Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-13

~ - III
NsMN year 1894 that all London
XXI was interested and the
= fashionable world dis
HCRMANV mayed by the murder of
kS0N@&l the Hon Ronald Adair
under most unusual and
inexplicable circumstances. The public
has already learned those particulars of
the crime which came out in the police
investigation, but a good deal was sup
pressed upon that occasion, since the
case for the prosecution was 40 over
whelmingly strong that IL was not nee
essary 10 bring forward all the facts.
only now, at the end OF nearly ten years,
am i allowed to supply those missing
links which make up the whole of that
remarkable chain. The crime was OF in
terest in itself, but that interest was
as nothing to me compared to the in
conceivable sequel. which afforded me
the greatest shock and surprise Of any
event In my adventurous life Even
now. after this long interval. find my
self thrilling as I think OF it and feel
ing once more that sudden food OF Joy,
amazement and Incredibly which ut
terly submerged my mind. Let me
say TO that public. which has shown
some interest i'm those glimpses which
have occasionally given them OF the
thoughts and actions OF a very remark
able man. that they are not to blame
me If have not shared my knowledge
with them. for | should have consider
ed ii my first duty to have done so had
GnOt been barred by positive prohi-
DitiOn from his own lips. which was
only withdrawn upon the Sd OF last
month.
1t can be imagined that my close in
+imacy with Sherlock Holmes had in
terested me deeply in crime and that
after his disappearance 7 never failed
to read with care the various problems
which came before the public. And |
even attempted more than once for my
own private satisfaction to employ his
methods In their solution. though with
indifferent success. There was none,
however, which appealed to me like
this tragedy OF Ronald Adalr As /
read the evidence at the inquest. which
led up TO a verdict OF willful murder
q gainst some person or persons I'M
known. / realized more clearly than
had ever done the loss which the com
munity had sustained by the death OF
Sherlock Holmes.
There were points about this strange
business which would, was sure. have
specially appealed to him, and the eff
forts of the police would have been
or more probably antici-
pated by the trained observation and
the alert mind OF the first criminal
A
upon my round / turned over the case
IN my mind and found no explanation
which appeared to me to he adequate.
At the risk OF telling twice told tale
/ will recapitulate the facts as they
were known TO the public at the con-
OF the inquest.
The Hon. Ronald Adair was the sec
cnd son Of the Earl OF MaynoOth. at
that time governor OF one OF the Aus
trail colonies. Adair'S mother had
returned from Australia 10 undergo the
operat zion for cataract. and she. her son
Ronald and her daughter Hilda were
living together at 427 Park lane The
youth moved I'm the best society-had.
so far as was known. no enemies and
no particular vices He had been en-
stairs, but the engagement had been
broken OF by mutual consent some
months before, and there was no sign
that il had left any very profound feel
ing behind it, For the rest the mans
life moved in narrow and convention
al circle. for his habits were quiet and
his nature Unconditional. Yet IL was up
onsthis easy going young aristOcrat that
death came in most strange and unex-
pected form between the hours Of 10
and 1920 on the night Of March 80.
1894.
Ronald Adair was fond OF cards, play
ing continually. but never for such
stakes as would hurt him. He was n
member of the Baldwin, the Cavendish
and the Bsgatelle card clubs 1t was
shown that after dinner on the day Of
his death he had played rubber OF
whist at the latter club. He had also
played there I'm the afternoon. The
evidence OF those who had played with
him-Mr. Murray. Sir John Hardy and
Colonel Moran-shOwed that the game
was whist and that there was a fairly
equal fall OF the cards. Adair might
have lost e.. but not more. His for
tune was a considerable one, and such
n loss could not IN any way AFFECT him.
He had played nearly every day at one
club or other. but he was cautions
player and usually rose winner II
came out I'm evidence that in partner
ship with Colonel Moran he had actu-
ally won as much as f42o in 4 sitting
some weeks before from Godfrey NIL
ner and Lord BalmoraL So much for
his recent history as 10 came out at the
inquest.
On the evening OF the crime he re
turned from the club exactly at 10.
His mother and sister were out spend
ing the evening with a relative. The
servant deposed that she heard him en-
ter the front room on the second door.
generally used as his sitting room.
She had lit q IRE. and as Ii sucked abe