Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-08-26
snd yet it is not quite the
ch l should approach the
uld you DO. then?"

go on your une and l on mine. We
can compare notes afterward, and each
will supplement- the other"
Very COOL" said Lestrade.
IF you ar going back 10 Pitt street
you might ses Alr. Horace Harker. Tell
him for me that l have quite made
up my mind and that il is certain that
n dangerous homicidal lunatic with Ne
poleonic decisions was in his house
last night. 1t will be useful for bis
article"
Lestrade stared.
you don't seriously believe thatT"
Holmes smiled
Don't II Well. perhaps I don't. but
l am sure that IL Will interest Mr..
Horace Harker and the subscribers OF
The Central Press syndicate. Now,
Watson. l think that we shall find that
we have a long and rather complex
days work before US. / should be
glad. Lestrade, If you could make il
convenient to meet US at Baker street
at 8 o'clock this evening. Until then
I should like 70 keep this photograph
found in the dead mans pocket. Ii is
possible that / may have 10 ask your
company and assistance upon a small
expedition which viii have to be IN
dertaken tonight II nay chain of rea-
soning should prove TO be correct I'm
I'll then, goodby and good luck"
Sherlock Holmes and 1 walked to-
gether TO the High street. where we
stopped at the shop OF Harding Bros.
whence the bust had been purchased.
a young assistant informed us that
Mr.. Harding would be absent until
after noon and that he was himself
a newcomer who could give us no IN
formation. Holmes face showed his
disappointment and annoyance.
We'll, WELL we can't expect TO have
II all our own way. Watson be said at
last 1--WE must come back In the aft
ernoon. If 1Ir. Harding will not be here
until then. am, as you have no doubt
surmised. endeavoring 20 trace these
busts TO their source in order 70 find II
there is not something peculiar which
may account for their remarkable fate.
Let Us make for Mr.. Morse Hudson of
the Remington road aud see II he can
throw any light upon the problem"
A drive OF an hour brought US 10 the
picture dealers establishment. he was
q small. stout man, with a red face and
q peppery manner.
"Yes. sir. on my very counter, sir"
said he. What we pay rates and
taxes for don't know, when any ruff
fan can come IN and break ones
goods Yes, sir, IL was who sold Or.
Barnicot his two statues. Disgraceful.
sir, A nihillst plot-that's what 1
make IT, No one but an anarchist
would go about breaking statues. Red
republlcans-that's what 1 call 'em.
Who did / get the statues from? 1
don't see what that has 70 do with il.
Wen. II you really want TO know,
got them from Gelder & Co, In Church
street. Stepney. They are a well
known house in the trade and have
been this twenty years. How many
had I? Three-two and one are three
two OF DIR. Barnicot's and one smash
ed In broad daylight on my own count
er. Do 1 know that photograph? No.
I don't. Yes. do. though Why. it's
Beppo. He was a kind OF italian piece
work man, who made himself useful In
the shop. he could carve bit and
gid and frame and do odd jobs. The
fellow left me last week, and I've
heard nothing OF him since. No,
don't know where he came from nor
where he went 70. had nothing
against him while he was here He
was gone two days before the bust was
smashed"
'Well, that's all we could reasonably
expect from Morse Hudson" said
Holmes as we emerged from the shop.
we have this Beppo as a common
factor, both In Remington and In Ken
slngton, so that is worth q ten mile
drive. Now, Watson, let Us make for
Colder & Co. Of Stepney, the source
and origin OF the busts. shall be sur
prised II we don't get some help down
there"
In rapid succession we passed
through the fringe of fashionable Lon
don, hotel London. theatrical London,
literary London. commercial London,
and, finally, maritime London. till we
came TO a riverside city Of 100000
souls, where the tenement houses swell
ter and reek with the outcasts OF Eu-
rope. Here, in a broad thoroughfare.
once the abode OF wealthy city mer-
chants, we found the sculpture works
for which we searched. Outside was a
considerable yard full OF monumental
masonry. Inside was large room in
which fifty workers were carving or
holding. The manager. a big blond
German, received US civllly and gave
a clear answer to all Holmes ques-
tons. A reference to his books showed
that hundreds OF casts had been taken
from marble copy OF Devine's head of
Napoleon, but that the three which had
been sent TO Morse Hudson year or
so before had been half OF a batch OF
six, the Other three being sent 10 Hard
ing Bros. OF Kensington. There was no
reason why those six should be differ
emit from any OF the other casts. He
could suggest no possible cause why
any one should wish TO destroy them
In fact, he laughed at the idea. Their
wholesale price was 6 shillings, but the
retailer would get u or more. The
cast was taEen in two molds from
each side of the face, and then these
two profiles OF plaster Of paris were
Joined together to make the complete