Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-10-20

& N Noo hO NCly uAuSuul
.MN thing for Mr.. Lestrade
|Iu of Scotland Yard to look
2@Ssk in upon us Of an even
16aMSaNG ing, and his visits were
|5QW9gE 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
perlence.
On this particular evening Lestrade
had spoken of the weather and the
newspapers. Then he had fallen silent,
putting thoughtfully at his cigar.
Holmes looked keenly at him.
Anything remarkable on handT' he
asked.
ooh, 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 it Is such an absurd
business that hesitated to bother you
about 1t. On the other hand, although
it is trivial, 1t is undoubtedly queer,
and know that you have taste for
all that is out of the common. But, In
my opinion, 1t comes more in DR.. Wat
sons line than ours"
"DiseaseY said I.
Madness, anyhow, and queer mad
ness too. You wouldn't think there
was any one living at this time Of day
who had such hatred Of Napoleon I.
that>he would break any image of him
that he could see."
Holmes sank back in his chair.
sThat's no business of mine," 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.
Let me- Hear t Teia Ia wara interesting
i Le ssgsssl took ""f his "'he'f! rfoa
"The first case reported was fou,
days ago." said he. ut was at thu
shop Of Morse Hudson, who has 8
place for the sale Of pictures and stat
ues in the Remington road. The as
sistant had left the front shop for an
instant when he heard a crash. and
hurrying in, he found plaster bust
OF Napoleon, which stood with several
other works of art upon the counter,
lying shivered into fragments. He
rushed out into the road; but, although
several passersby declared that thew
had noticed a man run out of the shop.
he could neither see any one nor could
he find 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
1sh for any particular investigation.
The second case, however, was more
serious and also more singular. It &C.
CURED only last night
In Remington road and within a
few hundred yards Of Morse Hudson's
shop there lives a well 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 Ia
at Remington road, but he has
branch surgery and dispensary at Low
er BriNton road, two miles away. This
Dr.. Barnicot is an enthusiastic admir-
er OF Napoleon, and his house is full
OF books, pictures and relics of the
trench emperor. Some little time aeo
ne purchased from Morse Hudson two
duplicate plaster casts Of the famous
head Of Napoleon by the French sculp.
tor Devine. One of these he placed IN
his hall in the house at Remington
road and the other on the mantelpiece
OF the surgery at Lower Brixton.
Well, when DR.. Barnicot came down
this morning he was astonished to find
that his house had been burgled dur
Ing the night, but that nothing had
been taken save the plaster head from
the hall. 1t had been carried out and
had been dashed savagely against the
garden wall, under which its splinter
ed fragments We're discovered"
Holmes rubbed his hands.
This is certainly very novel," said
he.
Il thought it would please you. But
l have not got to the end yet. DR.. Bar
nicot was due at his surgery at 10
o'clock, and you can imagine 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 We're strewn all over
the room. 1t had been smashed to
atoms where it stood. In neither case
We're there any signs which could give
us clew as to the criminal or lunatic
who had done the mischief. Now, Mr..
Holmes, you have got the facts"
"They are singular, not to say gro,
tesque," said Holmes. MAY I ask
whether the two busts smashed in DR..
Barnicot's rooms were the exact du-
plicates of the one which was destroy +,
ed in Morse Hudson's shopT'
They We're taken from the same
mold"
"such fact must tell against the
theory that the man who breaks them
Is influenced by any general hatred
Of Napoleon. Considering how many
hundreds Of statues Of the great en-.
lssSs must sxt1t y tsaAsA, u II ~