Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-10-24

SAsJ LII A1oN hlolS
had 1? Three-two and one are three
two Of DR.. Barnicot's and one smash
ed in broad daylight on my own count
Do | know that photograph? No,
1 don't. Yes, l 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 a 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. 1 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.
1--WE have this Beppo as a common
factor, both in Remington and in Ken
sington. SO that is worth a ten mile
drive. Now, Watson, let us make for
Colder & Co. of Stepney, the source
and origin Of the busts. ! shall be sur
prised If we don't get some help down
In rapid succession we passed
Hs =. 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 a large room in
which fifty workers were carving or
molding. The manager, a big blond
German, received us civilly and gave
a clear answer to all Holmes ques-
lions. A reference to his books showed
that hundreds of casts had been taken
from a 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 a batch of
six, the other three being sent to 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 n should wish to destroy them
In fact, he laughed at the idea. Their
wholesale price was 6 shillings, but the
retailer would get IL or more. The
cast was taken in two molds from
each side of the face, and then these
two profles of plaster Of paris were
bust. The work was usually done by
Italians in the room we were In. Wher
finished the busts were put on a table
In the passage to dry and afterward
stored. That was all he could tell us.
But the production of the photograph
had a remarkable effect upon the man
ager. His face flushed with anger, an6
his brows knotted over his blue Teu
tonic eyes.
"Ah. the rascalr' he cried. Eyes, in
deed, l know him very we'll. This has
always been a respectable establish.
ment, and the only time that we have
eyer had the police in it was over this
very fellow. 1t was more than a year
ago now. He knitted another Italian in
the street, and then he came to the
works with the police on his heels, and
he was taken here. Beppo was his
name-his second name I never knew,
Served me right for engaging a man
with such q face. But he was a good
workman-one of the best"
"What did he get"
1.-THE mar lived, and he got off witt
a year. have nc doubt he is out now
but he has not dared to show his nose
here. We have a cousin of his here
and I dare say he could tell you where
he is"
mo, no." cried Holmes; mot a wore
to the cousin-not a word, 1 beg of you
The matter is very important, and the
farther I go with it the more importan'
it seems to grow. When you referred
In your ledger to the sale of those cast.
I observed that the date was June
Of last year. Could you give me tn,
date when Beppo was arrested"
II could tell you roughly by the pa.
list" the manager answered. EYES,
he continued, after some turning owe
Of pages, "he was paid last o. May 90
"Thank you" said Holmes. II don
think that 1 need intrude upon you
time and patience any more" With
last word of caution that he should So.
nothing as to our researches we turned
our faces westward once more.
The afternoon was far advanced be
fore we were able to snatch a hasty
luncheon at q restaurant. A news bill
at the entrance announced: "Kensing
ton Outrage. Murder by a Mailman,
and the contents Of the paper showed
that Mr.. Horace Harker had got hi
account into print after all. Two col
umns were occupied with a highly sen
sational and fowery rendering Of tn
whole incident. Holmes propped !
against the cruet stand and read !
while he ate. Once or twice b
%chuckled.
"This is all right, Watson" said he
"Listen to this: 1T is satisfactory t
know that there can be no differenc
Of opinion upon this case, since MI
Lestrade, one Of the most experience
members Of the official force, and Nj
Sherlock Holmes, the well known col
| sulting expert, have each come to th
conclusion that the %grotesque series c
Incidents, which have ended in so trag1
a fashion, arise from lunacy rathe
than from deliberate crime. No e1
PLANTATION save mental alteration ca
! cover the facts The press, Watson
is a most valuable institution, if 20
only know how to use it. And now,