The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-17
ApvENTURES oFSHERLOCk HOLMES
THE B0scoME VALLEY MYSTERY.

coPYRIchr 81 HARPER 4 BROTHERS.


was much excited, without either his
gun or his hat, and his right hand
and sleeve were observed to be STAIN
ed with blood. On following him they
found the dead body stretched out up
on the grass beside the Pool. The head
had been beaten In by repeated blows
of some heavy and blunt weapon. The
injuries were such as might very we'll
have been inflicted by the butt-end of
his sons gun, which was found lying
on the grass within few PAGES of the
body. Under these circumstances the
young man was instantly arrested,
and a verdict of 'Wilful Murder hav-
ing been returned at the inquest on
Tuesday, he was on Wednesday
brought before the magistrates at
Ross, who have referred the case to
the next assizes. Those are the main
facts of the case as they came out be-
fore the coroner and at the police
court"
II could hardly imagine more
damning case" I remarked. IF ever
circumstantial evidence pointed to Il
criminal it does SO here"
"Circumstantial evidence is very
tricky thing" answered Holmes.
thoughtfully. ''It may seem to point
very straight to one thing, but if you
shift your own point of view little.
uncompromising manner to something
entirely different. 1t must be confessed
however, that the case looks exceed
ingly grave against the young man.
and it is very possible that he is in
deed the culprit. There are several
people in the neighborhood, however.
and among them Miss Turner, the
daughter of the neighboring land-own-
er, who believe in his innocence. and
yI,n hnx fni ctra a WI n
you may recollect in connection with
the Study in Scarlet, to work out the
case in his interest. LeStrade, being
rather puzzled, has referred the case
to me, and hence it is that two middle
aged gentlemen are flying westward at
fifty miles an hour. instead of quietly
digesting their breakfast at home"
ST am afraid" said l. that the facts
are SO obvious that you will find little
credit to be gained out of this case"
There is nothing more deceptive
than an obvious fact" he answered.
laughing. Besides, we may have been
by no means obvious of Mr.. Lestrade.
You know me too we'll to think that
/ am boasting when l say that / shall
either confirm or destroy his theory
by means which he is quite incapable
of employing, or even of understand
ing. To take the first example to hand
L
bedroom the window is upon the right
hand side, and yet l question whether
Mr.. Lestrade would have noted even
so Self-evident a thing as that
How on earth"
my dear fellow, I know you we'll.
I know the military neatnesS which
characteriZes you. You shave every
morning, and in this season you shave
by the sunlight; but since your shaving
Late Of
farther back on the left side, until
it becomes positively slovenly as we
get round the angle of the jaw, it is
surely very clear taht that
side is less we'll Illuminated
than the other. I could not imagine
n man of your habits looking at him
self In an equal light, and being sat
isfied with such result. I only quote
this as a trivial example of observation
and inference. Therein lies my me-
tier, and it is just possible that it
may be of some service in the inves-
tigation which lies before us. There
are one or two minor points which
were brought out in the Inquest, ana
which are worth considering"
What are they?"
at appears that his arrest did not
take place at once, but after the return
to Hatherley Farm. On the inspcc-
tor of conStabulary informing him
that he was a prisoner, he remarked
that he was not surprised to hear it,
and that it was no more than his de-
serts. This observation of his had the
natural effect of removing any traces
of doubt which might have remained
in the minds of the coroner's jury"
''It was a confession" / calculated
mo, for it was followed by a L
protestation of innocence"
Coming on the top of such dam
ming series of events, it was at least
most suspicious remark
"On the contrary" said Holmes, sit
is the brightest rift which l can at
present see in the clouds. However
innocent he might be, he could not be
such an absolute imbecile as not to see
that the circumstances were very
black against him. Had he appeared
surprised at his own arrest, or feiHn-
ed indignation at it, l should have
looked upon it as highly suspicious. be-
cause such surprise or anger would
not be natural under the circumstan-
ces. and yet might appear to be the
best policy to a scheming man. His
frank acceptance of the situation
marks him as either an innocent man,
or else as man of considerable self
restrain and firmness. AS to his re-
mark about his deserts. it was also not
unnatLV0l IL you consider ITdI he
stood beside the dead body of his faith :
err, and that there is no doubt that he
had that very day so far forgotten his
filial duty as to handy words with him,
and even. according to the little girl
whose evidence is so important. to
raise his hand as if to strike him. The
self-reproach and contrition which are
displayed in his remark appear to ME
to be the signs of a healthy mind,
rather than of a guilty one"
l shook my head. MANY men have
been hanged on far slighter evidence
/ remarked
$50 they have. And many men have
been ,wrongfully hanged"
what is the young mans own ac-
count of the matter?"
1T is, 1 am afraid, not very en-
couraging to his supporters, though
there are one or two points i'm it which
are suggestive. You will find it here,
and may read it for yourself"
He picked out from his bundle a
copy of the local Herefordshire paper,
and having turned down the sheet he
pointed out the paragraph in which
the unfortunate young man had given
his own statement of what had occur
red 1 settled myself down in the cor
ner of the carriage. and read 1T very
carefully. 1t ran this way
"Mr. James Mccarthy, the only son