explanation
which appeared II me to he adequate.
At the risk Of telling twice told tale
I viii reeapltulate the facts as they
We're 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 dlda were
living together at 427 Park lane. The
youth moved in the best socety-had.
so far as was known. no enemies and
no particular vices He had been Ell
gagged TO Miss Edith Woodley OF Car
stairs, hut the engagement had been
broken or by mutual consent some
months before. and there was no sign
that it had left any very profound feel
Ing behind H. For the rest the mans
life moved in a narrow and convention
al circle. for his habits were quiet and
his nature Unconditional Yet II 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 30.
1891.
Ronald Adalr was fond of cards, play
ing continually. but never for such
stakes As would hurt him. He was a
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 a 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 a fairly
equal fall of the cards. Adair might
have lost e., but not more. His for
tune was a considerable one. and such
a loss could not in any way affect him
He had played nearly every day at Que
club or other. but he was cautious
player and usually rose a winner. II
came out in evidence that in partner
ship with Colonel Moran he had actu-
ally won as much as f42G in sitting
some weeks before from Godfrey Mil
ner and Lord Balmoral. So much for
his recent history as it came out at the
inquest.
On the evening OF the crime he re-