The San Francisco call., 1905-04-23

g. Coz
7 T was no very unusual thing for
Mr.. Lestrade Of Scotland Yard to
look in upon US of an-evening. and
his visits were welcome to Sherlock
Holmes. for they enabled him to
keep in touch with all that was going
on at the police headquarters. i. In re-
turn for the news which Lestrade
would bring. Holmes was always ready
10 listen with attention to the details
Of any case upon which the detective
was engaged, and was able occasional
ly, Without any active interference. to
give some hint or suggestion drawn
from his own vast knowledge and ex-
perience.
On this particular evening Lestrade
had spoken of the weather and the
newspapers. Then he had fallen silent.
putting thoughtfullv at his cigar
Holmes looked keenly at him.
Anything remarkable on hand?" he
asked.
oh. no. Mr.. Holmes-nothing very
particular"
Then tell me about it."
Lestrade laughed.
Well. Mr.. Holmes. there is no use
denying that there is something on my
mind And yet it is such an absurd
business, that I hesitated to bothe<
you about it. On the other hand. n
though it is trivial. it is undoubtedly
queer. ard I know that you hafe a
taste for all that is out Of the co9mon.
But, in my opinion. it comes m Ire. in
DR. Watson's line than ours"
Disease2" said l.
Madness. anyhow. And a Nceer
madness, too. You wouldn't Mink
there wss any ore living at this tine
Of day who had such a hatred of NA
poleOn the First that he would break
any image OF him that he. could see."
Holmes sank back in his chair.
That's no business Of mine" said he
Exactly. That's what 1 said. But
then. when the man commits burglary
IN order to break.images which are not
his own. that brings it away from the
doctor and on TO the policeman"
Holmes sat UP again.
Burglary. This is more interesting.
Let me hear the details"
Lestrade took out his official notE
book and refreshed his memory frEn
its pages.
The first case reported was -four
days ago" said he. 1T was AZ the
shop Of Morse Hudson. who has 4 place
for the sale Of pictures and st%aes In
the Remington Road. The assistant
had left the front shop for al instant,
when he heard crash. and fhurrying
in he found plaster bust ofISapOleon,
which stood with several okher works
Of art upon the counter, lyikg shivered
into fragments. He rushed but into the
road. but, although severat passeYs- by
declared that they had n@tfced a man
run out Of the shop, he Louid neither
see any one nor could he I'll td any means
of identifying the rascal. Il seemed to
be one Of those senseless hcts Of Hooli-
ganism which occur fror{ time TO time.
and il was reported to IT. constable on
the beat as such. The plaster cast was
not worth more than a few shillings.
and the whole affair appeared TO be
too childish for any Particular inyes-
tigation.
The second case, howfver, was more
serious. and also morl singular II
occurred only last night
In Remington Road1 and within a
few hundred yards Of M5rse II udson' s
shop. there lives a well-Anown medical
practitAner, named DR.. Rarnicot, who
has one OF the largest IkacticeS Nipon
the south side Of the Thar ifs xa-
dence and principal consuEiDgf froomNs
at Remington Road. butt ~ has q
branch surgery and didsznsary at
Lower Brixton Road. two miles away
This DR.. Barnicot is an enthusiastic
admirer Of Napoleon, and his house is
full Of books. pictures and relics Of the
French Emperor. Some little time age
he purchased from Morse Hudson two
duplicate plaster casts of. the famous
head Of Napoleon by the French sculp-
tor. Devine. One Of these he placed in
his hall in the house at Remington
Road and the other on the mantelpiece
OF the surgery at Lower Brixton. Well
when DR.. Barnicot came down this
morning he was astonished to find that
his house had been burgled during the
Nnight. but that nothing had been taker
save the plaster head from the hail. II
had been carried out and had beer
dashed savagely against the garder
wall, under which its splintered frag-
ments were discovered
Holmes rubbed his hands.
This is certainly very novel," said
he.
i thought it would please you. But
have not got to the end yet. DR.. Bar.
nicot was due at his surgery at Il
O'Clock. and you can imagine his
amazenaent when, on arriving there, he
- 49, - a.
in the night. and that the broken
pieces of the second bust were strewn
All over the room. 1t had been smash