Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-07-08

kET1 year 1894 that all London
IKE was interested and the
- fashionable world dis
NfkZN&oH mayed by the murder OF
ts2G0ez@ 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 "A good deal was sup
pressed upon that occasion. since the
case fOr the prosecution was so over
whcimngly strong that 10 was not nee
essary 90 bring forward al the facts.
Only now. az the eud of nearly ten years.
am ! allowed 10 supply those missing
links which make mp the whole OF that
remarkable chain The crime was OF iu-
terest iu itself. but that interest was
as nothing 90 me compared 20 the in
conceivable sequel. which afforded me
the greatest shock and surprise 81 any
event In my adventurous Ife Even
now. after this long interval. find my
self thrilling as I think Of IL and feel
Ing once more that sudden flood OF iov.
nmazement and Incredibly which ut
terly submerged my mind Let me
some interest i'm those glimpses which
] have occasionally given them OF the
thoughts and actions Of very remark
able man. that they are not 20 blame
me n have not shared my knowledge
with them. for should have consider
20 Il my first duty 90 have done 20 had
! not been barred 10y q positive prohi-
hition from his own lips. which was
only withdrawn upon the 81 OF last
month.
IL can be imagined that my close In
timacy with sherlock Holmes had in
terested me deeply IN crime and that
after bis disappearance I never failed
10 read with care the various problems
which came before the public And I
even attempted more than once FOR my
own private satisfaction 10 employ his
methods IN th-ir solution. though with
indifferent success. There was none.
however, which appealed 20 me like
this tragedy OF Ronald Adair. As
read the evidence az the inquest. which
led up 60 verdict Of wiliful murder
against some person or persons IN
known. I realized more clearly than I
had ever done the loss which the com
Sherlock Holmes.
There were points about this strange
business which would. I was sure. have
specially appealed 20 him. and the ef-
forts OF the police would have been
supplemented or more probably antici-
pated by the trained observation and
the alert mind or the first criminal
agent IN Europe. All day as I drove
upon my round turned over the case
in my mind and found no explanation
which appeared 20 me TO De adequate
Al the risk OF telling twice TOLD tale
] 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. az
that time governor OF one Of the Aus
fralisn colonies Adair's mother had
returned from Australia 10 undergo the
operation for cataract. and she. her son
Ronald and her daughter Hrda were
living together az 427 Park lane The
youth moved IN the best sOciety-had.
30 far as WAS known. no enemies and
no particular vices. He had been en-
gagged TO Miss Edith Woodiey OF Car
stairs but the engagement had been
broken OF by mutual consent some
months before. and there was no sign
that IL had left any very profound feel
Ing behind IT, For the rest the mans
life moved in narrow and convention
nj circle FOR his habits We're quiet and
hts nature International. 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.
1894
Ronald Adair 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. II was
shown that after dinner on the day OF
his death he had played rubber OF
whist az 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 considerable one. and such
a loss could not in any way affect him.
he had played nearly every day NJ one
club or other. but be was a 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 $50 ia a sitting
some weeks before from Godfrey Mil
ner and Lord BalmOral. So much for
his recent history aS ~ coroa ont NJ Tho
inquest
On the evening OF the crime ne re
turned from the club exactly at 10.
His mother and sister were out spend
ing the evening with a relative The
servant deposed that she heard him en-
ter the front room on the second floor,
generally used as his sitting room.
She had lit a IRE. and SIS II smoked shs
had opened the window. No sound was