The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-08

nor any sign of a wound The evidence against him is certainly very stro ig He had A great interest in the disappear ance of the faVorite He lies un1af sus- picion of having poisoned the stabIe boy, he was undoubtedly out In the storm, he was armed with a heavy stick. and hls cravat was found in the dead man hand. I really think we have enough to go be- fore a jury.
 Holmes shook his head. "A clever coun- sel would tear 1t all to rags" said he. ssNhy should he take the horse out of the stable? If he wished to injure it, why could he not do it there9 Has a dupli- cate key been found in his possession? What chemist sold him the powdered opium? Above all, where could he, a stranger to the district hide a horse, and such a horse as this? What is lis own explanation as to the paper which he wished the maid to give to the stable i boy?"
 He says that it was a ten-pound note. One was found in his purse. But your otl- CT difficulties are not so formidable as they seem He is not a stranger % the district. He has twice lodged at Iavistock in the summer. The opium was 2r"oably brought from London. The key, hay ing served it's purpose, would be hurled away. The horse may be at tha bottom | of one of the pits or old mines upon lhe moor' ~ "what does he say about the cravat?'
 "He acknowledges that it is his, and declares that he had lost it. But new element has been introduced into the case which may account for his leading the horse from the stable
 Holmes pricked up his ears.
 we have found traces which show that a party of gypsles encamped on Monday night within a mile of the spot where the murder took place. On Tues day they were gone. Now, presumlns that there was some misunderstanding be- tween Simpson and these gypsies, might he not have been leading the horse to them when he was overtaken, and may | they not have him now?
 Tt Is certainly possible.
 '.The moor is being secured for these gypsies. I have also examined every | stable and outhouse in Tavistock, and , for a radius of ten miles
 "There is another training stable quite 1 close, understand2'
 ''Yes, and that is a factor which we must certainly not neglect. As Desbor- | ough, their horse, was second in the ] betting, they had an interest in the dis appearance of the favorite. Silas Brown , the trainer, is known to have had large | bets on the event, and he was no frtenc to poor Straker. We have, however, ex- amined his stables, and there is nothing to connect him with the affair "And nothing to connect this mar Simpson with the interests of the Ma pleton stabes?"
 Nothing at all"
 1 "Holmes leaned back in the carriage and the conversation ceased. A few min | utes later our driver pulled up at a neal little red brick villa with over-hanginl ! caves which stool by the road. Some dis
 tance off across a paddock, lay long | gray tiled out-building. In every othel , direction the low curves of the moor l bronZe-colored from the fading ferns | stretched away to the skyline, broker
 only by the steeples of Tavistock, ant | by a cluster of houses away to the west
 ward. which marked the Mapleton sta | bles We all sprang out with the eXcep ton of Holmes, who continued to lear back with his eyes fixed upon the sky in front of him, entirely absorbed in hi. | own thoughts. It was only when l touch ed his arm that he reused himself witi | violent start and stepped out of thu carriage.
 Excuse me-" said he, turning to Col
 Ross. who had looked at him in som | surprise. "I was day-dreaming." Ther
 was a gleam in his eyes and suppressed excitement in his manner which convnc ed me used as I was to his ways, tha l his hand was upon clue, though
 could not imagine where he had foun' | 1t.
 Perhaps you would prefer at once t ] go on to the scene of the crime, MI l Holmes?" said Gregory.
 | 'I think that l should prefer to sta.
 here a little and go into one or tw' questions of detail. Straker was brough ] back here I presumeY
 "Yes; he lies upstairs. The inquest i | tomorrow"
 He has been in your service som | years. Col. Ross?"
 'I have always found him an excellen | servant
 q presume that you made an inventor,
 of what he had in his pockets at th time of his death Inspector?'