Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13

him for me that 7 have quite made
up my mind and that Il ia certain that
dangerous homicidal lunatic with Ma.
pole0nic decisions was In his house
last night. 1t will be useful for his
article"
Lestrade stared.
you don't seriously believe that7"
Holmes smiled.
Don't I? Well, perhaps don't, but
am sure that It will interest Mr..
Horace Harker and the subscribers Of
the Central Press syndicate. Now,
Watson, I think that we shall find that
we have long and rather complex
days work before us. should be
glad, Lestrade. II you could make 1t
convenient to meet us at Baker street
at @ o'clock this evening. Until then
I should like to keep this photograph
found In the dead mans pocket. 1t is
possible that I may have 10 ask your
company and assistance upon a small
expedition which will have to be un-
dertaken tonight II my chain Of rea-
soning should prove to be correct. Tn
I'll then, goodby and good luck"
Sherlock Holmes and 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
MFR. Harding would he absent until
after noon and that he was himself
a newcomer who could give us no in
formation. Holmes face showed his
disappointment aud annoyance.
"Well. well, we can't expect to have
II all our own way. Watson he said at
last 1--WE must come back in the aft
crnoon, II Mr.. Harding will not be here
until then. am. as you have no doubt
surmised. endeavoring to trace these
busts to their source in order to find II
there 10 not something peculiar which
may account for their remarkable fate.
Let us make for Mr.. Morse Hudson Of
the Remington road and see II he can
throw any light upon the problem"
A drive Of an hour brought us to the
picture dealers establishment. He was
q small. stout man, with red face and
peppery manner.
Eyes. sir. On my very counter. sir"
said he. "What we pay rates and
taxes for I don't know. when any ruff
fian can come in and break ones
goods. Yes. sir, 1t was who sold DR..
Barnicot his two statues. Disgraceful.
sir! A nihilist plot-that's what
make 1t. No one but an anarchist
would 90 about breaking statues. Red
republcans-that's what call 'em.
Who did I get the statues from?
don't see what that has to do with it.
Well. II you really want to know.
got them from Gelder & Co.. In Church
street. Stepney. They are a we'll
known house in the trade and have
been this twenty years. How many
had I? Three-two and one are three
two of DR.. Barnicot's and one smash
cd in broad daylight on my own count
er. Do know that photograph? No,
I don't. Yes. do. though. Why. it's
Beppo. He was 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. I
don't know where he came from nor
where he went to. ! had nothing
against him while he was here. He
was gone two days before the bust was
smashed"
well, that's oil we could reasonably
expect from Morse Hudson said
Holmes ms we emerged from the shop.
Eve have this Beppo as n common
factor. both in Remington and in Ken
sngton. so that Is worth n ten mile
drive. Now. Watson. let lis make for
Gelder Il Co. Of Stcpney. the source
and origin Of the busts. shall be sur
prised if 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 n riverside city Of 100000
souls, where the tenement houses swell
ter and reek with the outcasts Of Flu
rope. Here, In n broad thoronghfare,
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
molding. The manager. big blond
German. received us civilly and gave
a clear answer to all Holmes ques.
tions. 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 a year or
so before had been half Of batch OF
six. the other three being sent 10 Hard
ing Bros. Of Kenslngton. There was no
reason why those six should be differ
ent from any Of the other casts. He
could suggest no possible cause why
any one should wish TO destroy them
in fact. he laughed Mt the idea. Their
wholesale price was 6 shillings. but the
retailer would get IL or more. The
cast was taken in two molds fronl
each side of the face, and then these
two profiles Of plaster OF paris were
coined together to make the complete
hnst. The work was usually done by
Italians in the room we were in. When
finished the busts were put on a table
In the passage to dry and afterward
stored. That was all he could tell MS.
But the production Of the photograph
had n rama rk hle effect unon the man