The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-14
II Author, A. Conan Doyle, Famous
coYHe 1900 3 HARPER

consultation, was obviously to In |
sure that there should be no
just happened, however, that this hour
conceded with Blessington constitu-
tional, which seems to show that they
were not very well acquainted with his
daily routine. OF course, if they had
been merely after plumber they would at
lease have made some attempt to search
for IT.. Besides, I can read in man %
eye when it is his own skin that he is
frightened for. It is inconceivable that
this fellow could have made two such
vindictive enemies as these appear to be
without knowing Of it. hold it, there
fore, to be certain that he does know
who these men are, and that for rea-
sons OF his own he suppresses it. It is
just possible that tomorrow may find
him mir IN more communicative mood
Is there not one alternative
suggested, "grotesquely improbable, no
doubt, but still just conceivable9
Might the whole story Of the cataleptic
Russian and his son be concoction of
DR.. Trevelyan s, who has, for his own
purposes been in Blessington IS rooms9'
saw in the gaslight that Holmes
wore an amused smile at this brilliant
| departure of mine.
| MY dear fellow said he, 1T was
| one Of the first solutions which occurred
to me, but was soon able to corrobor-
ate the doctor 8 tale This young man
has left prints upon the stair carpet
which made it quite superfuous for me
to ask to see those which he had made
in the room. When I tell you that his
shoes were square-toed instead Of being
pointed like Blessington s. and were
| quite an inch and a third longer than
! the doctor s, you will acknowledge that
there can be no doubt as to his indi-
viduality. But we may sleep on it now,
for l shall be surprised if. we do not
hear something further from Brook
street in the morning.
Sherlock Holmes prophecy was soon
fulfilled, and in dramatic fashion. At
half-past seven next morning, in the
first dim glimmer Of daylight, I found
him standing by my bedside in his
dressing gown.
"There s a brougham waiting for US,
Watson said he.
i What's the matter, then9"
.t..The Brook street business"
Any fresh news4'
"Tragic, but ambiguous, said he,
pulling up the blind. 7Look at this.
sheet from a notebook with 'For God IS
sake come at once-P T., 'scrawled upon
it in pencil. Our friend, the doctor, was
had put to it when he wrote this. Come
along, my dear fellow, for it s an urgent
call.'' .a..
LII d. QUARTER u oil uOuI 50 we were
back at the physician S house. He came
running out to met us with a face of
horror. 49,.
ooh, such a business!'' he cried, with
his hands to his temples.
"What then9"
"Blessington has committed sui
cide.' H..
; eyes, he hanged himself during the
8 night -
:. We had entered, and the doctor had
!. preceded us into what was evidently his
!. waiting room.
q "I really hardly know what I am do
|, ing,' he cried. "The police are al
I ready upstairs. It has shaken me most
: dreadfully'
! HWhen did you find it out9'
4 "He has cup Of tea taken in tx
Y him early every morning. When the
7 maid entered, about seven, there the I'M
:, fortunate fellow was hanging in the
< middle of the room. He had tied hi!
cord to the hook on which the heavy
. . lamp used to hang, and he had jumped
. off from the top of the very box tina
he showed us yesterday.
:. Holmes stood for moment in deeI
! THOUGHT:
9 "With your permission" said he a
last, ~ should like to go upstairs AM
y look into the NATTER
We both assembled, followed by tn
J doctor.
a 1t was dreadful sight which met u
d as we entered the bedroom door,
u have spoken Of the impression Of fabb
: ness which this man Blessington con
g. veyed. As he dangled from the hoo
o. it was exaggerated and intensified unit
"a he was scarce human in his appearance
q The neck was drawn out like plucke
" chicken IS, making the rest of him seer
t the more obese and unnatural by tn
se contrast: He was clad only in his lon
"a ungainly feet protruded starkly frol
~ beneath it.. Beside him stood a smar
n looking police inspector, who was tall
at ing notes in a pocketbook.
" "Ah, Mr.. Holmes" said he, heart
id ~, as my friend entered, II am d.
h lighted to see you.''
70 Good morning Lanner,' answere
IN Holmes; "you won It think me an il
as truder, I am sure. Have you heard {
lie the events which led up to this AFFAIR."
eyes, heard something Of them:
no ..Have you formed any opinion7v,
n, GAS far as I can see, the man h
y been driven out of his senses by. frigh
Sc see. There's his impression, dee
" enough. It's about five in the NOR
>, ing, you know, that suicides are mo-
It common. That would be about h
time for hanging himself. 1t seems
st have been a very deliberate affair. ~
"I should say that he has been des
M. about three hours, judging by the !
If. gidity Of the MUSCLES said I.
"Noticed anything peculiar abo,
- the room9' asked Holmes.
ID. "Found screwdriver and son
n. screws on the wash-hand stand. Seer
IN. to have smoked heavily during tt
an night, too: Here are four cigar en-
in that t picked out of the FIREPLACE
ar uHum, - said Holmes, uhave you g
at his cigar holderq'
an No, [ have seen none.'
en- ellis cigar case, then9''
to eyes, it was in his coat pocket
Holmes opened it and smelled t
Ms single cigar which it contained.
HOh, this is Havana, and the
ou others are cigars of the peculiar SO
which are imported by the Dutch fro
- their East Indian colonies. They q
a usually wrapped in straw, you kno
DR.. and are thinner for their length Thu
any other brand. - He picked up t
ad four ends and examined them with
~ pocket lens.
or 1.-TWO Of these have been smok
,at he. "Two have been cut by a not We
ed sharp knife and two have had the en-
w, ,vu bitten off by a set of excellent teet
WI WI This is no suicide, Mr.. Lanner. It
~ very deeply planned and cold-blood
q murder
at Impossible!" cried the inspecto
90, "And why?''
~ sWhy should any one murder m
on in SO clumsy fashion as by hangi
him9'
ere tsThat is what we have to find out