The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-30

in the kitchen must have rung loud
ly.' he remarked
No one could hear. it. The kitchen
stands right at the back of the house."
How did the burglar know no one
would hear 1t? How dared he pull
at bell-rope in that reckless fash
iong'
Exactly, MIR. Holmes, exactly You
put the very question which | have
asked myself again and again. There
can be no doubt that this feifow must
have known the house and its habits.
He must have perfectly understood
that the servants would all be in bed
at that comparatively early hour and
that no one could possibly hear a bell
ring in the kitchen. Therefore, he
must have been in close league with
one of the servants. Surely that is ev-
ident But there are eight servants,
and all Of good character"
"Other things being equal" said
Holmes, ''one would suspect the one
at whose head the master threw
decanter.. And yet that would involve
treachery towards the mistress to
whom this woman seems devoted.
Well. well. the point Is minor one
and when you have Rand II you will
probably find no difficulty In securing
his accomplice. The lady's story GER
tainly seems to be corroborated. II 1t
needed confederation, by every detail
which we see before us" He walked
to the French window and threw 1t
open. There are no signs here. but
the ground is iron hard ana one would
not expect them. ! see that these
candles in the mantelpece have been
lighted"
"Yes, 1t was by their light, and that
of the ladys bedroom candle. that the
burglars saw their way about.
And what did they take?'
well, they did not take mueh-only
half dozen articles ol plate off the
sideboard. Lady Brackenstall thinks
that they were themselves so dis
turbed by the death of Sir Eustace
that they did not ransack the house.
as they would otherwise have done
mo doubt that is true, and yet they
drank some wine. understand
ITO steady their nerves"
Exactly These three glasses upon
the sideboard have been untouched,
l suppose2'
ayes. and the bottle stands as they
left It,"
let us look at it. Halloa, halloal
What is this?" A
The three glasses were grouped to-
gether, ALI of them tinged with wine
and one Of them containing some
dregs, of beeswing. The bottle stood
near them, two-thirds full, and be-
side it lay long, deeply stained cork.
Its appearance and the dust upon the
bottle showed that was no common
vintage which the murderers had ems
joyed.
A change had come over Holmes
manner He had lost his lstless ex-
preston, and again | saw an alert
light of interest in Lis keen. deep-set
eyes He raised the cork and ex-
amined it infinitely.
GLOW did they draw it?'' he asked.
Hopkins pointed to a half-opened
drawer. In 1t lay some table linen and
a large cork-screw.
Did Lady Brackenstall say that
screw was used?"
NO, you remember that she was
senseless at the moment when the
bottle was opened"
quite So As. matter of fact. that
screw was not used This bottle was
opened by pocket screw, probably
contained in a knife and not more
than an inch and half long If you
will examine the top of the cork you
will observe that the screw was driven
in three times ..efore the cork was ex-
tracted 1t has never been transfixed.
This long screw would have transfixed